Franklin Historical Society

The Story of the Barn Museum The dream of a barn museum to augment the Franklin’s historic village in Legend Park began in 2012 when the Wendt family donated its 1880s family barn on Oakwood Road to the Franklin Historical Society. The goal was to preserve the community’s farming heritage…

A smokehouse, which was common on many Franklin farms, is the newest addition to the historical area of Legend Park. Between 2011 and 2012 it was dismantled from its original site on S. 51st St. and Drexel Ave. and reassembled in the park behind the chapel. Originally, it was built…

The St. Peters Chapel was built in 1869 on grounds next to the St. Peters Cemetery on S. 68th Street, just south of Loomis Road. The congregation was founded by the William Boldt, Fred Mueller, Gustave Wendt, John Brown, Charles Spies, Albert Neske, Ernest Kelm and Bertram families who chose…

A building considered essential to almost any historic landmark has been added to the Franklin historical site in Lions Legend Park. It is an outhouse. While retired from its standard use several decades ago, the two-seater has been located on the S. 68th Street Ludwig homestead since 1908. Fred Ludwig,…

The Whelan School was one of seven schools that sprouted up during the latter part of the nineteenth century to educate Franklin’s farm children. Others were Stargard, Riverside, Green Valley, Willow Edge, German School and Oakwood High School. Whelan was built on land secured from Patrick Whelan in 1852. Electors…

The structure and function of town government was established by legislation passed in 1841. Accordingly, Franklin held its first town meeting April 5, 1842 at the home of J.C. Loomis with 37 individuals listed as voters. For the next 40-plus years, town meetings were held in private homes or public…

Franklin’s earliest known non-native settlers were Michael and William Sheehan who arrived from County Cork, Ireland, to register a claim in 1834. In 1836, the Sheehan brothers built Franklin’s first European-style log cabin in the 10600 block of St. Martins Road. Later, they were joined by their brother Patrick and…