Franklin

History

Franklin was founded by General William C. Schenck, in 1796. 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. 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". 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. White died the following year in the electric chair. 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. 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.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,103
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  9,206
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  7,658
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,260
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,074
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,717
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,435
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  6,263

Largest nearby schools

• Springboro High School
  High · Springboro · 1,954 students · 28.7:1 ratio
• Lebanon High School
  High · Lebanon · 1,628 students · 21.7:1 ratio
• Bowman Primary School
  Elementary · Lebanon · 1,203 students · 24.1:1 ratio
• Five Points
  Elementary · Centerville · 1,002 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• Springboro Junior High School
  Middle · Springboro · 928 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Clearcreek Elementary School
  Elementary · Springboro · 917 students · 26.2:1 ratio
• Lebanon Junior High
  Middle · Lebanon · 878 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• Berry Intermediate School
  Middle · Lebanon · 843 students · 23.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-02-22
  2 km NE of Hillsboro, Ohio
• M 2.9 — 2023-12-09
  5 km W of Jackson Center, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2013-07-23
  6 km NNE of Germantown, Kentucky
• M 2.8 — 2008-09-30
  5 km SW of Kettlersville, Ohio