It was 1940 and a man named James Buckley was watching a culvert being built on Rawson Avenue when he noticed a lot of rocks close to the surface of the land. He then decided to buy several hundred acres of land in the area in speculation of finding a valuable quarry. By 1941 he […]
Judeen Scherrer
Remembering Franklin’s Only Wooden Silo
It was the only wooden silo on a Franklin farm and for years it was recognized as a landmark because of its unusual construction. It was stamped with the dates 1903 and 1914 and made of wood that went horizontally around the outside while the wood on the inside was constructed vertically. It was also […]
The Buckhorn Tavern – A Long and Colorful History
For Sale — 1.24 acres — Commercial Property. The realty sign at the northwest corner of Hwy. 100 (Ryan Rd.) and 27th St. is another reminder of changes for the old Buckhorn Tavern in Franklin. Facing an uncertain future, the business is one of two buildings on the corner that remain of what was known […]
Coming to the Rescue – A History of the Franklin Fire Department
In the early years of Franklin, the village of St. Martins was the site of a volunteer Fire Department House located at the intersection of Church St. and St. Martins Rd. Later the fire house was moved to St. Martins Square (Market Square) and then back again to St. Martins Rd. Little has been recorded […]
Businesses of St Martins
Businesses of St Martins THE EARLY BUSINESSES OF ST. MARTINS A windmill, a brewery, a general store, and a farm implement dealer —these were some of the early businesses of Franklin. Located in St. Martins, they provided products and services for the rural population of the area. Even though all four of these no longer […]
An Old Fashioned Christmas
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season as the Franklin Historical Society presents its annual Christmas celebration in Lions Legend Park. Children are invited to the Whelan School on Saturday, December 1 in preparation for the Christmas festivities. There they will make ornaments, decorate the school tree and learn songs of the […]
SACRED HEART SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Franklin: Then and Now The Sacred Heart School of Theology, located on Hwy. 100 near Rawson Avenue, was originally known as the Sacred Heart Monastery and as a seminary for the training of men into the priesthood. It was originally built across the street from the present buildings. The original building was built in 1897 […]
A Call to Duty – A History of the Franklin Police Department
As Franklin changed from a township to a city in 1956, changes in its police department were also occurring. What was a quiet rural farming community now became a city of subdivisions, businesses and increased services. Along with that progress came the realization that the citizens of Franklin needed an expanded police presence. Prior to […]
Living in the 1950’s — “Franklin Style”
Franklin in the 1950’s still retained its rural landscape and its people were very self-sufficient. There was very little commercial development and its businesses centered around farm equipment stores, local general stores, gas stations and taverns. This is in contrast to the Franklin of today where families have easy access to retail establishments, restaurants, banks, […]
Flying into Franklin — The City’s Aviation History
FLYING INTO FRANKLIN — THE CITY’S AVIATION HISTORY As a rural town and then a city, Franklin was fortunate enough to have two small airports within its boundaries and to have been the original home of the EAA –Experimental Aircraft Association — museum and international headquarters. It was after World War II that Franklin became […]