The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-04-20
Franklin Mills Machine Shops.

On Friday afternoon last we took the Atlantic
train for Franklin Mills, Portage county the
point where the principle machine shops for
tie A. &. G. ". Railroad are to erected
Shortly after our arrival at franklin we Wis
tied the site for the shops, with a couple OF
gentlemen connec;ed with the Atlantic Com
pany. We found a large number of lahore
and mechanics at work some getting stone
out of the splendid sand stone quaries for
which franklin is noted, AID which indeed
are immense a large force with teams were
cDgageq in grading, while carpenters and stone
masons were very busily preparing the mate
rials for construction. The buildings are all
to be built of hewu blocks of stone. Several
of them are partially up, and present a mas
sive and imposing appearance, grand enough
Tor a State House. The entire buildings of
The company at this point, when completed,
will cover an acre of eighteen acres, at an es-
timated cost of half a million of dollars.
We do not know of any village in North
ern Ohio that has iairer prospects of rapid
growth and prosperity than Franklin. 1t is
located in ii fine agricultural region, with a
warm, sandy soil, and the cuyahogi river af
fvrds very superior water privileges for man
uiactoring u'pnscs. A number of springs
of excellent water rise in the surrounding
hills, by which the town can easily and cheap
ly be supplied with running fountains OF crys-
tai purity A Iarg and handsome five soy
brick building, routed with slate, and other
wise hand. o ally finished; has been erected
for a cotton factory. and it is expected that
operations will soon be commenced in that
line. Mr. Marvin Kent, to whose untiring
enterprise and liberality Franklin IS indebted
mainly for its fine prospects, has sold his glass
works 10 a gentleman in Cleveland, who will
reft them this season and employ a large
number of wcrkn.cn in ca~rryingthem on. The
Touring mills Of Franklin have long since
earned a high reputation for the superior cz-
cellence of their '-staff Of live" The ,toyn.
Las among its factories one of those late mod
crn inventions known as a 'shoddy" factory,
where old Ct, thes are converted into new
cloth aul thence into cheap clothing.
Those interested in Indian and pioneer ad-
ventures can mere sec the place who're was
made the famous "Drady's leap" across the
Cuyahoga, which so astonishcd the Indian
ruisuers Of the old hunter. The distance of
the leap was % feet. Not far from Franklin
is Brandy's Lake, where he hid from the In
dams. a short distance up the river lis
Council Rock" where the Sachems Of the
Red Man were wont 10 ASSEMBLE and discuss
grave matters .of State.
We found Franklin quite q pleasant place
to spend a Few hours. 1t surrounding scenery
is very listuresque, ard in the season
when nature is lobed in her glory, . painter
might no doubt fiD6 scenes well worthy his
pencil. Soon it will have passed the degree
of a little country village. The machine and
work shops of the company, in which it is in
tended all or ] great part of the rolling stock
Of the road will be built, including locomo-
tives, passenger and faeight cars, and every
thing else necessarily belongin to the work
ing machinery of the road, will require an i'm
ncnse number of worklmen, which will add its
of operatives. The glass works will
a large number of workmen. Indeed
We do not much doubt that in a few years
Cor "Kent City.') will have a popu
Iation of foum five to ten thousand Warren
.ronicic