Editing Franklinton, North Carolina (section)

==History==

Franklinton, was established as Franklin Depot in 1839 on land owned by Shemuel Kearney (1791–1860), son of Crawford Kearney and Nancy White. A home constructed by grandfather Shemuel Kearney (1734–1808) was originally located south of town and is currently the second oldest residence in Franklin County, built in 1759. The building was purchased in 2009 and moved to nearby [[Louisburg, North Carolina|Louisburg]] for restoration. Franklin Depot changed its name to Franklinton in 1842 when the town was incorporated. Like Franklin County, Franklinton was named for [[Benjamin Franklin]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Govt. Print. Off. |author=Gannett, Henry |year=1905 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n120 131]}}</ref><ref name="NCG">{{cite book |author=William S. Powell |title=The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places |year=1968 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |place=Chapel Hill |isbn=0-8078-1247-1 |id=Library of Congress Catalog Card #28-25916 |page=182}}</ref>

Generous offers by local businessmen [[Washington Duke]] and [[Julian S. Carr]] brought Trinity College to the city of [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]<ref name=duke>{{cite web |author=William E. King |year=1997 |url=http://library.duke.edu/uarchives/history/histnotes/durhams_bid.html |title=Durham's Bid to Win Over Trinity College |work=If Gargoyles Could Talk: Sketches of Duke University |publisher=[[Carolina Academic Press]] |access-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref> in 1892.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://library.duke.edu/uarchives/history/histnotes/move_to_durham.html |title=Trinity College Moves to Durham |author=William E. King |work=If Gargoyles Could Talk: Sketches of Duke University |publisher=[[Carolina Academic Press]] |year=1997 |access-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref> This well known school is now called [[Duke University]].  A source from the University Archives states that nearby [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] was actually the initial approved bidder.<ref name=duke/> This does not mean Franklinton wasn't included as a possible site, mentioned by some locals, even though no other bidding communities are mentioned. The citizens of Raleigh offered land now occupied by [[North Carolina State University]] and pledged $35,000.00 for a new building which was quickly approved by the [[Methodist]] Conference for Trinity College. It eventually lost to a higher bid of $85,000.00 plus donations in 1890.

In December 1919, an African-American veteran of World War I named Powell Green got involved in an altercation with a white man named R.M. Brown over smoking in the movie theater, and Green allegedly killed Brown.<ref>{{Cite news |title=He was a Negro Soldier |date=January 15, 1920 |work=The Wautauga Democrat}}</ref> The police arrested Green, but then a lynch mob seized him, pulled him behind a car for two miles, and hung him from a tree.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Drags Negro to Death |date=December 28, 1919 |work=New York Times}}</ref><ref name="NAACP">{{cite book |chapter=Appendix I – Lynching Record for 1919 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dhwtAQAAMAAJ&dq=powell+green+franklinton+nc&pg=RA1-PA93 |title=NAACP Annual Report |date=January 1919 |page=93 |access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>

Franklinton was once home to [[Dr. J. A. Savage House|Albion Academy]], a co-educational African-American school started by clergyman [[Moses A. Hopkins]] in 1879.  Once a State Normal & Industrial School (trade school), it eventually became a graded school and later merged with the B.F. Person School in 1957 to become B.F. Person-Albion High School. When schools were fully integrated, the upper grades consolidated with [[Franklinton High School (North Carolina)|Franklinton High School]] in 1969. Mary Little was the first African-American teacher to begin teaching at the newly integrated Franklinton High School, who taught there till her death in 1984. The B.F. Person-Albion High School was renamed [[Franklinton Elementary School (North Carolina)|Franklinton Elementary School]].

Also located in Franklinton is the historic [[Sterling Cotton Mill]], founded by Samuel C. Vann and first opened in 1895.  Remaining in the Vann family for many years, the mill was purchased in 1972 by Union Underwear Company, manufacturers of [[Fruit of the Loom]] fabric products. Sterling Cotton Mill eventually closed in 1991.  It was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1996.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

[[Burlington Industries]], another well known textile and fabric maker at the time, had a facility located in Franklinton known as Vamoco Mills. It closed in 1989, and was demolished in 2007. A third mill was also located in Franklinton which has since closed.

On June 10, 1946, former heavyweight champion [[Jack Johnson (boxer)|Jack Johnson]] died in a car crash on [[U.S. Route 1 in North Carolina|U.S. Highway 1]] in Franklinton.

On April 4, 1963, the entire town of Franklinton was threatened by a large [[wildfire]] which consumed roughly {{convert|9500|acre|km2}} of woodlands and destroyed several homes north and west of town.  A similar incident occurred on February 10, 2008, covering practically the same area (though not as widespread), about {{convert|1000|acre|km2}}.  There were a couple homes which were damaged during that event.  U.S. Highway 1 was temporarily closed adjacent to the affected area while firefighters battled the fires.  No injuries were reported.  High winds and dry conditions were factors in both incidents.

In 1996 Franklinton, North Carolina became the home of Opio Holy Spirit Academy a private school providing an academic arena for both academically gifted and students who face academic challenges from grades k-12. The school was established and directed by Lenora E. Attles-Allen a former elementary school teacher from Boston, Massachusetts. Allen's work became known and respected in Wake, Granville, Vance, and Franklin counties as well as her dedication to the Franklin County Community Restitution Program. Opio Holy Spirit Academy closed its doors for the last time after the final High School commencement ceremony in 2012.

Charles Draughn III was elected to the mayoral position of Franklinton for 8 years, from 1987 to 1995. He is currently working with family law.  He was followed in office by Larry Kearney from 1995 to 2003, Jenny McGhee Edwards from 2003 to 2007 and Elic Senter from 2007 to 2015. Current Mayor Art Wright was elected in 2015.<ref name="WRAL">[http://www.wral.com/news/political/page/15039939/?group=franklin_county WRAL TV Channel 5, Franklin County Election Results – November 3, 2015], Retrieved November 3, 2015.</ref>

Franklinton has been a [[Tree City USA]] community since 1985.<ref name="TREE">[https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/directory.cfm National Arbor Day Foundation - Tree City USA Directory], Retrieved October 6, 2017.</ref>

In addition to the Sterling Cotton Mill, the [[Franklinton Depot]], [[Dr. J. H. Harris House]], [[Shemuel Kearney House]], [[C.L. and Bessie G. McGhee House]], [[Person-McGhee Farm]], [[Dr. J. A. Savage House]], and [[Aldridge H. Vann House]] are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris"/>  All properties are privately owned and should be respected.