The Legacy of Al Block

ALFRED “AL” BLOCK
1928-2018

Alfred (Al) Block, Franklin Historical Society Founder

Patriarch of the Franklin Historical Society Al Block died February 17, 2018 at the age of 90 after a long, distinguished life. He wore many hats, from teacher and administrator to war veteran and conservationist. But above all, he will be remembered as an educator who took pleasure in shaping young minds.

When Franklin High School opened in 1962, he became a key member of the faculty, teaching civics, American history, and conservation as well as coaching cross country and officiating wrestling matches. He also helped charter the curriculum for a school district still in its infancy.

I was fortunate to be a freshman at Franklin High when it opened in the fall of 1962, and I met “Mr. Block” when I was assigned to his civics class. It was apparent from the start that Mr. Block did not view students as unwieldy teenagers but as young adults. He never addressed us by our first names. At the age of 14, I was always “Mr. Schmidt”.

Mr. Block stressed critical thinking to his students. If you asked him a question, his response would be, “What do you think?” He challenged his students to prioritize goals and employ deductive reasoning. One such topic he challenged his 14 and 15 year old students to resolve was, should the school invest in improving its cross country trail to host the annual Parkland Conference meet or invest in new signage for the scoreboard on the football field?

Mr. Block was also dedicated to preserving Franklin history and thus, he established the Franklin Historical Society through an adult education class in 1969. He served as its guiding force through the next 40 years and spearheaded Franklin’s first documented history through a core of writers and editors in publishing “From Cabins To Condos” to help commemorate the city’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2006. I contributed a Ludwig family history to that manuscript and during that time I reconnected with Mr. Block. whom I now had to convince myself I could call “Al”.

Soon thereafter, I was elected to the Historical Society board and I had to convince myself that it was appropriate to call Mr. Block “Al.” I learned that one of Al’s ultimate goals was to add a barn to the complex of historical buildings in Legend Park. He believed that a barn structure was critical to educating Franklin children about the community’s proud farming tradition. Funding such a project became a contentious issue that sent our Historical Society on a rollercoaster ride for the next decade. Alas, a new barn was approved and funded for construction, but Al did not live long enough to see its completion. Today, the Barn Museum in Legend Park symbolizes the educational tool that Al so fondly desired.

His classroom will always remain open.

Doug Schmidt
President
Franklin Historical Society