Canton

Hey, I'm not s, I'm not saved this morning because I, I, I repeated some prayer that some preacher or some individual told me to repeat.

I'm not saved this morning because, uh, uh, they, they took me into the Pigeon River, uh, uh, above Canton, North Carolina and baptized me in the, in the waters of the river.

I'm not saved because of that.

I, I'm not saved because I stood before Maple Grove Baptist Church and, and, uh, and, and became a member of that church.

The band took its name from the great Balsam Range mountains that surround Haywood County.

Within its valley lies the papertown community known as Canton.

In 1906, Peter Thompson, president of the Champion Fiber Company, began construction of a large pulp mill adjacent to the Pigeon River.

In full operation by 1908, the mill continued to grow in size and capabilities with each passing year.

As houses and businesses grew around the mill, Canton made the transition from a small village to a thriving mountain town.

Ranging from the perils of the Great Depression, war times, significant flood damage, environmental concerns, changes in corporate structure, each era has provided its own set of triumphs and challenges.

But no matter the type of hurdle that was crossed, one thing is certain, spirit of the people keeps this paper town going strong today.

This is the title track of Balsam Range's album, Paper Town, and it goes like this.

Okay.

Sonia from Canton, North Carolina is praying that her daughter Anna comes back to the church after drifting away from the faith while at college.

And Laura from Poughkeepsie, New York asks for prayers for the mental health of her family members, especially as they grieve the loss of their mom who passed away in July.

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