The Franklin Township post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Cassell (1858) and Franklin (1858), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 2,885168 years
How historic is Franklin Township?
B−
More historic than 49% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Franklin Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Franklin Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Franklin Township is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #111 of 273 in Minnesota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Franklin Township’s overall grade.
Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Franklin Township’s 3.4 sits near the middle of its state (58% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.6 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Franklin Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Franklin Township was originally called Newport Township, and under the latter name was organized in 1858. It was soon afterwards changed to Franklin, there being another township in the state with a similar name. It was then named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. The 1871 District No. 48 School in Franklin Township is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Franklin Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1958Buffalo sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Franklin Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Franklin Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The Franklin Township post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Franklin Township rank for history?
Franklin Township is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #111 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Franklin Township?
One place: the District No. 48 School (listed 1979).
How old are the homes in Franklin Township?
14% of Franklin Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1976.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
