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B−History
History · Franklin

Franklin dates to 1839, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 52% of U.S. towns · #202 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it

Most of Franklin was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Its Register listing is the Painesville Chapel. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1960.

1839founded
1on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Franklin began

When was Franklin founded?

1839

Franklin dates its founding to 1839 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 10,006 in 19602020 census: 36,816187 years

How historic is Franklin?

B−

More historic than 52% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1848.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Franklin’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Franklin is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #202 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Franklin’s overall grade.
Founding era1839, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19403.0% of homes (±1.0) · typical WI town 12.1% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register1 listing, 0.3 per 10,000 residents · typical WI town 3.0 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 52%
NewerOlder
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 44%

Wisconsin towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Wisconsin town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Franklin’s 0.3 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Wisconsin 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 (±1.0 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1839.

Founding year: Wikidata (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’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18915 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1994. Watch Franklin change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Franklin, and 2 old place names are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1839: 187 years of Franklin.
★ 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
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFreethinker Michael Biron: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Franklin on the map, 1891 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Franklin. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Franklin on the 1891 USGS mapFranklin on the 1901 USGS mapFranklin on the 1959 USGS mapFranklin on the 1971 USGS mapFranklin on the 1994 USGS map1891Muskego 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.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Franklin had its own post office from 1848 to 1859. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Franklin
1848–1859
Union Church
1858–1902
Saint Martins
1862–1903
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Saint MartinsUnion Church
Gone or out of use
Franklin QuarrymineRainbow Airportairport
1cemetery inside Franklin
Saint Peters

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Franklin came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Franklin.

Read it all →

On December 20, 1839, the south portion of the Town of Kinnikinick was split off to form the town of Franklin. The town consisted of a 36-square-mile area that was originally covered with heavy timber, which was mostly hardwoods such as hickory, walnut, and butternut. Most of the town's drainage was delivered by the Root River and there was an abundance of wildlife including bears, deer, and wolves. As of the 1840 census, the population of the Town of Franklin was 248. The name "Franklin" was given in homage to Benjamin Franklin.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Franklin, 1839 to 2003

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1839
    FoundingFranklin is established
  3. 1848Post officeThe Franklin post office opens
  4. 1852BuiltPainesville Chapel is built
  5. 1858Post officeThe Union Church post office opens
  6. 1859Post officeThe Franklin post office closes
  7. 1862Post officeThe Saint Martins post office opens
  8. 1879Born hereThomas F. Konop is born here
  9. 1891On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1902Post officeThe Union Church post office closes
  12. 1903In the archiveFreethinker Michael Biron
  13. 1903Post officeThe Saint Martins post office closes
  14. 1954In the archiveProject Blue Book report - 1954-06-8714288-Franklin-Wisconsin
  15. 1987Born hereRick Boogs is born here
  16. 21st century
  17. 2003Born hereSam Mayer is born here
By decade

Franklin, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s1 item
Freethinker Michael Biron1903Freethinker Michael Biron
1910s–1940snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1950s1 item
Project Blue Book report - 1954-06-8714288-Franklin-Wisconsin1954Project Blue Book report - 1954-06-8714288-Franklin-W…Book
1960s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today3 recent
Franklin June 2025 02 (Shoppes at Wyndham Village--Dairy Queen and Taco Pros)2025Franklin June 2025 02 (Shoppes at Wyndham Village--Da…Franklin June 2025 01 (Shoppes at Wyndham Village)2025Franklin June 2025 01 (Shoppes at Wyndham Village)SuperfundFadrowskiDrumDisposal201201042012SuperfundFadrowskiDrumDisposal20120104
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Freethinker Michael Biron
Retake this viewFreethinker Michael Biron, 1903

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Franklin’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Franklin

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Painesville Chapel
Painesville Chapel, built 1852
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Painesville ChapelGreek Revival · Built 1852

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Franklin, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,000196019802000202036,816

Grew from 10,006 people in 1960 to 36,816 in 2020, 3 times over.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Franklin’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Franklin

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
R
Rick BoogsAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1987
Thomas F. KonopAmerican politician · b. 1879
Sam MayerAmerican racing driver · b. 2003
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Greendale3 historic placesB−Muskego2 historic placesC+Hales Corners2 historic placesB−Oak CreekIts storyC+RaymondIts storyBGreenfieldIts storyC+

Questions about Franklin’s history

What year was Franklin founded?

In 1839, according to Wikidata. Franklin’s post office opened in 1848, and the census of 1960 counted 10,006 people here.

How does Franklin rank for history?

Franklin is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #202 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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?

One place: the Painesville Chapel (listed 1977).

How old are the homes in Franklin?

3% of Franklin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1990.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.