FRANKLIN

franklin, a city of merrimack county, new hampshire, u.s.a., at the confluence of the pemigewasset and winnepesaukee rivers to form the merrimac; about 95 m. n.n.w. of boston. pop. (1890) 4085; (1900) 5846 (1323 foreign-born); (1910) 6132; area, about 14.4 sq. m. franklin is served by the concord division of the boston & maine railway, with a branch to bristol (13 m. n.w.) and another connecting at tilton (about 5 m. e.) with the white mountains division. it contains the villages of franklin, franklin falls, webster place and lake city, the last a summer resort. the rivers furnish good water power, which is used in the manufacture of a variety of commodities, including foundry products, paper and pulp, woollen goods, hosiery, saws, needles and knitting machines. the water-works are owned and operated by the municipality. here, in what was then a part of the town of salisbury, daniel webster was born, and on the webster farm is the new hampshire orphans' home, established in 1871. the town of franklin was formed in 1828 by the union of portions of salisbury, sanbornton, andover and northfield. the earliest settlement within its limits was made in 1748 in the portion taken from salisbury. franklin was incorporated as a city in 1895.