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Post, Franklin’s Social Fabric Remains Intact
Just two weeks after the Franklin Trading Post was destroyed by fire
blamed on lightning, those who live in Franklin still refer to the
town’s loss as “devastating.”
Granted, mornings aren’t the same without coffee at the
now-demolished Franklin Trading Post, but one of the Franklin
Volunteer Fire Department’s pancake breakfasts drew many of the
same crowd last Saturday. Turning out for what was part of
Franklin’s Horseshoe Crab Festival were, from top right,
clockwise, Bruce Carter, Alice Carter, Mary Townley, Charlie
Marshall, Mary Marshall and Teddy Giles. |
Those who counted
on the general store for quick groceries or coffee and conversation
in the morning miss it mightily.
The Trading Post as
a treasured town landmark will be back, as owner Tim Benson plans to
rebuild a 3,500-square-foot building on the site along Route 182.
But its temporary
absence has
Franklin
residents pausing to realize that the town has quite a few enduring
social connections in place, Trading Post or not.
There is the
200-member Franklin Veteran’s Club (see story on this page). Like
the 25-year-old Trading Post, the Veteran’s Club is one of the newer
entries among Franklin’s possibilities of places to go.
The real pillars of
Franklin’s
social network are the churches, one Baptist (from 1824) and one
Methodist (from 1852).
There is also the
Schoodic Grange, dating from 1903. Strongest in the 1930s, it has
been revitalized nicely and still serves as a community center-point
with an array of bean suppers in summer.
There is also the
Women’s Club, which has taken over the Franklin Library as its
meeting point and pet project.
For older residents
who are fond of shared memories, the Franklin Historical Society
works hard to keep an eye on the town’s proud past.
“Our historical
society is very active with summer speakers,” said Bruce Carter,
lifelong resident and first selectman. “It is the spine, the
backbone, of our small town.”
As for the town’s
younger people, they have both Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to
join.
Clearly, there is
something for every one of Franklin’s near-1,400 residents.
Not surprisingly,
that number more than doubles on a good-weather day at the height of
summer, when seasonal residents and visitors will pack the ponds.
But you won’t see
many of them because they are tucked away at their camps at
Donnell’s, George’s, Abrams and Great and Little ponds. Carter notes
that there are 350 cottages and camps on the water in the woods.
Those who don’t
know about life on the lakes here may think of Franklin as a quiet
place that offers little but nice views of bays and forests.
Hearing that one
too many times about a dozen years ago, Carter and some friends came
up with a list of “50 things you can do in Franklin.”
The 50th item on
the list, Carter recalls, is: “Go find a native and talk to him.”
“We don’t bite,”
Carter says today.
Indeed, they are
Franklin-friendly. |
