Franklin is a small city in and the

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana St. Mary Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,406. The parish seat is Franklin. The parish was created in 1811. St. Mary Parish comprises the Morgan City, LA Micropolita ...

, United States. The population was 6,229 as of 2024. The city is located on

Bayou Teche Bayou Teche (Louisiana French: ''Bayou Têche'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 20, 2011 waterway in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche ...

, southeast of the cities of Lafayette, and

New Iberia New Iberia (; ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette, and forms part of ...

, , and northwest of Morgan City. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area and the larger Lafayette-Acadiana combined statistical area.

History

Franklin, named for

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

, was founded in 1808 as the "Carlin's Settlement" by French-born pioneer Joseph Carlin and his family. It became the parish seat in 1811 and the town was incorporated in 1820. Though early settlers included French, Acadian, German, Danish and Irish, the town's culture and architecture is heavily influenced by the unusually large numbers of English that chose to settle there after the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

in 1803. Numerous large sugar plantations arose in the area, and with the development of steam-boating, Franklin became an interior sugar port. With the later advent of the railroad, it became a sawmill town. Franklin's First

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

Church was established in 1806, making it the first

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

church established in the state of Louisiana.

Sugar plantations

By the 1830s,

was the main street of

Acadiana Acadiana (; French language, French and Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''L'Acadiane'' or ''Acadiane''), also known as Cajun Country (Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''Pays des Cadiens''), is the official name given to the ...

, with one

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

after another. The area's

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

planters were among the South's wealthiest agriculturists. This is reflected in the grand plantation homes and mansions they built in Franklin and the surrounding countryside. Most of these magnificent structures are still standing and well preserved, giving Franklin its unique architectural flavor. Franklin's Historic District is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP) and encompasses over 420 notable structures. Some of the historic plantations in Franklin listed in the NRHP include the Alice C. Plantation House, Arlington Plantation House, and the Dixie Plantation House.

Civil War

During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, the Battle of Irish Bend, also known as Nerson's Woods, was fought near Franklin on April 14, 1863. Though eventually forced to retreat, the badly outnumbered

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

forces commanded by

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Richard Taylor cost the Union troops, under General Cuvier Grover, significant losses. Four hundred men were killed or wounded in the confrontation, including Confederate Colonel James Reily, a factor in halting the Union drive to invade

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 5.44%, is water. Louisiana Highways 182, which runs through downtown, and 87, which is located on the outskirts of Franklin, both head north passing through the communities of Baldwin, , Jeanerette, , and

, , both located in

Iberia Parish Iberia Parish (, ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 69,929; the parish seat is New Iberia. The parish was formed in 1868 during the Reconstruction era and named for Iberia. It is p ...

. Both LA-182 and

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...

(future

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in Shreveport, Louisian ...

) both head to northwest to Lafayette, , and southeast to Morgan City, .

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,728 people, 2,743 households, and 1,466 families residing in the city.

Education

St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools: Elementary schools: * W. P. Foster Elementary School * LaGrange Elementary School Secondary schools: * Franklin Junior High School * Franklin Senior High School Not Operated by St. Mary Parish School Board: Private schools: * St. John Elementary School * Hanson Memorial High School

Media

Movies filmed in Franklin, Louisiana include: *''

Easy Rider ''Easy Rider'' is a 1969 American road drama film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern. It was produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and the S ...

'' (1969) *''

The Drowning Pool ''The Drowning Pool'' is a 1950 mystery novel by American writer Ross Macdonald, then writing under the name John Ross Macdonald (and simply John Macdonald in the UK). It is his second book in the series revolving around the cases of private de ...

'' (1975) *''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U. ...

'' (2006)

Notable people

Actors

Ned Romero Ned Romero (December 4, 1926 – November 4, 2017) was an American actor and opera singer who appeared in television and film. Early childhood and education Romero was born on December 4, 1926, in Franklin, Louisiana, the seat of St. Mary P ...

, actor * Jerome Bonaparte "Black Jack" Ward, actor who appeared in over 140 cowboy movies from 1927 to 1946.

Politicians and civil service

* C. C. Aycock, the only three-term

Lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in modern Louisiana history; former Speaker of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

* Joshua Baker,

Governor of Louisiana The governor of Louisiana (; ) is the chief executive of the U.S. state government of Louisiana. The governor also serves as the commander in chief of the Louisiana National Guard. Republican Jeff Landry has held the office since January 8, ...

1868 * Carl W. Bauer, Member of the

from 1967 to 1972 and of the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

from 1972 to 1976 *

Ralph Norman Bauer Ralph Norman Bauer, sometimes known as R. Norman Bauer (May 1899 - March 13, 1963), was a lawyer from Franklin in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928 to 1936 and a ...

Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Louisiana House of Representatives, the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature. The speaker serves as the leader and head of the Louisiana House. The ...

from 1940 to 1948; leader of the

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

forces in 1929 against

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Huey Pierce Long, Jr. *

Donelson Caffery Donelson Caffery (September 10, 1835December 30, 1906) was an American politician from the state of Louisiana, a soldier in the American Civil War, and a sugar plantation owner. Biography Caffery was born in Franklin, Louisiana, the seat of S ...

, Louisiana State Senator,

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

, lieutenant in the Confederate Army * Patrick T. Caffery, Louisiana State Representative and United States Representative grandson of Donelson Caffery * Murphy J. Foster,

from 1892 to 1900, also a U.S. Senator * Murphy J. Foster, Jr.,

from 1996 to 2004; former member of the

* Henry Johnson,

from 1824 to 1828, also District Judge for St. Mary Parish 1811 *

Alexander Porter Alexander Porter (June 24, 1785January 13, 1844) was an attorney, politician, and planter, who served as United States Senator from Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United ...

(June 24, 1785 – January 13, 1844) was an attorney, politician, and planter in St. Mary Parish who served as U.S. Senator from 1833 to 1837. He had served a term in the Louisiana House from 1816 to 1818, and on the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1821 to 1833. He built Oaklawn Manor. * Gaston J. Sigur, Jr.,

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Assistant may refer to: * Assistant (by Speaktoit), a virtual assistant app for smartphones * Assistant (software), a software tool to assist in computer configuration * Google Assistant, a virtual assistant by Google * The Assistant (TV series), ...

under the Reagan Administration * Jeohn Favors, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Counterterrorism, Threat Prevention, and Law Enforcement Policy under the Biden Administration.

Sports

* Wallace Francis, football player, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills and the Atlanta Falcons *

Ernie Ladd Ernest L. Ladd (November 28, 1938 – March 10, 2007), nicknamed "the Big Cat", was an American professional American football, football defensive tackle and professional wrestling, professional wrestler. A standout athlete in high school, Ladd ...

, football player for Grambling University under Eddie Robinson, professional career San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers and Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs (1970); professional wrestler known as "The Big Cat" *

Leonard Marshall Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. (born October 22, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Selected 37th overall in the 1983 NFL draft, he spent t ...

, football player for the New York Giants * Warren Wells, Pro football player for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders *John Porche, athletic trainer for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame for Administration in 2017

References

External links

City of Franklin official website
{{Authority control * Cities in Louisiana Cities in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana Parish seats in Louisiana Populated places established in 1808 1808 establishments in the Louisiana Territory