The Franklin Village settlement began in 1824, and upon the completion of the Erie Canal, more settlers from New England arrived. Many of the early settlers had trades including: blacksmith, carpenter, mason, bricklayer, and a shoemaker. For the next decade, Franklin continued to grow and had many businesses including: flour and feed mills, a lumber mill, a brick and tile yard, a wagon and sleigh shop, a cooperage, distillery and many small shops.
Life in the Village did not change until the advent of the automobile and the construction of highways, and a local developer laid out a plan calling for large single-family lots in the 1920’s.
Franklin was incorporated as a Home Rule Village on November 8, 1953 and continues the tradition of family homes and businesses as the Village had originally begun. Franklin Village is proud of its registered Historical District remains “The Town That Time Forgot”.
