The village contained what is known as the Council House, which many years later was transported to what is now Letchworth State Park and renovated.

Moses van Campen reportedly ran the "gauntlet" outside the Council House in 1782 while a captive of the Senecas during the American war for independence.

The Caneadea township was officially formed in 1806, but included large portions of land that are no longer part of it.

Caneadea contained a route of the underground railroad, helping individuals escape slavery from the south.

While overall the canal was massively unprofitable for the state of New York, it did contribute significantly to the culture and economy of Caneadea and its hamlets Houghton and Oramel.

Houghton changed dramatically from a wild canal port commonly known as Jockey Street (due to popular horse racing) into a more tranquil community strongly associated with the college and its sponsoring Wesleyan denomination.

[4] In the late 1980s, a New York State committee was formed to find potential nuclear waste disposal sites.

Caneadea, along with some other towns in Allegany County, was proposed as a potential site.There was significant disapproval by many area residents over this, and organizers committed to fight the state legally, politically and with civil disobedience.

Large amounts of protestors blocked the road and wore paper masks to hide help their identities.

Horse riders blocking the road frustrated state police and played a major role in finally thwarting the unsuccessful attempt to access the site.

[5] A significant event occurred in 1995 when a massive cannabis raid at a farm along Caneadea's main road discovered an estimated $100,000 (not adjusted for inflation) worth of the substance hidden in various areas including cornfields, hay bales, and a pigpen.