Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States, along the Great Miami River. The population was 11,690 at the 2020 census. The city lies about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Dayton and 33.5 miles (53.9 km) northeast of Cincinnati. Ohio State Routes 73, 123 and 741 pass through Franklin, while Interstate 75 passes on the east side of the city.
Franklin was founded by General William C. Schenck, in 1796.[4] The settlement was named for Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was incorporated in 1814, and became a city in 1951. One of the first four post offices in Warren County was established in Franklin in 1805. The first postmaster was John N.C. Schenck, brother of General Schenck. The Franklin Post Office still stands (in a different location), and is one of four sites in Franklin listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the Mackinaw Historic District.
Construction of the Miami and Erie Canal occurred between 1825 and 1845. The canal followed the Great Miami River through Franklin, and the boat traffic led to new commerce. The town soon had a pork slaughterhouse, barrel making factory, sawmill, and whiskey distillery.[5] Franklin's first mayor, Dr. Absalom Death, was elected at a tavern meeting in 1837. Dr. Death went on to be director of a medical college in Cincinnati. In its history, two doctors in Franklin have been named "Dr. Death".[5]
By the 1850s, the Franklin area was noted for breeding racehorses. One chestnut-colored mare, Nightingale, sired by Mambrino and Wood's Hambletonian, set a 3-mile harness racing record of 6:55½ in 1893.[6] A railroad was completed with a depot in Franklin in 1872. The town continued to prosper, and by 1890, five paper mills were located in Franklin. The town's economy suffered a setback in 1896, when Franklin's only bank crashed. A longtime and trusted teller had embezzled vast amounts of money, affecting the fortunes of many individuals and businesses.[5]
The town marshal of Franklin, George Basore, was shot and killed in 1906 while attempting to arrest an African American man, George White. When White was arrested, a crowd of 300 gathered outside the Franklin jail intent on lynching him. The sheriff and two deputies were able to remove White and take him to nearby Lebanon for his safety. The New York Times reported: "The whole town of Franklin is wrought up over the affair. Colored people were chased out without being given time to explain".[7] White died the following year in the electric chair.[8]
In 1907, Franklin's fire chief, B.H. Miller, walked into the police station and shot dead one of the prisoners who had allegedly had an affair with his wife a month earlier.[9] The town was devastated by the Great Flood of March 1913, when the Great Miami River overflowed its banks.
Franklin opened what was considered the world's first garbage-recycling plant in 1971. Designed and built by the Black Clawson Company, the plant recycled metals from solid waste, and used recovered paper fibers to make roofing materials.[10]
In 1989, Ronald Peters, a café owner in Franklin, was alleged to be the principal bookmaker for baseball player Pete Rose.[11]
Franklin's Lion Bridge, spanning the Great Miami River and connecting the sections of Franklin on either side of the river (view east).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.34 square miles (24.19 km2), of which 9.17 square miles (23.75 km2) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km2) is water.[16]
Climate
Climate data for Franklin, Ohio (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1953–present)
As of the census[26] of 2010, there were 11,771 people, 4,667 households, and 3,162 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,283.6 inhabitants per square mile (495.6/km2). There were 5,026 housing units at an average density of 548.1 per square mile (211.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% White, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 4,667 households, of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 11,396 people, 4,553 households, and 3,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,251.0 inhabitants per square mile (483.0/km2). There were 4,802 housing units at an average density of 527.1 per square mile (203.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.51% White, 0.82% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.32% from other races and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There are 4,553 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,142, and the median income for a family was $45,152. Males had a median income of $35,401 versus $24,752 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,910. About 8.2% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
^Kramer, Stephen R. (June 7, 2013). "Marshal George E. Basore". Greater Cincinnati Police Museum. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
^Rosen, Steven (August 11, 2015). "Ohio's Strange Monument Honoring Robert E. Lee". It is a large, ruggedly shaped boulder with a bronze plaque in the center, fenced off from the roadway by some petite white pillars and a draped metal chain. The plaque depicts Lee astride his horse, Traveller, and reads, "Erected and Dedicated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Friends In Loving Memory of Robert E. Lee and to Mark the Route of the Dixie Highway. 'The shaft memorial and highway straight attest his worth — he cometh to his own.' — Littlefield/Erected 1927." ... Cindy Branam, president of the Ohio division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, said she had never heard of the monument until a recent call from a blogger. Her research shows it appears to be one of three markers her group had installed in Ohio — the others acknowledge actual historic sites, Confederate cemeteries at Johnson's Island and Columbus.
