George Washington Franklin

My original interest in this Special Study project was to research any influence that George Washington Franklin might have had upon area politics, business, or culture during the Civil War years. Knowing that he was one of the first settlers in Plover and a major farmer, I thought that there would be adequate information on the man to compile a competent, if not thorough investigation. After conducting a few weeks of research, I soon found otherwise. A long discussion with Ms. Marge Warner (who has done considerable research on Franklin) confirmed my beliefs that there simply was not enough information on his lifetime let alone concerning just his life during the Civil War years. I agreed with Marge Warner's contention that G.W. Franklin was a quite, reserved, and temperate man who did not involve himself with area activities (at least none that were recorded) and lived a more or less isolated life with his family except for his partnership with Hiram Hartwell and a few other endeavors that I will discuss. Therefore, I will discuss what information I did find in my initial research and information uncovered in my ensuing line of research.

Probably the most frustrating aspect of conducting research on Franklin during the Civil War years is the non-existence of the Plover Times during the period 1861-1865. The paper simply does not exist during those years, except for a few isolated issues. Consequently, any information that might have pertained to Franklin during those years has been lost. In addition, I did not find any important reference to him in the tax roles, treasurer’s report, or probate records. Mr. Fish in Documents was most helpful in directing me toward possible sources, which unfortunately, usually led to dead ends. Likewise, the Stevens Point Civil War newspapers in Archives included no reference to Franklin. The sources which did mention Franklin were the census records, Plover Town Records, Simon Sherman’s diary, Malcolm Rosholt’s book Our County Our Story, and Hiram Hartwell's probate records. If G. W. Franklin had been an active and influential citizen of Plover his name would have surfaced far more often than it did. Now for the information that I did find on Franklin, information spanning his life, mind you, not just during the Civil War years.

George Washington Franklin was born in Chili, Monroe County, New York on March 17, 1825 and died in 1901 in Plover, Wisconsin. He traveled to Wisconsin and settled in Green County where he was farming. In 1844 he arrived in Plover and worked at lumbering and managed Hue McGrier's saw mill at Jordan as well as running the river. In 1847 he entered into partnership with Hiram Hartwell in farming land about a half a mile east of Plover. According to Simon Sherman this was the first farming done in Portage County. The two men continued in partnership until 1871. Franklin married Mary J. Bates on October 7, 1858 and they produced five children, three which survived; Marv Adelia born in 1859, Frank George born in 1861, and Cora Bell (later to marry Jerome Hamford Calkins) born in November 1862. According to Sherman, “Mr. Hartwell and Franklin were strictly temperate, honorable and much respected by all who knew them”. As a note, the only other reference to Franklin that I found in reading Sherman's diary was the March 31, 1865 entry which stated, "Lends Franklin two pick hand spikes." Sherman's reference to Franklin's temperance is interesting. In my talk to Marge Warner, she said that what little information she found on the two men concerning the temperance movement, seems both were strong adherents to it and centered their activity to around their farms. Franklin's involvement in such activity could be due from his membership in the Methodist Church.

According to the August 21, 1850 U.S. Census, G. W. Franklin, aged twenty-five, was living at the forty-ninth dwelling visited. He could have been living with Hartwell who was listed above Franklin's name and who held $1500 in real estate. Hartwell was thirty years old and from Vermont. Franklin was listed as a laborer (farmer?) under his name was a D. Johnson aged twenty-two and from Ohio. Johnson also listed as a laborer. By the 1860 U.S. Census, Franklin had amassed $2000 in real estate. The document shows that his wife was also born in New York.   In 1870, Franklin still held $2000 in real estate and now $600 in private property. The census also notes that neither of his parents were foreign born and also lists another child, Elitia (?) aged six. The 1880 census reveals two deaths, his wife Mary and Elitia. Both are not listed on the document and must have died sometime during the 1870's. Franklin's oldest daughter, Mary, is listed as keeping house, Frank is said to be teaching school, and Cora is listed as being at home Concerning the land holdings of both Hartwell and Franklin, Rosholt notes that Hartwell owned eighty acres in the SW 1/4 of Section 23, with a residence on the north side of modern Trunk B. Franklin owned two forties east of Hartwell in the same quarter section in addition to an eighty across the road where his house was located. Apart from some interesting information found in the census records, a surprising piece of information surfaces in the Plover Town Records.

During the April 1, 1862 town elections held in Plover, Franklin entered the race for Third Town Supervisor. Unfortunately, he lost the race finishing second. The election returns are as follows:

For Third Town Supervisor the whole number was 84 of which number G. E. Taylor received 45, G. W. Franklin 27, and James Alpin 11.

It is a shame that he lost the election for the sole reason that with a victory he might have become more prominent in the area and left a little more information in his wake. I studied the town elections of 1863 and 1864 and found no mention of Franklin entering any race for public office. His one quest for glory having failed, Franklin probably decided to continue to concentrate on his farming and leave politics to the more ambitious. I did discover that Hiram Hartwell ran and was elected to the Third Town Supervisor post in the April 7, 1863 town election. In addition, it is through Hartwell that we also find further information.

Hiram Hartwell, being a long time friend and partner of Franklin, serves as a source for probably the most intensive involvement that Franklin ever partook in outside of his farm. In Hartwell’s probate records, Franklin was involved as a witness and appraiser for his late friend’s estate from 1879-1888. The following information will be included under one footnote since all can be found in Hartwell's probate records and deal solely with the In Probate Court of Portage County. The information can be found in the Documents section of the UWSP Learning Resource Center. On December 3, 1879 Franklin served as a principle co-signer along with Martha R. Hartwell and Charles F. Hartwell in the estate of Hiram Hartwell in the presence of Judge J. R. Kingsbury of the Portage County Court. On December 10, 1879 Franklin and George Barnsdale were appointed appraisers of the estate of Hartwell by Martha and Charles Hartwell. Barnsdale and Franklin on January 22, 1880 swore under oath to Justice of the Peace L. B. Farr that they would “faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of appraisers of the real and personal estate of the late Hiram Hartwell. Franklin consequently signed the Separate Inventory statement for the estate of Hartwell the same day. Of special interest in Hartwell's estate are two items ”One half interest in one Champion Reaper - $20.00” and "One half interest in one Sulkey Cultivator - $6.00." It is very possible that these items were shared or co-owned with Franklin since both were partners and worked very closely with each other for years.  Later, on May 2, 1882 and December 5, 1882, Franklin again served as an appraiser along with John Sterling for land being sold from the Hartwell estate. A document dated May 31, 1882 as the Sale of Real Estate - Probate Court lists the land on the North West quarter of Section #14 as the land to be sold. More Hartwell land was sold on October 29, 1883. Franklin again served as an appraiser along with Martha and H. L. Hartwell. As an interesting note, at the bottom of the page under “executes in the presence of" was the signature of his daughter Mary Adelia. The last entry pertaining to Franklin’s involvement in the estate was on July 31, 1888 when he served as an appraiser with L. B. Farr in the sale more Hartwell land.

This was the extent to which I found information pertaining to George Washington Franklin. It seems only appropriate that a quiet, reserved, and personal man would become most involved in the execution of the estate of his best friend and life long associate, Hiram Hartwell. G. W. Franklin was probably no different than most men of his age, seemingly hard working, a family man, and a well-respected individual in his community. Yet there are simply too many gaps in the available information to conduct an in-depth and adequate study of his life. Consequently, one is only able to draw generalizations and make conjectures as to the personality of the man and the path that his life took.