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–Not graded
History · Franklin

23% of Franklin’s homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1926 on.

0on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory

What stands out about Franklin’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Franklin are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Franklin’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Franklin’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Franklin, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Franklin yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Franklin is a town in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 519 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Franklin is located in the town. The ghost town of Rogneys was also located in the town.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 448 to 519 (+16%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Franklin on the map in 1926

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Franklin.

Franklin on the 1926 USGS map1926North Bend 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.

Famous people

Famous people close to Franklin

Nobody well known was born in Franklin itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Callista GingrichU.S. diplomat · b. 1966
R
Robert BromRoman Catholic bishop · b. 1938
Herman EkernLawyer, politician; Lieutenant Governor of Wisc… · b. 1872
Edward E. LyonUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1871
Hugh H. PriceAmerican politician · b. 1859
J
James HainesAmerican amateur wrestler · b. 1954
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Rogneys
Gone or out of use
East Franklin SchoolschoolGerman Coulee SchoolschoolGrinde SchoolschoolHighland Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Franklin
Pioneer

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

EttrickIts storyBSpringfieldIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIrvingIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorth BendIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townMelroseIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Franklin’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.