NYFingerLakes-L Archives

From: Laurel Dearborn <>
Subject: Franklin Ancestor
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 12:28:18 -0800

I am still searching for any possible connections to my GGrandfather
John Franklin, born 25 Dec 1835, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York,
and died 15 Dec 1921 at Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. His death
certificate lists his parents to be David and Sarah Franklin, but
informant was his 2nd wife, whose knowledge of the family seems to
have serious errors. My earliest record of him is the 1860 census
where he is listed living in Watkins Post Office, Dix Township,
Schuyler County, New York, with the Josiah D. Payne family where his
profession was listed as machinist (page 822, HH 70/71). The 1865 New
York State census shows John Franklin to be an owner of a foundry in
Watkins, Schuyler County, New York at the foot of Decatur Street.
There is an advertisement for the foundry in the Chemung and Schuyler
Business Directory of the same era. Family papers indicate that he
was operating the foundry as early as 1861, and some early pieces of
business stationery show the name Jefferson Foundry owned by John
Franklin (a prior name for Watkins was Jefferson). When my husband
and I visited in that area in 1998, we saw a large brick building
with the word 'Foundry' faded but visible on the side in the block
bordered on the east by Decatur, on the west by Franklin Street, and
on the south by 1st Street. Later census records have references to
his parents having been born in NY.

John Franklin married Sarah Jane Smith of Caroline, Tompkins County,
New York, in 1861. Her grandfather, Benjamin T. Leggett, and
grandmother, Elizabeth DeWitt, were early settlers in Tompkins
County. There are some members of the Smith and Leggett families
buried in Morris Chapel Cemetery, Caroline, Tompkins Co., NY. John
was in business in Watkins (now Watkins Glen) until late in 1870,
when he sold the business and moved to Dubuque, Iowa. He lived in
Iowa and then bought a farm in Grant County, Wisconsin, working also
as a machinist in local industry. In 1889, he moved to Tacoma,
Washington, where he became a lumber mill superintendent.

The census of 1850 from Fayette, Seneca County, New York, lists a
John Franklin age 16 living with the Samuel and Triphina Wagoner
family. The family included John Franklin, 4 children with the
surname Jolly (ages 7-14), and 1 Wagoner, age 1. Only John was listed
as going to school. I am not sure, of course, that this is my John
Franklin. Does anyone know who Samuel and Triphina Wagoner were?
Did they take in orphans?

Any information in regard to my GGrandfather John Franklin or the
Watkins Glen foundary would be greatly appreciated.

Laurel Franklin Dearborn

This thread:

• Franklin Ancestor by Laurel Dearborn <>