Simpson County, the smallest county in the state, was authorized and set off by an Act of the General Assembly of Kentucky January 28, 1819. It belongs to a group of counties which perpetuate the time of unrest that followed the War of 1812.  followed the War of 1812. The boundary lines of the smallest county in the State were changed on the east and west sides of the county by later acts of the legislature. In 1822 the east boundary was extended to Sulphur Fork Creek and in 1869 a strip of land three miles wide extending from north to south along the west side of the county became known as the "Cut-off'.

 

The southern boundary is, and has always been, the Kentucky Tennessee state line. Early settlers in search of salt licks moved into eastern Simpson County but when "licks" proved to be few they went into Allen County where there were many springs and more salt. Bracken's Ford and Ditmore Ford on Drakes Creek provided salt mines which gave Lick Creek its name. Perhaps citizens could ill afford the time to travel by horseback or on foot to the county seat of Russellville or to Bowling Green in order to take care of legal matters or obtain business or marriage licenses. While many material needs were produced at home other needs promoted interests in having a center to provide those services which had required long hours of transportation and inconvenience.

 

The county was named for Captain John Simpson who was born in Virginia but migrated with his father to Lincoln County, Kentucky. He practiced law and served in the Kentucky legislature in 1806, 1809, 1810 and 1811. During the War of 1812, Kentucky and Tennessee furnished the bulk of the army who engaged the Indians in the Ohio-Illinois-Indiana-Great Lakes area. The fighting was fierce and, the casualties high. Victims of the massacre of the River Raisin (January 18, 1812) were interred in a mass grave. Their skulls were cloven by tomahawks. Later a survivor knew them as bones of the unfortunate Kentucky group. Capt. John Simpson fell there to rise no more.

 

The January 28, 1819 act creating Simpson County also provided for the selection of permanent seat of justice. After, authorizing the formation Simpson County, Lt Governor Gabriel Slaughter sent a letter to the Senate with the following nominations: Sheriff, Edward Neely; Coroner, Philip Bush; Jailer, Gervais Hammond; Circuit Court Clerk, John L. Moore; John Williams, Joseph Bigger, Joseph Sloss, John Gibson, Joseph Rowland, Doris Hardin, William J. Williams, Henry Stratton, Thomas Beauchamp, Matthew West and Peter Martin, Justices of the Peace in and for the county of Simpson.

 

Commissioners from Barren, Christian and Butler counties were named to contract for the -land for this seat They were to contract for no more than one hundred acres and no less than fifty acres with two acres being a public square where the necessary government buildings were to be built. Legend tells of three sites which were considered: 1) near Ditmore's Ford on Drake's Creek, 2) the old fairgrounds north of Franklin and 3) property owned by William Hudspeth. Hudspeth's property was favorable except for the fact there was no water. A well was dug but it did not provide this necessary commodity. In order to influence the commissioners, Mr. Hudspeth had water hauled from Drake's Creek. This water primed the well and when the men came on the following day they chose the land to be the heart of Simpson County. '

 

The constitution of Kentucky provided for a surveyor for each county. All land warrants had to be registered with the surveyor who was required to make bond. Early Simpson County Survey books show John B. Smith, Sr. to be the first surveyor. He is reported to have laid out the counties of Allen and Simpson and possibly Franklin. In 1838, 0. H. Morrow was named county surveyor. On November 2, 1820, the official notice of the City of Franklin was made by the Legislative Act of the General Assembly. The town was named Franklin in honor of Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Trustees Thomas Hail, Mason Johnson, William Hudspeth, Jack Sears and William Hoy were empowered to plan for streets.

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The town was laid out as a normal county seat built in squares, fanning out from the courthouse. The streets of gravel and dirt that formed the square were eighty feet wide. Running north and south were Main and Market (later College) Streets while Cedar and Depot (later Kentucky) Streets completed the three-hundred-foot square.  The streets that paralleled the square were High Street, Water Street, Madison Street and Washington Street.  The courthouse square was laid out two hundred ninety-seven feet square.  A log courthouse was erected in the center of the square in 1820.  This courthouse was replaced in 1860 with a brick structure that faced north and south with east and west entrances on the main floor and a courtroom on the second floor.  Fire, set by arsonist, destroyed the courthouse on May 17, 1882.  Two days following the fire, court met and made plans to rebuild the courthouse.  An iron fence was placed around the courtyard and court was held within 15 months of the fire.  This courthouse with the addition of the north and south wings still serves the county.

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In 1887 the city had four wells bored, one at each corner of the square. Among them is the famous sulphur well in the east corner which was used as a tourist attraction.  The four wells served for fire protection for the square. 

 

The 1820 census showed a population of 4,852. there, were 4,032 whites and 820 colored persons of whom 803 were slaves. Franklin had a population of 112 and Petersburgh had a population of 47. The people outside of Franklin lived in communities. In the years before 1819 there was activity and family life in the hamlet or crossroads that later became Franklin. Mr. Merrill Utley placed an ad in the August 14, 1819, "Russellville Weekly Messenger" that he had for sale 200 acres of good land on the Gallatin Road in Simpson County. He stated there was a good house and other necessary improvements with a 250 apple tree and 250 peach tree orchard. 

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Dr. John A. Crowdus, “The Pioneer Physician of Franklin" graduated in medicine from Philadelphia in 1815.  Soon thereafter he located in Franklin.  At that time Simpson County had not been carved and Franklin was a crossroads settlement without a name.  He erected a cabin in the eastern part of the county but after a few years relocated in Franklin and had an office and living quarters on the south side of the square at the site of the Patterson Knapp building.  A feature clipped from an old Franklin paper refers to "Doctors Crowdus, McCreary and Spencer" as physicians who guarded the physical well-being of the pioneer settlers.  Dr. Charles Neely studied with Dr. Crowdus.  

 

The population was segregated into communities resulting in twenty-nine different centers.  Each community had a church, school, post office, general store or landmark.  The 1819 tax list showed ten stores and eight taverns in the county.  

 

Early schools were called "blab" schools.  Students recited their lessons aloud at the same time.  Buildings were made of donated logs which were cut and hauled to. the site.  Seats were made of split logs without backs and all of the same height.  The teacher usually boarded in the community and was paid by parents of those who attended.  Another type of school was the subscription school taught in homes or buildings erected for that purpose.  The teacher was paid by subscription or from tuition fees charged each pupil.  The teacher's salary depended on the number of pupils enrolled.  As early as 1836 a little log building was erected by Squire William Wright, Stephen Barnes and William Mayhew for establishing a school.  This building was located in the eastern part of the county on land donated by Stephen Barnes. It was called Barnes School and served the community until 1975.  Of course, buildings were replaced, and additions were made during the intervening years.  Schools were governed by trustees chosen by the community populace until 1869.  The sessions were of three months duration but with a new reform and an increase in money the school sessions were lengthened to five months.  Under the old system the teacher's salary ranged from twelve dollars to thirty per month for three months.  With a longer session the new wage was thirty to forty-five dollars per month.

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A number of specialty schools invited students to further their education as they attended classes of higher learning.  Among these schools were Outfit College, Brevard Academy, Franklin Military Institute, Catholic Parish School, Franklin Seminary, Hickory Flat Institute, McCutchen and Clark School, Luna Training School and Blair Primary School. The Franklin Female College 1869-1917 brought young ladies from many places together for the purpose of advancing studies (primary, preparatory and collegiate).  The academy was open to residents and more than one young lady pursued her education from elementary through college.  The school suffered a fire loss 1887. There were no injuries and students moved to the home Dr. Edwards on North Street where four rooms in basement and rooms on the second story were occupied.  The college building was completed, and school resumed in 1889 and continued until 1917.  Miss Maude Blair in 1907, opened the Blair Primary for children from first to fifth grades.  It was located in a on West Madison Street and one time was called Madison Hall.  This was a private school which emphasized morals and manners.  The school closed 1920.  These institutions afforded many opportunities education but unless students had the finances, their education was limited.

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As early as 1870, the Franklin Public School for blacks organized and met in a church on Hale Street while a two building on West Madison Street was adapted for a school.  It had an elementary program with two years of high school.  In 1940, the school moved into new building on Walker Avenue. 

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In 1907 when the Southern School of Osteopathy closed, Franklin school system, which for twelve years had operating at a site near Franklin Avenue, bought building on South Main Street to house all twelve grades of students.  After ten years, grades seven through 12 were moved to the former Franklin Female College building.  Grades one through six remained Franklin Graded School South Main.  Students in county attended community schools with an enrollment from 25 to 90.  Some of these schools had two teachers.  Barnes, Middleton, Lake Spring and Round Pond schools offered some high school training various times, but some students boarded in town and went to school at Franklin High.

 

Religion has been an important part of life in Simpson County.  It is to be assumed that early church services in the county were conducted by circuit riders as was true in other parts of Kentucky. These preachers rode horseback from place to place and held services in homes, outdoors under trees, or in log buildings.  In the history of the Catholic Church, we find that a young missionary, Rev. Stephen T. Bodin, set out on horseback to visit Catholic families who had settled in Nashville, Tennessee.  It is thought he rode through Bowling Green and Hudspeth's Crossroads.  As early as 1830, Catholic missionaries found hospitable entertainment in the home of Laurence and John Finn who lived on South Main Street.  The Catholics held services there.  In 1868, a church was opened for devotions under the title of “St. Mary”.  This frame structure, located on North Main Street, was used until it burned on New Year's Day 1938.  The school building at the back side of the church property was used until the present building was dedicated in 1953.

 

Influenced by the Great Revival of 1800, many churches had their beginnings in the first half of the nineteenth century.  Some of them are Sulphur Spring Church constituted 1827, Lake Spring organized 1812, Shady Grove and Salmons Church.  A church was built on North Main Street in the year 1845.  It stood where the KTE building located in 1994.  Methodists and Presbyterians worshipped together until the Methodists bought the building and then it became the first Methodist Church in this community.  In 1869, the Methodists moved to their new church on Madison Street midway between College and Main Streets.  The entire Sunday School met in the sanctuary and had classes in different comers of the room.  One feature of church was its pipe organ, the first one in Franklin.  A little boy was paid to pump the box like instrument.  The comer stone of the present church was laid in 1911.  While this building was under construction, all church services and Sunday School were held in the courthouse.  Mr. John Bottomley served as Sunday School Superintendent for over fifty years.

 

Pilot Knob Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a church no longer used, was organized few years after organization the denomination in 1810.  These early members had been Presbyterians in Virginia and North Carolina before coming to Kentucky.  After the Civil War, the divisions of North and South still divided many American Presbyterian churches.  The Main Street Church was allied with the Southern group while the College Street Church was part of the Northern presbytery. Neither church was self-supporting so the two were united in the sale of the Main Street building and became known as the Franklin Presbyterian Church.  In 1944, the Main Street building was sold and used commercially until the 1980's when it was demolished.

 

In Simpson County the oldest church which is attended by black people is the Greater Taylor AME Church which was organized in 1865.  It is the only black Methodist church in Simpson County.  It served both Methodists and Baptists for a time and was located on West Madison Street where Simpson County Lumber Company was later located.  The small congregation worshipped there for fifty years until fire destroyed the building in 1945.  The Elevated Baptist Church was organized in 1889 in the home of Ed Grainger.  Rev. R. H. Mack was pastor for about 52 years.  In 1910, a new church was built on the comer of Jefferson and Bell Streets.  

 

The First Baptist Church was constituted as the United Baptist Church of Christ at Franklin, Kentucky on July 13, 1833.  There were twelve charter members who called Isaac Steele as pastor. An agreement was worked out whereby a frame building on the corner of College and Madison Street was shared by the Baptists and Christians until 1887 when the Baptists bought the interest of the Christians for $1,500.  In the next few years the congregation replaced the building with a new brick building which they dedicated in 1892.  The ministries of the church expanded until it became apparent that a larger building was badly needed.  A ground-breaking service was held at the Robey (formerly R. D. Salmons) property on December 6, 1959.  Members of the Church of Christ form five autonomous congregations. The Franklin Church is in the center of the area, Bethany to the east, Tyree's Chapel to the south, Locust Grove to the west and Bethel in the northern part of the county. Located on Palm Street in the Harris town community is a church of about 50 years.  After meeting in a tent, then in a public-school building, the church acquired its own building only to lose it by fire. It was back to the tent until weather forced a building which is used today as Harristown Church of Christ

 

The circumstances which led to the establishment of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1896 were unusual. Many of the charter members were German immigrants who had reached Simpson County and had bought farmland.  At first, they met in the Franklin Methodist Church on Sunday afternoons for services which were led by Reverend William Graef.  On July 27, 1896, the Zion church was organized with help from the church in Nashville.  

 

For sheer economic impact and personal conveniences, the L & N Railroad must be rated as a red-letter period in Simpson County.    In 1850, a charter was granted for a railroad from Louisville to Nashville.  The route was through Elizabethtown to Bowling Green to Franklin and on to Nashville.  Construction began at each end and moved toward the middle.  Rail service operated from one terminal to another as construction permitted.  Stagecoaches transported passengers where the line was not open.  The difficulty in completing the bridge over Green River at Munfordville was a hurdle to rail traffic.  Passengers would board the train at Edgefield, Tennessee (across the Cumberland River from Nashville), travel to Franklin and take the stage to Munfordville where they resumed the trip by train. This sixteen-hour trip was a decided improvement over the twenty-seven-hour trip by stage.  The first train to make the entire 187-mile trip from Louisville to Nashville rolled through Franklin on October 27, 1859.  Water towers, telegraph lines and fueling stations had been built and everything was ready for operation to begin.  Next day the railroad announced two regular runs for passenger trains No. 1 and No. 2.  Freight ran on an 18-hour schedule.  Simpson citizens supported the railroad liberally, subscribing $100,000 in stock.  The L & N named its locomotive No. 19 "The Simpson." 

 

Ironically, the dark clouds of threatening war hung over the citizens.  It was April 1861 and cannons were booming at Fort Sumter announcing the War between the States.  Simpson Countians were divided in their loyalty and furnished troops for both the Northern and Southern armies.  None were more active than Company I, 6th Regiment of the Orphan Brigade.  On the night of February 13, 1862, the Brigade camped two miles north of Franklin.  No battle was actually fought on Simpson County soil, but many skirmishes and raids took place in the county.  Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Calvary camped for three days on the farm of Stephen Barnes.  A skirmish was fought on the north side of Highway 100 about three miles east of Franklin. Simpson County was the scene of two train attacks during the Civil War.  Early in the spring of 1863, the track at Salmons, about four miles north of Franklin was damaged simply to prevent the use of the track.  The train carrying wood to the fueling sites along the track was wrecked with no loss of life.  Later in the year, upon a rumor of an attack, 150 men were placed aboard the train at Nashville.  The train moved north from Franklin until the engineer saw that the east rail had been pulled out.  As the train stopped it was attacked.  Soldiers on the train returned the fire, jumped from the west side of the train and used the embankment as a shield from which to fire on the attackers.  Three Confederates were killed and three wounded.  One died on the way to Bowling Green.  Five Federals were mortally wounded.  Guerilla activity was prevalent, and people were afraid to confide in their friends because it was difficult to ascertain the friend's political views.  Possessions were hidden, even food, horses or anything that the guerillas might use.  They burned buildings and fences as they plundered this part of the state.  A guerilla who was born in Simpson County was Jerome Clark who masqueraded as a woman "Sue Mundy."  He was accused of treason and was hanged in Louisville in 1865.  He is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery at Franklin. 

 

The extent of the feeling for guerillas may be seen in the following episode: J. Bloom, J. H. Cave and W. B. McClasshan who were imprisoned at Louisville as guerillas and bushwhackers were selected to be taken under guard to Franklin to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a Union citizen by guerillas.  Cave was recalled to Louisville but Bloom and McClasshan were shot to death on the south side of the courtyard.  Another execution of a so-called guerilla was Jasper Steward who was shot while claiming to be an enlisted man.  Even though the war had ended, the raucous behavior did not subside.  One instance was the wrecking of a train north of Salmons. On November 8, 1866, three cars were thrown down the embankment, one coach derailed and the engine overturned.  About 12 men led by William King gathered at Vance's Mill with the intention of robbing the train.  They blacked their faces, brandished their pistols and rode horseback to a wooded place east of the railroad where they waited for the train.  When it derailed the men boarded the train and robbed the passengers of their money and jewelry.  In their eagerness to get away, some of the robbers were wounded and some were captured.  William King and Abe Owen were tried for the murder of King's brother, Harvey King.  He had been shot three days earlier on the day of the robbery.  King and Owen were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Thus, the only legal hanging in Simpson County took place June 28, 1867

on the gallows at the comer of Cherry and Railroad Street.

 

The county seat of Franklin was the commercial center for the area. Establishments interspersed with residences lined the town square and extended onto the streets of Main and College (formerly Market) plus Cedar and Depot.  The name of Depot was changed to Kentucky Avenue in 1928.  It is believed that earliest shops were on the east side of the square.  Stores owned by Salmons and McGoodwin, Clem Fisher and John Alexander did business from there.  Not only were businesses established in the middle of town, but they located along the streets leading from the square. 

 

Some of these can be still identified but some escape our recognition: East Depot Street - From Square "The Sentinel" 1871, listed J. J. Goodnight between Main and Water as a manufacturer and dealer in buggies and wagons. He also maintained a livery stable there. J. H. Adsit and White were well known carriage makers and blacksmiths on the north side of Depot.  A. F. Hermann Co. dealt in country produce.  Butter, eggs, chickens and fresh beef were sold.  Biggs Lumber Co. was toward the depot.  On the south side of the street, R. W. Compton operated a meat market behind the comer building on Main and Depot.

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East Cedar Street - From Square Cabinetmaking proved to be a good business in the 1800's and an Englishman, J. H. Dashwood purchased a lot on the north side of the street and with John Woodrow expanded his business to include casket making and undertaking.  He had a horse drawn hearse which was decorated with scrolls and ostrich plumes to pay tribute to the deceased.  For 40 years, he was an embalmer preacher, casket maker and in great demand to conduct funerals.  In earlier years, when a death occurred invitations to the funeral were sent.  The invitation was written telling of the death and funeral plans.  It was read by the messenger who went from door to door. Sometimes the invitation was mailed.  

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From 1886 until 1903 George H. Knapp had a lumberyard near the railroad.  There were three blacksmiths, Robert Finn was a smith on the north side and C. F. Tapscott, Hoy-Mason and J. M. Mason did smith work on the south side.  John B. Mayes, a carriage maker, and two stables were on the north. Eubank and Wainscott operated a livery stable with Rival Stable being on the comer of Cedar and Water.  In 1877 the Commercial Hotel was deeded to Thomas W. Mahin.  It was on the south side of Cedar near the railroad and was very popular with rail passengers.  Ollie Perdue purchased the building.  It was demolished in 1970.

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On the southeast comer of East Cedar and Water Streets was a funeral home which was operated by Elliott and Mary E. House from 1896-1907.  It then became House Brothers Funeral Directors.  In 1916 W. W. (Tuck) Bryan bought an interest and the firm became House & Bryan Funeral Directors until 1927.  Upon the death of Mr. Bryan, his interest was bought by his partner who continued to operate it as House and Bryan Mortuary.  In 1958 when Mr. House retired, the firm closed.  

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Southeast Comer of Square.  In 1871 J. M. Copeland had a clothing, dry goods and furniture store.  Later E. L. Norwood operated a department store.  In 1907 the store showed new styles and had pleasant sales ladies.  Next door south was Virgil Copeland's Book and Stationery Store.

 

East Side of South Main.  Wade and Bro. had a crockery located where Town and Country now stand.  Mrs. M. L. Mayes, a dress maker and milliner, occupied a shop and W. P. Booker had a saddle and harness business in the building that became the Bogle Grocery.  Later this same building was renovated to house the Roxy Theatre.  It operated under the management of Roscoe (Red) Freeland until 1960. To make way for the Roxy, the Dog Wagon, an eating place set up in a rail or streetcar, had to be moved across the street where the Original Town House is located. The proprietor, Hal Madison officially listed his establishment as the Palace Lunch Car, but the patrons spoke more often of the Dog Wagon.

 

Cedar Street - West of Square.  In 1907 Hutchings and Rice opened a fine store building on the southwest corner of the College & Main intersection.  The value of goods plus the building was $7,500. On this location in 1871, J. H. Foster was a sewing machine agent and one could buy stoves and tin ware from Sam R. Hope.  Snider and Son operated a store for groceries and provisions.  A door or so west from the comer of Cedar and College was Hatter Hardware located in a large brick building.  D. H. Hatter opened the store in 1898.  The building was filled with buggies, harness, saddles and bicycles on the western side and the east side had farm implements as well as farm, shop and home hardware.  He was joined in business by his sons, E. P. Hatter and W. L. Hatter.  They incorporated a livery stable across Cedar from their store and built a very substantial clientele.  W. L Hatter operated the store after his father retired and thus the business continued for over 60 years.  An interesting feature of Hatter Hardware Company was the on-going, hotly contested Rook competition in the rear of the store by veterans of the game.

 

In the third block of Cedar Street is the present Booker Funeral Home, Inc. the original firm purchased from J. E. Meador about 1890 was located on the northeast comer of Main and Depot with V. N. (Pete) Booker and J. Will Gillespie as partners.  At one time it occupied the site of the present Extension Office on the Main and Washington Corner.  After selling his interest, Mr. Booker established a funeral home with B. L Henry on south Main and Iris Drive.  In 1930 Mr. Henry sold his interest and Harry Booker joined the management.  By 1945, Booker Funeral Home moved to its present location and was operated by Harry, Robert and Josephine Booker until 1971.  John and his wife, Cathey, operated the Booker Funeral Home until 1991.

 

On the north side of Cedar St. West between College and High, in 1871 J. B. McClean & Co. accepted orders to do all kinds of painting, graining, lettering, ornamenting and all kinds of fancy paint work.  John Murphy had Marble Works and furnished American and Italian marble statues and headstones for many surrounding counties.  W. M. Beall had a livery stable.

 

West Side of North Main North of the Masonic (Crow) Building was the A W. Jordan and Son Monument Company.  It was about the middle of the block and carried on business until 1950s.  In 1943 Model Cleaners was operated by Clifford Haydon in the Cipilloni Building which has been removed from its location next to Wilson-Gregory.  The business relocated along North Main twice until 1959 when it was bought and became Scotts Cleaners owned by Lewis and Edna Earle Scott It remained at this location until their retirement in 1980. Scotts Cleaners was located in the office building of the Jordan Monument Company. Later the building has been a frame shop.

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In 1871, the "Franklin Sentinel" stated that William T. Copeland, Esq. had retired as proprietor of the Copeland House. It was described as being well furnished with nice neat rooms, one square and a half off the public square on Main Street.  The Fair edition of the "Patriot" declares “Conveyances to and from the fair, pass by Copeland House every few minutes. The Fair Grounds were located north of the square on the Louisville and Nashville Pike.

 

In the early county industrial life, most of the income was from agriculture, however several industries had their beginning. One of the earliest was brick making. Gustavus Hendricks and his son William P. Hendricks made brick on his farm southwest of Franklin.  A number of other industries were the manufacturing of carriages, buggies, wagons and agricultural implements.  D. McVaw on Depot Street between Main and Water Streets was a manufacturer and dealer for carriage tops, buggies, open buggies and road wagons.  J. B. Mays and Son on Cedar were carriage makers.  Henry B. Montague operated a saddlery from early 1820's until late 1830's.  James McCartney and W. M. Richards each operated a saddlery and harness shop in the 1860s.  J. B. McClean, in an 1884 Franklin Favorite advertised saddle and harness manufacturing on the south side of the square. John Woodrow, during the late 1850's opened a "Furniture and Cabinet ware Room" on the north side of the square.  Dress making and millinery establishments were popular industries during the 1870's.  In 1876, Mrs. L J. Noel customized dresses and hats for the ladies. 

 

Probably the first industry that employed ten or more workers was the Franklin Woolen Mill. Mr. Peden erected a woolen mill for the manufacture of rolls (used to pad quilts) and cloth.  Thread was spun and blankets were made. In 1891 the mill became a brick factory near the railroad.  It was followed by a frame building 100 X 20 feet on the same lot.  In the early 1900's the mill was moved to the west side of North Main Street.  When the mill burned in 1911, about 100 people were without employment.  The business was not restored but the building stood until 1993 when it was destroyed by fire. 

 

Clothing was made in plants at various locations around town.  The Franklin Overall Manufacturing Company and the Washington Manufacturing Company located on North Main employed mostly women who were guaranteed 20 cents per hour.  In 1937, the Allen Garment Company replaced a plant on the comer of College and Washington.  In 1958, this company was supplying work for 125 persons.  The name was changed to Simpson Manufacturing Company in 1963.  The company moved to a new location on Industrial Boulevard.  The industry was known as the Haywood Company and employed 200 people to make the best fitting jeans to be purchased from the country's finest retail stores.    

 

Many businesses were agriculture related.  In the earlier days most farmers kept one or more cows to furnish dairy products for the family.  In 1908, Will Wright was delivering milk to customers on a route.  By 1917 Pete Weidemann and George Button shipped a 25-pound box of butter to the Park City Hotel in Bowling Green. The shipment was made once a week by train.  Individual farmers would collect the cream from milk by using a separator.  At the end of the week the bucket of cream was put on the train to go to a creamery in Nashville.  In the early 1920's the Simpson County Creamery Cooperative was formed and after nine years it was purchased by the Pet Milk Company.  N. E. Pope served as manager.  From the plant on High Street, a relocation was made to North Main Street where WalMart is now located.  Frank Hendricks and Neal Gentry served as managers from 1958-1969.

 

Cardinal Dairies, Inc. opened in 1948.  Milk was picked up in tank trucks and brought to the plant which was just north of West Cedar Street.  It was pasteurized, homogenized and bottled for sale.  This was the first Grade A milk processing.  After a time, it was sold to U.C. Milk Co. who brought dairy products from their plant in Madisonville to a distribution center on North Main Street These products soon found their way to homes, stores and schools. 

 

The chief source of power on the farm was oxen but later mules and horses furnished power until steam engines, electrical motors and gasoline diesel powered engines drove the farm machinery.  Often times manpower was supplied during critical times.  Today one would be hard pressed to find workhorses or mules in the county.  On February 20, 1939, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Mule Day.  Mules and buyers from several states as well as from all parts of Kentucky attended.  A third celebration was held on February 17, 1941 and drew a crowd estimated at 20,000.  Some events of the day were broadcast by a Louisville station.  An honored guest was Marjorie Weaver, a movie actress of the 20th Century Fox Studios.  Luncheons were held and a parade with bands, floats, a Queen Mule and mules, mules and mules.  The 1942 Mule Day celebration was curtailed and after 1942 it was omitted for the duration of World War II.  Seed, fertilizer and grain related industries along with farm implements entered the business circles of Simpson County.  Hardware stores advertised these items and due to the numerous stores, the agricultural needs were available. 

 

The county has always recognized, the need for education, entertainment and creative opportunities to be expressed.  An early location for such activities was Wade's Hall located in the second story of a building on the east side of the square.  From the 1870's until the 1920's Wade's Hall was the center of entertainment.  Public speaking, balls, minstrels, graduation exercises and performances by traveling groups were enjoyed.  On occasion, the Hall would be rented, a lecturer would be engaged, and people would be invited to hear a timely discussion so that they would feel better informed.  Mrs. Dorinda Duncan (Mrs. G. W. Duncan) made a practice of sponsoring children's programs in order to expose the community to more culture.

 

Since 1937, Franklin and Simpson County, have been served by a library made possible when Mrs. Ella Hoy Goodnight designated a sum for a library in her will.  

 

"The Kentucky Baptist", a newspaper of November 1, 1866 carries an account of the organization of the Franklin Thespian Club. Officers were: President, W. H. Crowdus; Vice-president, R. P. Finn; Secretary/Treasurer, G. W. Whitesides; and Prop man, H. G. Booker. They chose a series of entertainments selected with care from plays of moral as well as amusing character.  The first presentation was to be the thrilling drama of "William Tell" followed by a farce, "Bob and Cox." The performance was to be in Temperance Hall of the Masonic Building. 

 

Communication has been very important to people of Simpson County and newspapers have been great instruments of communication.  Many citizens had access to the state paper which in 1894 was the WEEKLY Courier Journal that came by mail at a subscription rate of $1.00 per year. The first newspaper of Franklin was the "Franklin Express" of 1861. It was a single, sheet, printed on one side, that carried poems, inspirational stories, etc.  There were no advertisements or news items.  It was published by John E. Andrews on the south side of the square. In the early days of Franklin, Brevard and Munger printed a newspaper called "The Simpson County Progress."  Neither the "Express" nor the "Progress" existed for a very long time.  During 1866-67, "The Kentucky Baptist" newspaper published in a shop located above a business house on the east side of the square carried denominational news and writings concerning the sociological conditions of the South following the Civil War.  According to the Library of Congress records, the earliest newspaper was the "Franklin Sentinel" established in 1867.  The printing office was the same as that used for the, "Baptist Register."  The "Sentinel" was owned and published by W. H. Crowdus and was located above Charlie Potter's Hardware Store on the east side of the square.  By 1872 Brevard and Munger took another turn at publishing and the "Franklin Patriot" emerged.  Opie Read served as apprenticeship on the paper.  In 1882, Moore and Brown established the "Franklin Favorite" which remains one of the two weekly papers of Franklin. In 1910 the news office was moved from North Main Street to the north side of the square next to the post office.  In 1950 the paper took up offices in a building that had been remodeled from a carriage house of the prestigious Gooch residence.  The Favorite office remains on High Street and some of the publishers that have made contributions through the years are H. H. Brown, J. R. Collier, T. O. Chisholm, Sam Maxey, Opie Read, Alvis Hunt, L. L Valentine, and Howard Ogles.