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FRANKLIN IN 1824

The following is taken from an article in the March 26, 1924 Venango Citizen Press newspaper:

LEVI DODD, First Supt. Of Presbyterian School had part in 50th Anniversary.

Reminiscences prepared and read by Levi Dodd at the 50th anniversary in 1874 gives insight into Franklin in 1824.

Number of Widows Then:
Fifty years ago there were few widows in Franklin. I will speak of them and their families in their order as best I can.

Grandmother Gregg, a very old widow lived alone. Grandmother Ridgway lived with her daughter, the wife of Abram Clark.
Grandmother Dewoody and a maiden daughter, with her son, George Dewoody, kept house together.
Mrs. Sarah McDowell, widow, had daughters married, but they were not living in Franklin. She kept house with her three sons, Thomas, Alexander and Parker.
Mrs. Anne Kinnear, widow, kept house with her two daughters, Rebecca, deaf mute, and Sarah, afterwards married to Artemus Walker.
Mrs. Elizabeth McCormick, widow, lived with her father, Robert Kinnear, had one daughter, married afterwards to James K. Kerr, and two sons, William and Robert.
Mrs. Plumer, widow, I think moved out of town about that time but afterward returned. She had one daughter married to John McCalmont, two at home, one married afterwards to George Clark and one to Rev. Robinson; sons Arnold, Benjamin, A. Samuel and one a deaf mute.
Mrs. Morrison, widow, kept house, had two daughters - Ellen, afterward married to John Williams and Nancy, married to George Moore - and three sons and two daughters.

Mr. Dodd goes on to reminiscence of the following:

Myron Park, merchant. One daughter, Mary. Raised a family of three daughters and three sons.
Mr. Smiley, wife died, Family scattered. Sons, Armstrong, John, William and Philip. David King, tailor. Wife, sons and daughters. Raised a large family.
Abraham Selders, stone mason. One of the earliest settlers. Wife and family. I remember three daughters and two sons. There may have been more.
John Gurney kept a team. Wife and sons, John, Daniel and Amos.
Jennie Jones kept house. Had one son, Alexander, and raised three sons in Franklin. Grandfather Bowman lived with is son, Andrew.

Robert Kinnear, jailor, His wife, his daughter, Widow McCormick and her children, and one son, David Kinnear, composed this family.
William Connely, Justice of the Peace, had two daughters married, one to Arthur Robinson and one at home, married afterward to John Evans, and three sons, William, Isaac and Finley.
Samuel Hays, ex-Sheriff, wife, one daughter, Ellnor, married afterward to John J. Pearson. Sons, Broadfoot, David, Samuel, Alexander and James.
William Kinnear, Justice of the Peace, wife, one daughter, married to Samuel Bailey, and four at home - Nancy, married afterward to William Raymond; Elizabeth to Nelson Bushnell, Rebecca to William Sloan, Jane to William Smiley. Sons, Robert, Gideon D. and Francis.

George Power, hotel-keeper. Wife, one daughter, married to George Brigham and four at home, one married afterward to B.A. Plumer, one to F.G. Crary, one to Robert Power and Sarah to Samuel Plumer; sons, Thomas, James, George and Benjamin.
George McClelland, hotel-keeper. Wife and five daughters - Margaret, married that year, I believe, to Arnold Plumer; Jane, afterward to Dr. N.D. Snowden; Nancy to Mr. Braden, of Butler; Elizabeth to Samuel F. Drake; sons, John, George and Joseph. James Kinnear, hotel-keeper. Wife and two daughters, one married afterward to William Elliott; Ruth to Dr. Elliott of Pittsburgh, since to James Bredin.
Rev. Hezekiah May. Wife and three daughters, Hannah, afterward married to Richard Irwin; sons, Benjamin, Huntington, Selden and William.
Isaac Smith, ferryman. Wife, one daughter, married to James Brown, one to John Hastings and one afterward to Samuel Hall; sons, John, Isaac, Gabriel and Absalom.

Thomas Seaton, business man. Wife, one daughter married afterward to Robert Lamberton; sons, Robert and Jackson.
Abraham Clark, millwright. Wife, one daughter, married afterward to William Bell; three or four more daughters; sons, Jackson and Josiah.
John Lupher, blacksmith. Wife and children. I cannot call them to mind.
John Martin, business man. Wife. If I remember right, they had four or five children. One daughter is the wife of J. M. DeWoody, but I think she was born after that time.
John Seaton, hunter. Wife and children. I do not call to mind how many. One daughter is the wife of R.A. Brashear. John Singleton, brick-maker. Wife. I do not remember how many children they had in 1824. They raised a family of four or five daughters and three sons in Franklin. Miss Mary Anderson, a sister of Mrs. Singleton, lived with them in 1824. The eldest daughter was married afterward to J. C. May.
John Ridgway, boat-builder. Wife and two brothers. Harriett; Susan married afterward to Henry Nock; sons, Samuel, Peter F. and Thomas.
David Irwin, lawyer. Wife and I think, 4 children.

Frederick Crary, merchant. Wife and one daughter, married Rev. Beau; three sons, F.G., William and James.
John Broadfoot, carpenter and Justice of the Peace. Bachelor. Kept house with his maiden sister, Elizabeth Boradfoot.
Andrew Bowman, tanner and shoemaker. Wife; one daughter; sons - Hall, Washington, William. Raised a family of seven sons and one daughter in Franklin.
Andrew DeWoody, hatter. Wife. No children. Afterwards he and second wife raised a family in Franklin.
James Hulings, wife and family moved away. John Hamilton, wife and family moved away. Alexander McCalmont, merchant, afterward lawyer. Wife, two sons, William and John, afterwards Alfred; one daughter who married Edwin Wilson.
Arthur Robinson, business man. Wife, no children. James Brown, water man. Wife; sons and daughters. I do not remember how many at that time, but they raised a large family in this city.
James Martin, business man. Wife and one daughter, married afterward to James Grey; sons, John, Robert, Thomas and James.
John Black, blacksmith. Wife; I do not remember the children.
Mr. Kelly, school teacher. Can not remember anything about his family.
George Brigham, carpenter. Wife and two children. Raised a family of five sons and four daughters in Franklin.
Samuel Bailey, carpenter. Wife and one son, William. Raised a family of two children. Peter Howser, water man. Raised part of his family in Franklin.
John Galbraith, lawyer. Wife and I think one son, William. Raised a family partly in Franklin.
Nimrod Grace, carpenter. Wife and I cannot remember how many children they had in '24 but they raised a large family here.

Some Unmarried Men

There were unmarried and young men in 1824, some of whom soon after took unto themselves wives.
Arnold Plumer, merchant, was elected Sheriff, married Margaret McClelland.
John Evans, printer and doctor, married Miss Connely.
Nathaniel Cary, tailor, married soon afterward.
William Raymond, merchant, married Nancy Kinnear.
Johnathan R. Sage, carpenter, married Sarah Parker.
Joseph Clancy, shoe-maker, I can not remember whether he was married or single that year.
George DeWoody, hatter. Married afterwards Hannah Lowry.
Then there were Dr. George R. Espy, William Crary, merchant, James Bennett, tailor, Daniel Brown, David Kinnear, blacksmith; Thomas McDowell, John J. Parson, lawyer, afterward married Ellen Hays; Frederick G. Crary, merchant, married Miss Powers, of the George Powers family. Some may not have come to my recollection.
Charles Holeman, bachelor.
Stephen Sutton, bachelor, butcher.

Families Outside of Town

There were a few families outside of town, but none that helped to support the Sunday school at its beginning. I like to remember Robert McCalmont, farmer, wife and two adopted children; William Parker, farmer, wife and one son, George; Levi Hilliard, farmer, wife died that year, two daughters, young ladies, one son, Levi; John McCalmont farmer, one daughter, two sons, John & Plumer; George Sutley, farmer, wife and two daughters, one the wife of Josiah Longwell, sons, William and Jacob; Joel Sage, miller at Two-Mile Run, wife and four or five daughters, two sons, E _i and James.

I can not at this time follow up the increased population of Franklin. In after years soon the children began to come to the years of maturity and others being born, families springing up from the old stock and others moving in. I think back 40 or 45 or near 50 years and call to mind the Morrisons, Barkeys, Hannas, Alexanders, Pearson, Collinses, Padens, Mackeys, Adamses, Hoovers, Howes, Woodses, Snowdens, Thompsons, Renos, and so I might go on. Many of the descendants of some of their families are among us here in Franklin yet.

The members of the Presbyterian church in Franklin in 1824 were Rev. Hezekiah May and wife, Andrew Bowman and wife, Mrs. George McClelland, Mrs. Samuel Hays, Miss Elizabeth Broadfoot, Levi Dodd and wife, in the town; Mrs. Robert McCalmont and James Gilliland, the only elder in the country- nine in town, six ladies and three men; one man and one lady in the country, in all. There was a little Methodist Episcopal class, I think. About 20 all together, town and country. In town there was John Martin and wife, William Kinnear and wife, Robert Kinnear and wife, John Lupher and wife, Alexander McCalmont and wife, and probably others, in town. I remember Father Vincent, Weldon Adams and wife from the country and others whose names I can not recall now.

Settled Here in 1823

I settled in Franklin in 1823. Had a wife and one son, Parker. In 1824 a daughter, Amelia was born. She is now the wife of E.S. Durban. In 1824 Sarah Parker, my wife�s sister was one of our family married that year to J.R. Sage. We raised a family in Franklin of six sons and two daughters. I have been permitted to live to see the third generation of children and this 50th anniversary of this Sunday school. At its beginning in 1824, I took part as teacher and superintendent and I have been interested in it all these past 50 years. I have faith that the Lord will raise up faithful superintendents and teachers. We can not estimate the good that it has been the means of doing or may do hereafter.

Population only 250

In 1824 I think the population in Franklin did not exceed 250 and now in 1874 we have a population of near 6,000. See the change.. I think we have a moral and decent population, as much as any city in our country. But let us consider what it would have been without Christianity. ... We pass away from here, where are our fathers and mothers of '24 and many of our brothers and sisters and many children? Where are they? See how many families are broken. I believe that I am the only father that was head of a family in the town of Franklin in 1824 who is now living here. Of mothers, there are Mrs. McCalmont, Mrs. Brigham, Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Seaton. I think of no others . Time is short - we pass away.

coordinated and transcribed by Penny Haylett-Minnick