Franklin is a city in Johnson County, Indiana, in the United States. In 2020, about 25,313 people lived there. Franklin is located about 20 miles (32 km) south of Indianapolis. It is the main city and county seat of Johnson County.

Franklin is home to Franklin College. This college brings many sports fans to cheer for its teams. It also hosts many art events for people to enjoy.

History of Franklin
- The Franklin Wonder Five Basketball Team
- Franklin in Life Magazine
Geography and Nature
- Franklin's Waterways
- Climate in Franklin
Population of Franklin
Attractions and Economy
Education
Transportation
Notable People from Franklin
Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

History of Franklin

Franklin was officially started in 1823. It was named after the famous American, Benjamin Franklin. The first post office in Franklin opened in 1824.

Many important old buildings and places in Franklin are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Franklin College Library (Shirk Hall), and the Johnson County Courthouse Square. These places help preserve the city's history.

The Franklin Wonder Five Basketball Team

In the 1920s, Franklin became famous across the country. This was because of its amazing high school basketball team, known as the Franklin Wonder Five. This group of boys had played basketball together since they were young. They were led by Fuzzy Vandivier and coached by Ernest "Griz" Wagner.

They made history by being the first high school team to win the state championship three years in a row (1920–1922). After high school, the players followed Coach Wagner to Franklin College. There, they became national college champions in 1923. They even turned down an offer to play against a top professional team!

Franklin in Life Magazine

On December 2, 1940, Life magazine featured Franklin. The article, called "A Small Town's Saturday Night," showed pictures by Bernard Hoffman. It showed a typical Saturday night for a farming family, the Dunns, in Franklin.

The photos showed people getting haircuts, kids watching movies at the Artcraft Theatre, and people at the drugstore. There were also pictures of other fun places like Nick's Candy Kitchen. A well-known photo shows cars parked and many people on Jefferson Street at night. The magazine wanted to show a perfect, typical small town. It aimed to show a place where no one was bored, poor, or lonely.

Geography and Nature

Franklin is located about 20 miles (32 km) south of Indianapolis. It is also about 90 miles (145 km) north of Louisville, Kentucky. The city is found along major roads like I-65 and U.S. 31.

The city covers about 13.01 square miles (33.70 km²), and all of it is land.

Franklin's Waterways

Franklin has three small waterways: Canary Creek, Hurricane Creek, and Young's Creek. These creeks sometimes flood. The areas around them have been turned into green walkways and parks. These parks stretch across the entire town. Hurricane Creek flows into Young's Creek in Province Park, downtown. Young's Creek then flows into the Big Blue River further south.

In June 2008, these creeks flooded badly. More than 100 homes in Franklin were damaged or destroyed. Since then, the city has bought many of the flooded homes. These areas have been cleared to create more green space and expand the park system. Province Park also has a small family cemetery for the George King family, who were among Franklin's first settlers.

Climate in Franklin

The weather in Franklin has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Franklin has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets plenty of rain throughout the year.

Climate data for Franklin, IN (1991-2020 precipitation normals, coordinates:39°29′20″N 86°04′23″W / 39.4889°N 86.0731°W / 39.4889; -86.0731)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average precipitation inches	3.22	2.42	3.60	4.80	4.99	5.08	4.37	3.39	3.27	3.11	3.56	3.16	44.97
Average precipitation mm	82	61	91	122	127	129	111	86	83	79	90	80	1,141
Source: NOAA

Population of Franklin

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	882	—
1860	2,367	168.4%
1870	2,707	14.4%
1880	3,110	14.9%
1890	3,781	21.6%
1900	4,005	5.9%
1910	4,502	12.4%
1920	4,909	9.0%
1930	5,682	15.7%
1940	6,264	10.2%
1950	7,316	16.8%
1960	9,453	29.2%
1970	11,477	21.4%
1980	11,563	0.7%
1990	12,907	11.6%
2000	19,463	50.8%
2010	23,712	21.8%
2020	25,313	6.8%
Source: US Census Bureau

As of 2010, there were 23,712 people living in Franklin. Most residents were White (94.9%). About 1.4% were African American, and 0.8% were Asian. About 2.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the city was 34.6 years old. About 26.3% of residents were under 18. About 14.6% were 65 years or older.

Attractions and Economy

Several large international companies have businesses in Franklin. These include Toyota, NSK, KYB, and Mitsubishi. Franklin is also home to the first Ritters Frozen Custard shop, which has grown into a franchise. Long ago, Franklin even had its own car factory, the Indiana Motor & Manufacturing Company.

Franklin, IN Post Office Cornerstone

Downtown Franklin is known for its many well-kept old houses and brick streets. Important buildings include the Johnson County Courthouse and the Artcraft Theatre. The old City Hall building, built in 1936, was once a post office. It was designed by architect Louis A. Simon. A local artist, Jean Swiggett, painted a mural there as part of a government program during the Great Depression.

In the 1980s, a group called Franklin Heritage Inc. was formed. This group works to save and restore historic buildings. They now own the Artcraft Theatre. They are making it a community center for movies, art, and special events. The current City Hall is next to the Johnson County Courthouse. It also has the Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center, which shares stories about Johnson County.

The Franklin Parks and Recreation Department takes care of many miles of walking trails. These trails connect different parks, community centers, the public library, and the public swimming pool.

Franklin College is a four-year college in the city. It was started in 1834 and was the first college in Indiana to allow women to attend. Its students add a lot to the town, and college events are open to everyone.

The Daily Journal is the local newspaper for Franklin and all of Johnson County.

Education

Franklin Community Schools runs the public schools for most of the city. This includes Franklin Community High School. A small part of northern Franklin is served by Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation. Students there attend Whiteland Community High School.

Franklin also has a public library. It is a part of the Johnson County Public Library system.

Transportation

Highways

Interstate 65 connects Franklin to Columbus, Indiana and Indianapolis.
U.S. Route 31 also connects to Columbus, Indiana and Indianapolis.
State Road 44 goes to Shelbyville.
State Road 144 goes to Bargersville.

Rail Service

Freight train service is provided by the Louisville and Indiana Railroad (LIRC). The LIRC train line runs through Franklin from north to south. It generally follows U.S. 31 and Interstate 65.

Airport Access

Franklin Flying Field (FAA LID: 3FK) is a small airport about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of downtown Franklin. For commercial flights, the closest airport is Indianapolis International Airport (IND). It is about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Franklin.

Local Bus Service

Access Johnson County offers bus services within the city. These include both regular routes and on-demand services.

Notable People from Franklin

Many interesting people have connections to Franklin:

Steve Alford: A former basketball player and coach for Indiana.
Homer Bone: A U.S. Senator for Washington state from 1933 to 1944, born in Franklin.
Roger D. Branigin: Served as the governor of Indiana from 1965 to 1969.
George Crowe: The first "Indiana Mr. Basketball" in 1939.
Ray Crowe: A famous basketball coach for the Crispus Attucks High School team.
Andrew Duggan: An actor who appeared in many films and TV shows.
Nick Hardwick: A former professional football player for the San Diego Chargers.
Gordon Johncock: A two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 race, who lived in Franklin.
Marjorie Main: An actress known for playing "Ma Kettle" in movies.
Paul V. McNutt: Served as the governor of Indiana from 1933 to 1937.
Forrest Tucker: An actor, famous for the TV series F Troop.
Fuzzy Vandivier: A basketball player, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.