Franklin (town), New York
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Franklin is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in Delaware County,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, United States. The population was 2,288 at the 2020 census. The town contains a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
also named
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
. The village is the population center. The town is on the county's northern border.


History

Little is known of the area prior to the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. Areas along the waterways were occupied by bands of
Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...
(Delaware) people primarily, with remnants of other tribes who had been pushed west across the
Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson Rodrigues dos Santos, Brazilian f ...
by English colonial development. Hunters and fur trappers also visited the area. After the war, speculators, often based in New York City, bought various land patents sight unseen, as they were lured by dreams of profit-taking as land was resold to settlers. Hundreds of settlers had moved into the town of Harpersfield in what is now Delaware County. On April 10, 1792, the State Legislature passed "An Act For Dividing the Several Towns, ...That all that part of the town of Harpersfield, lying south of a line to be drawn, beginning at the southeasterly bank of the river Susquehannah, from thence running a south-easterly course to the northwest corner of others, thence running on the northeast line of Whites-Borough until it comes to the Cachquago branch of the river
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
, thence down the said river to the line of property, thence along the said line of property, until it comes to the river Susquehannah, opposite to the river Unadilla, thence up the said river Susquehannah, to the place of beginning, shall be and hereby is erected into a town, by the name of Franklin, and that the first town meeting shall be held at the house of Sluman Wattles Esquire, in the said town..." Six men, including William Franklin, eldest son of statesman
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 ...
, owned east of the town of Franklin, named the Franklin Patent. The new town of Franklin underwent several changes over the following decades, as areas were developed and split off. The Skovsende and Sitts family, primarily Georgetta and Traci, have maintained much control over the land with their wood and dairy businesses respectively. Sluman Wattles was the first European-American settler in 1785, followed by Nathaniel Edgerton, James Follett, Alex Smith, Enos Parker, Asa Turner, and hundreds of others, many of them migrants from
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. In 1797 part of the town was split off to become the town of
Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...
. The law provided that Franklin and Walton would divide "existing money and poor people", as shall appear most equitable to the major part of them. Further changes to the town boundaries occurred when Meredith was taken off in 1800, Sidney in 1801, and the "Huntsville" portion of Otego in 1822. Franklin was originally part of Otsego County. On May 30, 1797, the first annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors was held at Gideon Frisbee's house to proceed with the formation of Delaware County. Franklin and six other towns were represented at this meeting. In 1800, Franklin's first census showed a population of 1,390. Most of the people who were not clearing isolated land were clustered in settlements at Bartlett Hollow and Leonta. On September 30, 1800, Franklin became the first United States post office in the county, with Elias Osborn appointed as its first postmaster. On June 30, 2012, Jonathan Lockwood took over the reins of Postmaster. The land yielded pine, beech, maple, oak, hickory, and chestnut. Lumber was carted to the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, where it was rafted to the cities. Large amounts of grain were harvested. As in many frontier communities,
distilleries Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...
converted the surplus into thousands of barrels of
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
, which were shipped to Philadelphia and New York. A local market for pork developed. Cattle drovers guided their herds eastward to market along the newly formed Catskill and Susquehanna Turnpike. This toll road spurred trade between Catskill and Wattle's Ferry. Towns along this road grew as taverns, hotels, liveries, and other facilities developed to support the endless movement of wagons, animals, and people. The villages of Franklin and Treadwell (formerly known as Jug Town and Croton) prospered. Strong ties with agriculture also grew as the villages served as trading centers for the growing needs of farmers. Throughout the 19th century, Franklin had to adapt to changes in agriculture. Before 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 ...
, raising sheep and processing wool surpassed the cultivation of grain and cattle. Traffic on the Catskill Turnpike declined as canals and railroads successfully competed for transportation business. Despite this loss of trade, Franklin continued to grow in population, institutions and businesses. In 1793, the
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
and
Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...
churches organized and remained notable religious influences in Franklin. In 1833, decades of
circuit riding In the United States, circuit riding was the practice of a judge, sometimes referred to as a circuit rider, traveling to a judicial district to preside over court cases there. A defining feature of American federal courts for over a century after ...
preacher visits ended with the establishment of the
Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
. By 1865, there were eight churches in town: two Baptist, one Congregational, three Methodist, one
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, and one
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...
. In 1835–36, the community organized for long-term improvements. It financed a well-engineered road between Franklin and Oneonta through the sale of $25 shares in the Franklin & Oneonta Turnpike Company. The village of Franklin became the town's population center, especially after John Edgerton purchased and platted street and lot layouts in 1827. In 1836, the village became incorporated. Formal education began in the town with the construction of a schoolhouse in Bartlett Hollow. By 1840, there were 25 school districts in Franklin. Residents believed that higher education was needed. They gained approval by the state legislature in 1835 for a grant of incorporation for the Delaware Literary Institute. In time, three large buildings, Stone, Ladies, and Chapel halls, were built with financing by Franklin's citizens. Local students and others from different states paid tuition at this well-received school. The disruption of the Civil War and growing tax support for public schools brought about a decline in attendance. The school trustees deeded all of DLI's facilities to District 10. With centralization in 1929, the Franklin Central School was created. The following year voters authorized the official name of the school to be Delaware Literary Institute and Franklin Central School, thus preserving part of the past. By 1860, the census showed that there were 3,308 people in the town. Franklin village streets showed many fine residences built in the Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate Revival and Gothic styles. Main Street bustled with commercial activity. Franklin's support of the military dated from 1792, when a local
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
was formed. During the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, three companies of Franklin men served at
Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sackett (surname), Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augus ...
, which became the site of a major naval shipyard on
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...
and a defensive army installation, and at New York City. In 1845, Franklin's militia was called out to guard
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
during the Anti-Rent crisis. Civil War records indicate that 318 men served different periods of enlistment in Franklin's Company D of the 144th Regiment, or in filling other Delaware County town quotas. Franklin men have continued to serve in all of this nation's wars. The militia stands strong today with Jody Pinney as head of the Commando 450s. According to the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, "Groups of armed individuals that engage in paramilitary activity or law enforcement functions without being called forth by a governor or the federal government and without reporting to any government authority are acting as unauthorized private militias." In addition, the Anti-Defamation League warns that modern militia groups are anti-government, conspiracy-oriented ideology. Printer George W. Reynolds published and edited Franklin's first newspaper, ''The Weekly Visitor,'' from 1855 to 1863. It was succeeded by the ''Franklin Register,'' 1868-1883, which changed to the ''Delaware County Dairyman,'' 1883-1952. The First National Bank of Franklin was founded in 1863, Amos Douglas being its first president. This bank served the community until 1933, forced to close during the hard times of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. In the aftermath of the Civil War, many social and economic changes occurred in Franklin. In terms of agriculture,
dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...
ing took on increasing importance, with milk, butter, and cheese all showing production increases. A creamery association was formed to develop and market dairy products, often to the major market of metropolitan New York City. In addition to licensed taverns, inns, and hotel, the business directory included dry goods, hardware, furniture, grocery, druggists, carriagemakers, coopers, harness makers, shoemakers, foundry, cigar company, telegraph, ice cream parlor, marble works, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and other vocations. The railroad bypassed Franklin, except for the Ontario & Western's Franklin Depot. When the trustees of the D.L.I. voted to ask the Board of Regents to establish teacher training at the school, the end result was the founding of a normal school in Oneonta for teacher training. This has developed into
SUNY Oneonta The State University of New York at Oneonta, also known as SUNY Oneonta, is a public university in Oneonta, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. History SUNY Oneonta was established in 1889 as the Oneonta ...
. A gradual decline in population continued through the first half of the 20th century, but it was reversed as people began to buy homes in the town for retirement or as second homes for recreation. The Ouleout Valley Cemetery on Route 357, begun in 1873, often draws attention to its handsome iron gate and well-manicured grounds. The massive Erastus Edgerton Monument is impressive. The Soldiers' Monument was dedicated in 1889 to veterans particularly of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, and annual
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
observances have been held there since for all veterans. Many of the community and fraternal organizations were started in the mid-19th century. Members of the volunteer Fire Department,
Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...
,
Odd Fellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in 18th-cen ...
Lodge, Sportsmen's Association, Washington Reading Circle, Onesiphori, and the Free Library have all contributed to Franklin's way of life. Treadwell and Franklin also had strong chapters of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...
(WCTU) and the Good Templars, organized to try to suppress drinking and drunkenness. In the 20th century, local sales of alcoholic beverages were controlled through the issuance of licenses by the town government. The fees collected were often used to aid the less fortunate. In the 21st century, Franklin continues to be a "dry" town. In 1990, the census showed the town of Franklin with a population of 2,471, with 409 of them in the village of Franklin. The number of active farms continued to decline, absentee ownership increased, few new businesses survive, a substantial number of people retired or commuted to work. Franklin Central School completed a building program in 1991. An annual Franklin Day is held in August to raise funds for the preservation of Stone Hall. In 1983, the village of Franklin was recognized for its architectural qualities and placed on 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 ...
as a historic district. This noteworthy honor has aided the continued preservation of Franklin's architectural treasures. In 1992, the town of Franklin celebrated its bicentennial with many events. On July 25, 1992, dozens of groups marched along Main Street in the bicentennial parade, which was videotaped for later viewing. The Ouleout Valley Historical Society published ''Throughout the Years in the Town of Franklin 1792-1992.'' Some groups still march to this day with community leader Adam Davidson. He and fellow screenplay writer Keith have made their mark on the town.


Geography

Franklin lies in the northern part of Delaware County. It is bordered by Otsego County on the north, the towns of
Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality *Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...
and Meredith on the east, the towns of
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Hamden Hamden is the name of several places in the United States of America. It also is a surname. Places *Hamden, Connecticut *Hamden Township, Becker County, Minnesota *Hamden, Missouri *Hamden, New York *Hamden, Ohio *Hamden, Oklahoma Name *Erika Ham ...
, and
Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...
on the south, and the town of Sidney on the west. Franklin has views of forested hills, streams, ponds, historic homes and commercial buildings, and numerous winding roads. Its surface is hilly upland made of shaly
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...
atop hardpan, while the valleys consist of gravelly loam and
alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
. Ouleout Creek, which flows west into the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
, is the main surface water feature. Its tributaries are Handsome Brook and Croton Creek. 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 town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.34%, is water.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,621 people, 1,026 households, and 725 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,371 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.51%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.69%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.04% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population. There were 1,026 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,417, and the median income for a family was $44,519. Males had a median income of $26,367 versus $22,625 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $17,477. About 7.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.


Communities and locations in the town of Franklin

*Bartlett Hollow – a hamlet southwest of Franklin village on Route 357. *Brooklyn – a former
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
north of Franklin village. *
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
– the village of Franklin on Route 357. *Leonta – a former hamlet northeast of Franklin village on Route 357. *Merrickville – a hamlet south of Bartlett Hollow *North Franklin – a location in the northeastern part of the town. *Treadwell – a hamlet northeast of the village on County Highway 14.


References


External links

* {{authority control Towns in Delaware County, New York Towns in New York (state)