Nestled among the five hills along the banks of the Pigeon River, Canton, North Carolina is in Haywood County. Canton has the distinction of having two of the steepest streets in the U.S. Founded in 1889, the town was first called Buford. In 1891, it was changed to Pigeon Ford, and in 1893, it was finally named Canton, after Canton, Ohio, from whence the steel used to construct the Pigeon River bridge came.