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

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley. To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker. Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa. The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language. The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246. CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County. CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward. South of CA 127 ...

May 2023 Ontario Trip (Part 3 of 3)

Over the years, I have made plenty of trips to Ontario, crisscrossing the southern, central and eastern parts of the province. Living in Upstate New York, it's pretty easy to visit our neighbor to the north, or is that our neighbor to the west? Ottawa is one of my favorite cities to visit anywhere in the world, plus I've discovered the charm of Kingston, the waterfalls of Hamilton (which is on the same Niagara Escarpment that brings us Niagara Falls), the sheer beauty of the Bruce Peninsula, and more. But I hadn't explored much of Cottage Country. So I decided to change that, and what better time to go than over Memorial Day weekend, when the daylight is long and I have an extra day to explore. On the third and final day of my trip, I started in Huntsville and made my way through Muskoka District and Haliburton County, passing by many lakes along the way. I stopped in towns such as Dorset, Haliburton and Bancroft before making a beeline down to Belleville and then over th...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog