In May 2018, I traveled to College Station to see my younger brother graduate with his undergraduate degree in health sciences from Texas A&M University. As his pomp ceremony was in the evening, I had the unique opportunity to stay the night in Franklin, a small town located just outside of College Station and in the heart of East Texas. On another note, I also drove through Franklin during my road trip honeymoon with my wife.
The community of Franklin, which today serves as the county seat of Robertson County and has a stable population of 1560 residents, was established in 1872 as a small town named Morgan. In that year, the International Railway Company also completed a segment of railroad lines that linked the town to a number of local villages, including Hearne and Navasota. In 1880, a wilderness village (consisting of sixty families) was incorporated and the town was promptly renamed Franklin. It is believed that the town’s properties were once owned by Texas settlers with land grants, such as Hugh Henry, Stephen H. Eaton, and Britton Dawson. Sections of the present-day town were also originally granted to Jose Maria Viesca, a former governor of the State of Coahulia and Texas, in the 1840s and 1850s.
At the turn of the twentieth-century, many of the villagers were railroad workers and farmers, and the small developing town housed a depot, water station, wooden houses, and several small food stores. Many of Franklin’s men volunteered to bravely fight in Europe during WWI and WWII, and when many returned from the battlefields, they took to the fields and continued to fill the shoes of their agricultural ancestors, ranching and raising cattle.
As technology and industry transformed many Texas habitations into major cities during the latter-half of the twentieth century, Franklin stayed a small town by choice. Though the automobile had now replaced the horse-drawn wagon and homes had been fitted with televisions and radios, the people of Franklin continued to refuse to think of becoming a larger city, instead preferring a relaxed environment which included community, churches, schools, and friendly neighbors. James Knight, the Central Texas editor of the Waco News-Tribune, once said in 1955: “Franklin is the friendliest town I have ever known. It is the only place in Texas where a man can have car trouble on the road and a passer-by will not only stop to help him … he will stay with him until repairs are made, or if it takes too long to fix his car, the Franklin man will take him home with him and feed him and, if necessary, invite him to remain through the night as his guest.”
Today, life in Franklin is very much alive and well, though old traditions have been stuck in the roots. The law-abiding community of energetic citizens raise stocks and farm like their past ancestors. Thousands of chickens and other animals are fed and stocked in farms that surround the industry in the center of the town. Truck farming, including the seedling growth of watermelons, tomatoes, and plums is common. Hunting for game is a popular activity in the south of Franklin, as residents take great pride in catching deer, fish, and other small critters. Though Franklin might appear to be a sleepy town at first (and it was evident to me at first glance due to the lack of industry, stores, and cars on the main road), the community is very much awake. This colorful town represents life in East Texas– dormant at first glance, and awake on the inside.
As I am interested in the history of education in Texas, it is appropriate to note that today, the City of Franklin is home to the famed Carnegie Library (named after the steel titan, Andrew Carnegie) and three state-recognized schools, including a 2-A high school. According to the city’s website, “the City of Franklin is proud of its exemplary school system and tight knit community.” I did not have the opportunity to visit the schools, however, I strongly believe that teachers in Franklin ISD schools are very committed to providing the very best for their students. In sum, I pleasantly enjoyed my little outing to a community in the heart of East Texas (and I thank the Franklin’s Best Western hotel for their friendly hospitality). Though it was scary to drive along those dirt-path roads late at night with little light and knowing that not many citizens work and reside in these forgotten parts of Texas, the history of the towns in this opportunistic region is still very much alive….
Franklin’s Town Hall, which was remodeled in the 1980s. On the third Monday of each month, the town’s residents meet to discuss city-wide issues and policies. Photograph by author.
An old agricultural grain silo/factory on Franklin’s Main Street, now abandoned. Photograph by author.
The not-so-busy Main Street in Franklin, Texas– it looks very sleepy at first glance. Photograph by author.
A painting of a horse-drawn wagon on the side of a fence in Franklin, TX. Before automobiles and public transportation, many settlers migrated to Franklin and East Texas in such wagons. Photograph by author.
Many thanks to the gracious hospitality provided by Franklin’s Best Western hotel. This was a great little trip, and a delicious breakfast to boot in the morning too! Photograph by author.
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