First Settlers of CantonOutside the limits of Ponkipog, on the land owned by theDorchester proprietors, houses were being erected. MathiasPuffer, as early as 1690 had attempted to build a house nearBlue Hill, but an order from the Selectmen of Dorchester forbadehim to proceed with it, but having been able to convince themthat he had purchased three hundred and forty acres of land of the widow of Capt. Hopestill Foster, and hadtwo hundred and twenty laid out to him (1695) by the town ofDorchester, the restriction was removed; he was allowed toerect his house. He was appointed in 1697 with Capt. Vose andEbenezer Billings to look after the common swamps and uplands,to see that neither shingles or timber were carried away. Thisappointment implies residence. In March 1703, he was chosensurveyor of highways, and was the first officer elected byDorchester, who lived in the New Grant. As his life was aneventful one, and as there are many living who have "Pufferblood" in their veins, a short sketch of probably our firstsettler will not be uninteresting. Mathias Puffer first appears in Dorchester in 1663, he marriedMar. 12, 1662, Rachel Farnsworth, of Braintree. In 1675 he was at Mendon,when that town was attacked by the Indians. His wife, Rachel, andeldest son, Joseph, were slain. Several of his cattle were killed. He wasforced to return to Braintree to take care of his children. This hardshipceased on February 11, 1677, when he fortunately found inAbigail, daughter of Richard and Mary Everett, of Dedham, someone far better adapted to that business. In 1687, he is again at Mendon, and he appears atMilton in 1693, when he joins the church in that town, and onthe 14th of May, 1697, leads to the alter Miss Mary Crehore ofthat town. The land he owned consisted of a tract bounded by WashingtonStreet on the west, the Indian Line and the Pond on the south, and BlueHill Street on the north. He divided his lot among his foursons, John, the eldest, having the eastern portion; James, thenext adjoining Jonathan, an intermediate track to whichDavenport's Lane now runs, and all contiguous on WashingtonStreet to Eleazer. He had a daughter Hester who married June 2,1697, William Sumner, and Abigail who married March 25, 1708,William Crane. He died May 9, 1717.