Lawson D. Franklin (January 19, 1804 – April 8, 1861) was an American planter, slave trader and businessman in the antebellum South. He was the first millionaire in Tennessee.
Lawson D. Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 19, 1804 |
| Died | April 8, 1861 |
| Occupation | Planter |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3 sons, 3 daughters |
| Parent(s) | Owen Franklin Elizabeth Roper |
| Relatives | William Allen Montgomery (son-in-law) |
Early life
editLawson D. Franklin was born on January 19, 1804,[1] the son of Owen Franklin and Elizabeth "Betsy" Franklin (née Roper).[2] On his paternal side, he was a descendant of one of Benjamin Franklin's brothers.[3]
Career
editFranklin was a large landowner and businessman.[1] He traded animals and black slaves.[1][4] He funded the Bank of East Tennessee,[4] a bank based in Rogersville, Tennessee.[1]
Franklin became the first millionaire in Tennessee.[4]
Personal life
editFranklin married Elizabeth Rogers (1809–1846). They had three sons, Isaac W. Rodgers (1827–1866), Robert O. Franklin and Lawson D. Franklin (1841–1847), and three daughters, Elizabeth Caroline (1831–1909), Jane June and Louisa. He married a second time to Catherine Smith.
Franklin resided at the Lawson D. Franklin House in White Pine, Tennessee.[1] He built Fairfax in White Pine for his son Isaac, and Bleak House in Knoxville, Tennessee for his daughter Louisa.[1]
Death
editFranklin died on April 8, 1861.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Finding Aid for the Lawson D. Franklin Papers MS.0780". Special Collections Online. University of Tennessee Libraries. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ^ "Lawson D. Franklin". genealytreemaker. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
- ^ "Fairfax: Old South Reborn". The Kingsport News. Kingsport, Tennessee. August 4, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved November 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Stewart, Bruce (2012). Blood in the Hills: A History of Violence in Appalachia. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. pp. 178–179. ISBN 9780813134277. OCLC 724674678.
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