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 Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 668 at the 2020 census. The town of Franklin was established in November 1854 from part of the town of Honey Creek. In September 1858, the town of Bear Creek was formed from the western part of the town of Franklin. Towns to the north are Westfield and Washington, on the south is Spring Green, on the east are Honey Creek and Troy, and on the west is Bear Creek. In 1899, a town hall building was built by Rob and Albert Nachreiner and was located at 915 Wachter Avenue in Plain, Wisconsin. The building replaced a wagon maker shop owned by Moses Tunstall. The upper floor of the new town hall building was used for to…
Franklin was established in 1854. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 652 to 668 (+2%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Franklin, 1880–1918
Passages that mention Franklin, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources ... biographical sketches ..1880 · page 642Read the page →
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The Franklin Mutual Farmers' Insurance Company was organized in the town of Franklin, January 6, 1877, and at first included only the towns of Franklin, Spring Green and Bear Creek. James Bandel was elected President at the time of organizing, and holds the position still; Richard H. Douglas, Secretary. The Directors were George G. Morgan, Richard H. Douglas, James Bandel, Edward Lester and James Ochsner. In 1879, the company embraced the town?
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A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin1918 · page 561Read the page →
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home of William Young, January 10, 1850, to elect officers and vote upon a school site, and to build a schoolhouse. The district then extended as far as Nathaniel Mitchell's, who lived upon the farm now owned by Ferry Wiess in the Town of Franklin. They voted to lease a piece of ground of Joseph Cracroft for two years for the sum of six cents. The schoolhouse stood in the western part of V. Schneller's field and $90.00 was the sum first voted for it — quite a difference with the modern schoolhouses. The first officers were: John Bear, treasurer; Henry Keifer,
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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources ... biographical sketches ... the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin1880 · page 341Read the page →
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In September, 1858, the town of Bear Creek was created out of the town of Franklin. In November, 1859, the towns of Marston and Washington were divided, by setting oflf from the former all that part lying south of the town line between Towns 12 and 13, and from the latter all that part lying north of Towns 11 and 12. Out of the portions thus set off, the town of Ironton was created.
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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources ... biographical sketches ..1880 · page 341Read the page →
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In September, 1858, the town of Bear Creek was created out of the town of Franklin. In November, 1859, the towns of Marston and Washington were divided, by setting off from the former all that part lying south of the town line between Towns 12 and 13, and from the latter all that part lying north of Towns 11 and 12. Out of the portions thus set off, the town of Ironton was created.
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Franklin, 1854 to 1960
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
