In 1837, Andrew Watson brought his family to Cannon and built the first farm in the township.

At the first town meeting, held in 1848, it was renamed "Cannon", after Cannonsburg, the largest village.

Zebulon Rood purchased 240 acres (97 ha) of land in 1840 and built Cannon's first house, a log structure.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the production of wheat, wool, corn, apples and other fruits supported the economy.

This building served as the township hall from 1890 until 1987, when it became the Cannon Historical Museum.

[5] The township took its name from the small settlement of Cannonsburgh, which had been founded in 1842 at the direction of LeGrand Cannon, described as an eastern capitalist.

[4] The hamlet had two mills and a store by 1845, and the town was platted to encourage residential growth.

The cannon was used by the townspeople to commemorate holidays, such as the 4th of July, until someone was hurt firing the ordnance.

Unfortunately, another person was subsequently injured while firing the cannon, and again it was buried, and has not been found again to this day.