Small Towns of Virginia Series

Small Towns of Virginia Series - Franklin

Though larger than many of the other towns featured thus far in this series, Franklin is still one of the numerous small towns within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Franklin is also one of 38 "independent cities" within Virginia. Territory within an independent city is not part of any county. Franklin, though it is within Southampton County, is its own jurisdiction.

The City of Franklin began in the 1830s thanks to the two popular steam modes of transportation of the era, railroads and boats. Known then as Franklin Depot, the town grew thanks to its location on the Blackwater River as both railroads and steamboats had freight and passenger depots in the area. A second major industry would develop in the area just prior to the Civil War. In 1856, the first sawmill in the area opened. The timber and pulp and paper business would be a mainstay in the Franklin economy well into the 21st century.

Downtown Franklin has seen its ups and downs. Most of downtown was flooded as a result of Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999. Throughout downtown there are numerous 'high water mark' placards showing how high the Blackwater River escaped its banks. The flooding had a severe impact on downtown. Downtown Franklin was flooded again - though not as severely - in 2006.

Franklin is one of Virginia's first Main Street communities. This program assists communities to revitalize, preserve, and attract new businesses to their downtown areas. Today, Franklin hosts a weekly farmers market from April - September, weekly music called "We Be Jammin" from May through September, and numerous festivals. The Franklin Fall Festival is held annually during the first weekend in October.

Site Navigation:

Return to the Small Towns of Virginia Series Index

Comments

Deer Isle Bridge in Maine

As graceful a bridge that I ever set my eyes upon, the Deer Isle Bridge (officially known as the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge) surprisingly caught my eye as I was driving around coastal Maine one Saturday afternoon. About 35 miles south of Bangor, Maine , the Deer Isle Bridge connects the Blue Hill Peninsula of Downeast Maine with Little Deer Isle over the Eggemoggin Reach on ME 15 between the towns of Sedgwick and Deer Isle . It should be noted that Little Deer Isle is connected to Deer Isle by way of a boulder lined causeway, and there is a storied regatta that takes place on the Eggemoggin Reach each summer. But the Deer Isle Bridge holds many stories, not just for the vacationers who spend part of their summer on Deer Isle or in nearby Stonington , but for the residents throughout the years and the folks who have had a hand bringing this vital link to life. The Deer Isle Bridge was designed by David Steinman and built by the Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville,

Former US Route 99 through Athlone and the last Wheeler Ridge-Sacramento corridor expressway

Athlone was a siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in Merced County on the alignment of what was US Route 99 between the cities of Chowchilla and Merced. The Athlone corridor of US Route 99 was one of the first in San Joaquin Valley to fully upgraded to four lane expressway standards. The Athlone expressway corridor was inherited by California State Route 99 when US Route 99 was truncated to Ashland, Oregon during June 1965. The four-lane expressway through Athlone was the last segment of what had been US Route 99 in the Wheeler Ridge-Sacramento corridor to be bypassed by a freeway. The Athlone expressway corridor was bypassed by the modern California State Route 99 freeway in 2016. Despite being put on a road diet and narrowed what was the Athlone expressway corridor still displays evidence of being part of US Route 99. Above the blog cover photo displays the Athlone expressway corridor of US Route 99 south of Merced as depicted in the July 1939 California Highways &

California State Route 38

California State Route 38 is a fifty-nine-mile State Highway located entirety in San Bernardino County and a component of the Rim of the World Highway. California State Route 38 begins at California State Route 18 at Bear Valley Dam of the San Bernardino Mountains and follows an easterly course on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. California State Route 38 briefly multiplexes California State Route 18 near Baldwin Lake and branches east towards the 8,443-foot-high Onyx Summit. From Onyx Summit the routing of California State Route 38 reverses course following a largely westward path through the San Bernardino Mountains towards a terminus at Interstate 10 in Redlands. Pictured as the blog cover is California State Route 38 at Onyx Summit the day it opened to traffic on August 12th, 1961. Part 1; the history of California State Route 38 California State Route 38 (CA 38) is generally considered to be the back way through the San Bernardino Mountains to Big Bear Lake of Bear Valley

Gribblenation

Search This Blog