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attackers finally made progress when they set a wagon loaded with hay alight and moved it to the front door of the fort. The heat and light scared the defenders of the fort, who fled into the night. The free-staters then ransacked the fort, making away with weapons (including the "Old
Sacramento Cannon"), food, and prisoners. After the battle, the fort was left, but this ended its use as a town defense, and it was converted into a residence soon after.
285:"Old Sacramento," a cannon taken during a southern raid on Lawrence. Some defenders at the fort were aroused and what was termed the First Battle of Franklin erupted. During this battle the cannon was fired once and persons began firing at the free staters from houses in town, forcing their retreat. One Franklin man was fatally shot and a small number of persons were wounded. Some Franklin men may have been captured by the Lawrence men.
1321:
242:, Franklin found itself inundated with settlers, most—if not all—of whom were from the nation's south. These settlers championed the pro-slavery cause and desired to see Kansas admitted into the Union as a slave state. By late 1855 Franklin had about a dozen homes and businesses and a post office. It soon became a center devoted to the expansion of slavery into Kansas.
273:
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recruits passed through
Franklin on their way to raid Lawrence. One of the guerrilla leaders said a few soldiers in Union uniforms could be seen in town. One resident, Dr. R. L. Williams (who happened to have moved into the old fort in 1857), said he thought Quantrill's men were Union soldiers and no
330:
After
Lawrence was attacked, many houses were moved from Franklin to Lawrence to help rebuild the burnt city. Bereft of dwellings, Franklin quickly faded away. The settlement's post office officially closed in 1867, and around this time a number of imposing structures, such as a hotel and a sawmill,
284:
in 1856 during the summer. Free
Staters during that time desired to rid the area of southern-oriented fortifications. The first attack was made on June 4 by about fifteen members of the Lawrence Stubbs, a free-state militia based in Lawrence. The free staters entered town after dark to search for
309:
in 1857, its importance to the southern cause had been greatly diminished. In the late 1850s and early 1860s, the town's political leanings changed; according to Daniel
Fitzgerald, " Franklin residents who were adamant in their proslavery sentiments kept it to themselves, for the spirit of the
288:
After this attack, Franklin's defenses were strengthened. The fort itself was made more defensible. On August 12 the Second Battle of
Franklin took place. This time possibly two companies, at least 75 men, left Lawrence after dark to attack the town and fort. They were led by free-state leader
296:
At some point a man was sent to travel to a company of U.S. cavalry camped approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) away and seek help. The cavalry could not reach
Franklin until just before dawn. In the meantime things went badly for the fort's defenders, who had fought determinedly. The Lawrence
331:
were carted off elsewhere. The old stone fort (which served as Dr. Williams residence for a number of years) remained for a long while the most prominent remnant of the settlement. By 1900, those living in the area had to exert "considerable labor" to fill up derelict wells and exposed
293:. Apparently only about 20 men were defending Franklin. For several hours the opposing forces fired upon each other in the dark. Not much damage was done to either side at this point, but several free staters were wounded, as was one fort defender. One free stater was killed.
249:
headquartered himself and his cause in
Franklin by spring 1856. While Jones was partially disabled by a sniper at that time, Franklin grew as a center for the pro-slavery cause in Kansas. By May 1856 three forts were built in Douglas County and a blockhouse,
344:
Today, the area once occupied by
Franklin is within the city limits of Lawrence and, as Legends of Kansas notes, is but a suburb of the latter city. A road in this general area is also known as "Franklin Road".
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Franklin was founded in
October 1853, making it one of the oldest towns to have been established in Douglas County. The settlement initially served as
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goods with the indigenous peoples in the area. When Kansas was officially opened up to western settlement after the passing of the
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pits from the houses that had once stood on the site. Around 1912, the stone fort was finally razed, and on October 30, 1927, the
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Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Franklin, Kansas; United States Geological Survey (USGS); July 1, 1984.
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The "Old Sacramento" cannon was captured by free state partisans during the Second Battle of Franklin on August 12, 1856.
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community was decidedly antislavery." With this shift in politics came a shift in demographics, and in time, many
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on May 21. The blockhouse was built to be defended in the event of attack by free-state forces.
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218:, United States. Established as a proslavery stronghold, the town played a key role in the "
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broke out, Franklin mustered up 60 union recruits to serve in the war. On August 21, 1863,
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wrote that "only fertile fields mark spot where famous Kansas town stood."
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727:
Smith, Elizabeth Williams (1928). "R. L. Williams: A Biographical Sketch".
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640:
Bickerton, Thomas (1881). "Experiences of Captain Thomas Bickerton".
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716:'Bleeding Kansas': The Border War in Douglas and Adjacent Counties
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one took much notice of them, as they quickly passed through.
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462:"Only Fertile Fields Mark Where Famous Kansas Town Stood".
481:"Old Sacramento: Cannon of Crisis, Cannon of Freedom"
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222:" conflict that troubled the territory in the 1850s.
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Transactions of the Kansas State Historical Society
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489:Douglas County Historical Society Newsletter
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634:List of books about Douglas County, Kansas
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845:Map of Kansas highlighting Douglas County
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415:"Only few of 45 county settlements left"
693:Fitzgerald, Daniel (1988). "Franklin".
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667:: The Torch Press. pp. 327–28.
314:came to live in the town. When the
18:Ghost town in Kansas, United States
774:Municipalities and communities of
14:
1320:
1319:
1119:Kansas in the American Civil War
575:"Extinct Towns in Doulas County"
413:Cleland, Nora (June 12, 1961).
676:Kansas: A Bicentennial History
657:Connelley, William E. (1910).
513:. October 10, 1929. p. 1.
468:. October 30, 1927. p. 5.
262:Free-State attacks on Franklin
1:
729:Kansas Historical Collections
660:Quantrill and the Border Wars
322:and about 400 guerrillas and
573:Weiser, Kathy (March 2017).
533:Connelley (1910), pp. 327–28
507:"The Capture of Franklin".
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714:Litteer, Loren K. (1987).
707:University Press of Kansas
672:Davis, Kenneth S. (1976).
631:
510:The Lawrence Journal-World
265:
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1063:
838:
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563:Smith (1928), pp. 559–60.
545:Fitzgerald (1988), p. 77.
524:Fitzgerald (1988), p. 76.
441:Bickerton (1881), p. 218.
280:Two attacks were made on
234:, enabling Westerners to
39:
30:
465:Kansas City Journal-Post
338:Kansas City Journal-Post
130:835 ft (255 m)
301:Decline and abandonment
846:
777:Douglas County, Kansas
722:: Champion Publishing.
554:Litteer (1987), p. 59.
420:Lawrence Journal-World
391:Litteer (1987), p. 32.
379:Fitzgerald (1994), 73.
305:Although Franklin was
277:
216:Douglas County, Kansas
1351:Ghost towns in Kansas
987:Simmons Point Station
844:
697:Ghost Towns of Kansas
275:
166: • Summer (
59:38.93750°N 95.18528°W
1076:United States portal
737:Kansas State Society
650:Kansas State Society
605:City of Lawrence Map
600:City of Lawrence, KS
403:Davis (1976), p. 59.
320:William C. Quantrill
1133:Kansas–Nebraska Act
240:Kansas-Nebraska Act
64:38.93750; -95.18528
55: /
847:
665:Cedar Rapids, Iowa
316:American Civil War
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140: • Total
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1282:Marais des Cygnes
1183:Marais des Cygnes
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709:. pp. 73–77.
682:New York City, NY
579:Legends of Kansas
515:Hist. supplement.
312:African Americans
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731:. Vol. 17.
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1153:Pottawatomie
1143:Wakarusa War
982:Prairie City
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817:Baldwin City
796:
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703:Lawrence, KS
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686:W. W. Norton
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307:incorporated
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232:trading post
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118:Incorporated
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949:Ghost towns
924:Sibleyville
864:Big Springs
856:communities
792:County seat
427:November 1,
62: /
1340:Categories
1287:Mine Creek
1194:Combatants
1178:Osawatomie
1173:Fort Titus
1163:Black Jack
992:Twin Mound
874:Clearfield
869:Black Jack
733:Topeka, KS
646:Topeka, KS
632:See also:
496:(3): 2, 4.
349:References
266:See also:
212:ghost town
135:Population
50:95°11′07″W
47:38°56′15″N
33:Ghost town
1210:Campaigns
1035:Lecompton
1007:Townships
972:Louisiana
909:Lone Star
904:Lake View
832:Lecompton
183:Area code
149:Time zone
127:Elevation
1325:Category
1261:Brooklyn
1256:Lawrence
1217:Missouri
1168:Franklin
1148:Lawrence
1050:Wakarusa
962:Franklin
827:Lawrence
799:Lawrence
615:July 13,
584:July 13,
256:Lawrence
245:Sheriff
208:Franklin
1240:Osceola
1226:Battles
1126:Origins
1045:Palmyra
1030:Kanwaka
1015:Clinton
957:Belvoir
934:Vinland
914:Midland
899:Kanwaka
879:Clinton
195:GNIS ID
109:Founded
103:Douglas
76:Country
1040:Marion
1020:Eudora
997:Weaver
967:Lapeer
939:Worden
894:Hesper
889:Grover
822:Eudora
809:Cities
333:cellar
200:481879
98:County
91:Kansas
1201:Union
1158:Spurs
1025:Grant
977:Media
929:Stull
884:Globe
611:(Map)
609:(PDF)
484:(PDF)
236:trade
210:is a
177:(CDT)
175:UTC-5
154:UTC-6
86:State
1275:1864
1249:1863
1233:1861
617:2018
586:2018
429:2015
122:1857
112:1853
214:in
188:785
168:DST
158:CST
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