Beautiful City of Broad, Shady Trees

Abounding on Every Hand in Evidence of

Wealth, Culture, Education and Refinement

                       

With the innumerable, shade trees which line her streets and protect her spacious lawns and parks just putting on their suits of spring time green; her broad streets thronged with progressive, prosperous business houses or modern homes of artistic design; the whole scene clothed in a subdued air of prosperity, peace and plenty, there is not today a more beautiful little city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky than Franklin.  The atmosphere of home breathes from every doorway, welcome greets you in every handshake, ease and contentment mingle with the perfume of the flowers and hospitality with outstretched hand, stands smiling on every threshold.  Evidences of wealth, culture, education and refinement abound on every hand of our future advantage while energetic and progressive have not given up all other aims of life in a mad scramble for the almighty dollar.

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While she has a history around which romance and tradition have woven their prettiest garlands, we shall not fill these columns with echoes from the dim and misty past, but rather confine ourselves to facts and figures concerning her today, While there are pleasant memories and tender recollections almost without number, we shall pass them by in our attempt to tell the story of the present and grasp the glories of the future. 

 

Franklin is situated in the south western part of Kentucky, on the main line of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and about one-hundred and thirty-four miles from the former city.  Her inhabitants’ number about four thousand only, but they are surrounded with all the conveniences found in the larger metropolitan centers, such as the latest improved telephone, water works and electric light systems, etc. Her natural advantages are superb being so located as to escape the excessively cold winters of the northern cities and the oppressive heat felt in the more southern towns.  Franklin is noted as a health resort, having several mineral wells, whose properties are seldom excelled and to the fame of whose healing waters we are indebted for scores of health seekers every year.  Her people are moral and religious and the chimes from nine churches invite them to worship every sabbath morn and yet a sectarian spirit has never pervaded her sanctuaries, the different branches of the church living in perfect harmony and uniting together to forward the cause of Christianity.  Her clergy, whom there is no better in the state, are broad minded, charitable and conservative.  In educational advantages no town of its size in the state excels Franklin her Public Schools are as good as the best, while the Franklin Female College, Franklin Military Institute, and the Southern School of Osteopathy, are institutions of which any city might well be proud and whose faculties and equipment challenge the respect and admiration of all.  Her business interests reflect credit upon the energy and enterprise of our businessmen and are the result steady, healthful continued growth and natural, though rapid advancement.  Most of them are noticed hereafter, and we recommend them as worthy of every trust and confidence.

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Simpson County was organized in 1819, and was formed, from territory taken from Warren, Logan and Allen counties.  She was enlarged in 1867 by additional territory, again taken from Logan County.  Simpson was the 63rd county organized in Kentucky and was named in honor of that distinguished soldier, Capt. John Simpson, who perished in the River Raisin disaster in the war of 1812.  Simpson is the San Marino of Kentucky, as it were, being the smallest county but one, in the State, and having an area of only 275 square miles.  Her population is about 13,000 and her political complexion is strongly and unchangeably Democratic.  The county is for the most part level and fertile and yields prolifically all kinds of fruits and cereals, corn, wheat, oats and tobacco being the chief products.  Horses, mules, cattle, hogs and sheep of the finest grade are raised in large numbers.  The rural post offices in Simpson are Gold City, Hickory Flat, Hillsdale, Neosheo, Prices Mill, Rapids, Salmons, Stowers, Temperance and Schweitzer.

 

The county courthouse, situated in the center of the square in Franklin, is a splendid structure, erected in 1882 at a cost of $24,000.  The financial affairs of the county have always been administered in an able and economical manner, so that they are and ever have been in good condition and her people have never been burdened with heavy taxes to meet outstanding obligations.  The question of good roads is now being agitated by our people and we predict that it will only be a short time till all the important roads of the county will be well piked.  In point of development, enhancement of the county's wealth and the increase of commerce in general, the value of good roads cannot be overestimated, and they are the demand of the hour. 

 

We have a great county and a great little city.  We are a prosperous, proud and happy people, whose Kentucky gallantry and hospitality are proverbial.  A mystic influence from the pages of the past gives us strength and courage to meet the duties of today and inspires us with faith in our destiny in the future, and pride in our past and our present makes us feel that God's chosen people are Kentuckians and that if there are favorites among his anointed, they are certainly the people of Franklin.

 

 

 

The Franklin-Favorite

April 19,1900

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