Franklin | |
|---|---|
| City of Franklin | |
 Johnson County Courthouse Square in Franklin | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto(s): "Live, Work and Play for a Lifetime" | |
 Location of Franklin in Johnson County, Indiana | |
| Coordinates:39°29′55″N86°03′24″W / 39.49861°N 86.05667°W /39.49861; -86.05667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Johnson |
| Townships | Franklin,Needham,Pleasant |
| Founded | 1823 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1861 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Steve Barnett (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.76 sq mi (38.23 km2) |
| • Land | 14.76 sq mi (38.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 742 ft (226 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 25,313 |
| • Density | 1,714.7/sq mi (662.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 46131 |
| Area code | 317 |
| FIPS code | 18-25450[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394808[2] |
| Website | www |
Franklin is a city inJohnson County,Indiana, United States. The population was 23,712 at the2010 census. Located about 20 miles (32 km) south ofIndianapolis, the city is thecounty seat of Johnson County. The site ofFranklin College, the city attracts numerous regional sports fans for the college teams, as well as audiences for its art events.
Franklin wasplatted in 1823.[4] It wasnamed afterBenjamin Franklin.[5] The Franklin post office was established in 1824.[6] Franklin was incorporated as a city in 1861.[7]
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church,Franklin College Library (Shirk Hall),Franklin College-Old Main,Franklin Commercial Historic District,Franklin Senior High School,Greenlawn Cemetery,Herriott House,Johnson County Courthouse Square,Martin Place Historic District,Masonic Temple, andAugust Zeppenfeld House are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[8][9][10]
The small town became nationally famous during the 1920s due to the outstanding athletic achievements of the local high school basketball team, who became known as theFranklin Wonder Five. A small group who had played together as boys, led byFuzzy Vandivier and coached byErnest "Griz" Wagner, they became the first high school team to win the state championship for three consecutive years (1920–22). The youths followed Wagner to the localFranklin College, where he became coach and they earned the title of national college champions in 1923. They turned down an offer to play against the top professional team, theNew York Celtics.
The December 2, 1940 issue ofLife magazine included a photo essay byBernard Hoffman entitled, "A Small Town's Saturday Night,"[11] depicting farmers Glen and Norris Dunn and family on a typical Saturday night in Franklin: Dad getting a hair cut, and the kids seeing a movie at the Artcraft, people at the drugstore, as well as photos of other social spots, such as Nick's Candy Kitchen and the town's "lovers' lane." The nighttime photo showing double-parked cars and thick crowds on Jefferson Street is perhaps the best known of the set. According to the late-20th century critic James Guimond in his book on American photography,
Since "Life" wanted a perfect Saturday night, and one they considered typical, the photographer did not select a town still blighted by theDepression... What "Life's"' readers wanted, it seemed, was a stereotyped village that confirmed their nostalgic beliefs about small towns in which no one is bored, poor, or lonely; and the magazine's photographers and editors - likeNorman Rockwell in his "Saturday Evening Post" covers - gave them exactly that kind of town.[12]
Franklin is located 20 miles (32 km) south ofIndianapolis and 90 miles (140 km) north ofLouisville, Kentucky, on I-65 and U.S. 31.
According to the 2010 census, Franklin has a total area of 13.01 square miles (33.70 km2), all land.[13]
There are three small waterways in Franklin: Canary Creek and Hurricane Creek flow into Young's Creek.[14] These creeks flood frequently. Their smallfloodplain has been adapted as the basis of Franklin's green walkways and parks, which extend the entire length of the town. Hurricane Creek empties into Young's Creek in Province Park, downtown, which flows into theBig Blue River farther South. A buried stream, Roaring Run, flows beneath Franklin. In theJune 2008 Midwest floods, all of these streams overflowed, damaging or destroying more than 100 houses throughout Franklin, including some entire neighborhoods. Since 2008, The city of Franklin has bought many of the flood-damaged homes, and cleared them to make more green space, and expand the parks system. Province Park is home to a small family cemetery of the George King family, one of the original founding families of Franklin.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Franklin has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[15]
| Climate data for Franklin, IN (1991-2020 precipitation normals, coordinates:39°29′20″N86°04′23″W / 39.4889°N 86.0731°W /39.4889; -86.0731) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageprecipitation inches | 3.22 | 2.42 | 3.60 | 4.80 | 4.99 | 5.08 | 4.37 | 3.39 | 3.27 | 3.11 | 3.56 | 3.16 | 44.97 |
| Averageprecipitation mm | 82 | 61 | 91 | 122 | 127 | 129 | 111 | 86 | 83 | 79 | 90 | 80 | 1,141 |
| Source:NOAA[16] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 882 | — | |
| 1860 | 2,367 | 168.4% | |
| 1870 | 2,707 | 14.4% | |
| 1880 | 3,110 | 14.9% | |
| 1890 | 3,781 | 21.6% | |
| 1900 | 4,005 | 5.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,502 | 12.4% | |
| 1920 | 4,909 | 9.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,682 | 15.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,264 | 10.2% | |
| 1950 | 7,316 | 16.8% | |
| 1960 | 9,453 | 29.2% | |
| 1970 | 11,477 | 21.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,563 | 0.7% | |
| 1990 | 12,907 | 11.6% | |
| 2000 | 19,463 | 50.8% | |
| 2010 | 23,712 | 21.8% | |
| 2020 | 25,313 | 6.8% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
As of thecensus[17] of 2010, there were 23,712 people, 8,885 households, and 5,986 families living in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,822.6 inhabitants per square mile (703.7/km2). There were 9,895 housing units at an average density of 760.6 units per square mile (293.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%White, 1.4%African American, 0.3%Native American, 0.8%Asian, 1.0% fromother races, and 1.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 8,885 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% weremarried couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.
The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 19,463 people, 6,824 households, and 4,872 families living in the city. The population increased by more than 50% during the 1990s (see table at right), with new residents attracted by jobs in the community, as well as some people commuting to Indianapolis for work. Thepopulation density was 1,728.1 inhabitants per square mile (667.2/km2). There were 7,432 housing units at an average density of 659.9 units per square mile (254.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 0.2%Native American, 96.7%White, 1.2%African American, 0.51%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.59% fromother races, and at least 0.81% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 6,824 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,414, and the median income for a family was $52,304. Males had a median income of $37,509 versus $25,601 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $18,937. About 4.5% of families and 7.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
Several major international companies have operations in the city:Toyota,NSK,KYB andMitsubishi. The city has worked to strengthen its international connections.[18] Franklin is home of the first Ritters Frozen Custard, which has since franchised to several other markets.[19] Franklin once had its own automobile factory, the Indiana Motor & Manufacturing Company.[20][circular reference] It produced the Continental brand from 1910 to 1913, and the Martindale & Millikan brand in 1914 and 1915. The Whitesides truck was also built in Franklin between 1910 and 1914[21][22]
Downtown Franklin is noted for the number of well-maintained, older houses and early brick streets. Landmark buildings include the Johnson County Courthouse and theArtcraft Theatre. Due west of the Artcraft is the renovated former City Hall, aColonial Revival building originally constructed in 1936 to be used as a post office. It was designed byarchitect Louis A. Simon under Postmaster GeneralJames Farley. It was the original site of a federally commissionedWorks Progress Administration (WPA) mural painted by Franklin artist Jean Swiggett, who started his career during the difficult years of theGreat Depression.[23] The WPA work was moved to the "new" post office when it was built by the federal government. In the 1980s, a private non-profit group, Franklin Heritage Inc., was formed by citizens to preserve and restore its historic assets for new purposes. It now owns the Artcraft Theatre and is making it a community center for film, art, and special events. The current City Hall is located just east of the Johnson County Courthouse, and it also contains the Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center, which contains interactive exhibits that tell the story of the communities of Johnson County.
The Franklin Parks and Recreation Department maintains several miles of walking trails through the city, which connect various parks, community centers, the public library, and the public pool. Due to flood damage, the long park along the creeks was closed for the summer of 2008.[24]
The city is the site ofFranklin College, a four-year liberal arts college established in 1834 and the first in the state to admit women. Its students add to the life of the town and college events are open to the community.
TheDaily Journal is the local newspaper in Franklin and also covers news in all of Johnson County.
The government consists of a mayor and a city council of seven members. The mayor is elected by citywide vote. Five city council members are elected from individual districts, and two are elected at-large.
Franklin Community Schools operates public schools serving almost all of the city, includingFranklin Community High School. A small section in the north is assigned toClark-Pleasant Community School Corporation, served byWhiteland Community High School.[25]
Franklin has a public library, a branch of the Johnson County Public Library.[26]
Interstate 65 toColumbus, Indiana andIndianapolis
U.S. Route 31 toColumbus, Indiana andIndianapolis
State Road 44 toShelbyville
State Road 144 toBargersvilleFreight rail service is provided by theLouisville and Indiana Railroad (LIRC). The LIRC line traverses Franklin from north to south and roughly parallels U.S. 31 and Interstate 65.
Franklin Flying Field (FAA LID: 3FK) is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the city's central business district. The nearestcommercial airport which currently has scheduled airline service isIndianapolis International Airport (IND), located approximately 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Franklin.
Access Johnson County provides fixed-route and demand-response bus services in the city.[27]
Franklin currently has two sister cities:
Municipalities and communities ofJohnson County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Municipalities with population over 20,000 (in2020) | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in counties outside of the MSA | |
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