Franklin is a city in
Merrimack County,
New Hampshire,
United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 8,405, the lowest of any of New Hampshire's 13 cities. Franklin includes the village of West Franklin.
History
Situated at the junction of the
Pemigewasset and
Winnipesaukee rivers to form the
Merrimack River, the town was settled in 1764 and originally known as
Pemigewasset Village. It was taken from portions of
Salisbury,
Andover,
Sanbornton and
Northfield. The name
Franklin was adopted in 1820 in honor of
Benjamin Franklin.
Water power from the falls helped it develop as a
mill town. It would incorporate as a town in 1828, and then as a city in 1895. More recently, Franklin has been experiencing a renaissance, as commuters from
Concord discover the city's quality of life and affordable housing.
Daniel Webster birthplace c. 1910
was born here in a section then part of Salisbury. There is a historic site located off
Route 127 that preserves the famous
orator's childhood home. In 1943, the
Army Corps of Engineers created the Franklin Falls Reservoir above Franklin by constructing the Franklin Falls Dam for
flood control on the Pemigewasset River.
Notable inhabitants
Geography
Franklin is located at (43.446956, -71.656966).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water, comprising 5.45% of the town. It is drained by the Winnipesaukee, Pemigewasset and Merrimack rivers.
Webster Lake is in the north. The highest point in Franklin is an unnamed summit near the northwestern corner of the city limits, where the elevation reaches approximately above
sea level. Franklin lies fully within the
Merrimack River watershed.
Demographics
Central Street in 1912
As of the
census of 2000, there were 8,405 people, 3,319 households, and 2,193 families residing in the city. The
population density was 304.9 people per square mile (117.7/km²). There were 3,676 housing units at an average density of 133.4/sq mi (51.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.10%
White, 0.38%
African American, 0.27%
Native American, 0.51%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.35% from
other races, and 1.38% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.
There were 3,319 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were
married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95.
High School c. 1910
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,613, and the median income for a family was $41,698. Males had a median income of $32,318 versus $25,062 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $17,155. About 8.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of Interest
