"HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY 1884"
CHARLES BLANCHARD, EDITOR.  CHICAGO:  F. A. BATTEY & CO. PUBLISHERS.  1884.
F. A. BATTEY.  F. W. TEPPLE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP IN OWEN CO., IN.
PAGE 842

SAMUEL FRANKLIN is the third and only living child of 
Thomas C and Ersley (Cline) Franklin. The father is a 
native of North Carolina and came to Owen County in 1818.
He entered the land where the poor farm now is and lived 
there until his first wife's death. He then sold his farm
and moved to Spencer, where for one year he carried on
general merchandising. After this he built the Moore
House, and under the name of Spencer House ran it for one
year. He also built the block known as the Post Office
Block, since which time he has farmed about four and one
half miles from Spencer. He now resides in Spencer.
He was for fifty four years an ordained minister of the
Baptist Church. The mother was a native of Owen County
and died December 17, 1871. Our subject was born in 
Spencer on December 10, 1855 where he obtained a good 
education and when nineteen years of age began learning
the tinner's trade with F. T. Batterton, of Spencer.
After three years apprenticeship, he worked at his trade
in Freedom for some time and then returned to Spencer,
where he followed his trade for another year.
In 1880, he went to Morgantown in Morgan County and 
worked for J. S. Coleman, a tinner. Thence he went to
Vincennes, where he was employed and remained until the
fall of the same year, when on account of poor health
he again returned to Spencer. In the following spring he
went to work for Mr. Batterton again, and in 1883 he 
purchased interest in the business, the firm name at
present being Batterton & Franklin. They are accomodating
and energetic hardward merchants and tinners, and in 
every way worthy of the patronage so liberally bestowed
upon them. Mr. Franklin was married in 1875 to Una S.
Hough, a native of Owen County. His is a member of the
Democratic Party.

DATA ENTRY: Debbie Jennings