Franklin, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franklin, Mississippi
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Franklin Church, built 1841
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 Franklin, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Franklin, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Holmes |
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39095
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| GNIS feature ID | 670157 |
Franklin is a small community in Holmes County, Mississippi. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government, like a city or town.
Mississippi Highway 17 goes right through Franklin. It is about 7 miles (11 km) south of Lexington. Lexington is the main town for the county. Franklin is also about 12 miles (19 km) north of the town of Pickens.
For a long time, this area was known for its cotton farms. Before the American Civil War, many thousands of African Americans were forced to work on these farms without pay. After the war, many of these freed people continued to work the land. They often did this as "sharecroppers" or "tenant farmers." This meant they rented land and paid with a share of their crops.
Franklin's Early History
Franklin was one of the first places where European-American settlers built homes. This happened in the 1830s. At that time, most of the Choctaw people were moved away from their lands. They were sent to a special territory west of the Mississippi River.
Many of the new settlers came from farming families in South Carolina and Virginia. They brought many enslaved people with them. They also bought more enslaved people to work on their large cotton farms.
The Franklin Church
A short distance east of the community is the Franklin Church and Cemetery. This church was built in 1841. Enslaved African Americans did the hard work of building it.
The church had two front doors. One door was for men, and the other was for women.
Civil War Battle
On January 2, 1865, a battle took place in Franklin during the American Civil War. About 3,300 Union soldiers on horseback fought against 1,100 Confederate soldiers. The Confederate soldiers were part of the local Home Guard. General William Wirt Adams led them.
The Union Army won this battle. They also captured many prisoners. The Franklin Presbyterian Church is still used today. The people who go to the church decided to keep the holes from cannonballs visible. These holes are a reminder of the church's history during the war.
Community Life
In 1900, about 80 white people lived in Franklin. The community also had a post office in the early 1900s. A post office was open in Franklin from 1831 until 1906.
