|
Franklin: A welcome to the oldest
town in Idaho
By Greg
Aullmann
February 1, 2008 FRANKLIN, Idaho -- For those driving
along U.S. 91 from Preston, Idaho, to the Wasatch Front
in Utah, a friendly word of advice: don't blink. The
drive is littered with many towns that while small and
seemingly barren carry with them a rich history of how
the West was settled. One of these small towns has a
history as rich as any, as well as a claim that no other
town in Idaho can make, yet every town in Idaho owes
its existence for.
Franklin, Idaho, that spot on the road that's a couple
blinks away from disappearing, is the oldest town in
Idaho, and not only that but still holds a population
of roughly 600.
Franklin was originally settled by Latter-day Saint
settlers under the direction of then-prophet of the
church, Brigham Young. Franklin was originally thought
to be a part of the Utah territory, which led LDS church
officials to send a small group of 13 families to the
supposed westernmost corner of the state to start another
settlement.
For the next 12 years Franklin was just another settlement,
but then in 1872 it was discovered that Franklin was
actually a part of the Idaho territory, and thus became
the first long term settlement by white inhabitants
in the territory that was bound to become the state
of Idaho.
Today Franklin boasts its own post office, LDS church,
Relic Hall, Lions Club shelter and city park. While
growth has not been as exponential as in surrounding
areas such as Logan, Franklin has managed to keep its
own spot on the road. Franklin even has its own planning
and zoning committee though they only meet in the event
that building is actually happening, which limits the
monthly meetings to less than frequent occurrences.
In searching for the next great thing out of Franklin
I ran into many dead-ends. Being told first that there
probably wasn't much interesting to write about for
the town, and finally that I needed to talk to someone
else about what was exciting. Over the course of the
Utah State University spring semester I think that I
will uncover some things at least that show that a town
of history is also a town with a future.
For those interested in getting to know the town a
little better, city council meetings are held on the
second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the community
center. If you get lost on the way you could stop and
ask for directions since Franklin has maintained that
small town friendly approach, or you could just keep
driving since sooner or later you have to get on the
right road with so few to choose from.
NW
MS
|
