Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-04-06
Mills Machine SHOPS.

machine shops for the A. 4 6. W. Rail-
way are to be erected. Shortly after our
arrival at Franklin, we visited the site of
the shops, with a couple of gentlemen
connected with the Atlantic Company
We found a large number of laborers and
mechanics at work some getting stone
out of the splendid sandstone quarries
for which Franklin is noted, and which
are indeed immense a large force, with
teams, were engaged in grading, while
carpenters and stone masons were busily
preparing the materials for construction.
The buildings are all to be built Of hewn
blocks of stone. Several of them are par
TALLY up, and present a massive and i'm
posing appearance, grand enough for a
State House. The entire buildings of the
company, at this point, when completed,
will cover an area of eighteen acres, at an
estimated cost of halfa million of dollars.
Wedonot know ofany village in North
ern Ohio that has fairer prospects of rap
id growth and prosperity than Franklin.
1t is located in a fine agricultural region,
with a warm, sandy soil, and the Guy
shogo river affords very superior water
privileges for manufacturing purposes
A number of springs of excellent water,
rise in the surrounding hills, by which
the town can be easily and plentifully
supplied with running fountains of crys-
tai purity. A large and handsome five
story brick building, rooted with slate,
and well furnished otherwise, has been
erected for a cotton factory, and it is ex-
pected that operations will Don be com
menced in that line. Mr.. Marvin Kent,
to whose untiring enterprise and liberal
ity, franklin is indebted mainly for its
fine prospects, has sold his glass works to
a gentleman of Cleveland, who viii reft
them this season, and employ a large
number of workmen in carrying them on.
The Touring mills of Franklin have long
since earned a high reputation for thesu-
perior excellence of their "stsf of life."
The town has among its factories one of
those late modern inventions known as q
"shoddy" factory, where old clothes are
converted into new cloth and thence into
cheap clothing
At Franklin are also several places of
historical and traditional interest. Here
stands the building erected in 1888, by
"Old John Brown" for a boarding house,
but which like some other of "Ossawst-
tamie's" plans, miscarried for the time
being, but the house has just been reftted
and is used for the identical purpose for
which Brown designed it. Mr.. Hathaway,
of Bazetta, has this spring opened it as an
extensive boarding house. So that 'old
Johns" plan, like his unterriiable soul,
is marching on"
Ore of the timbers was recently taken
from the building and converted into
"Ossawsttomie Walking Sticks"
Those interested in Indian and pioneer
adventures can here see the place where
was made the famous "Brady's leap"
across the cuyshoga, which so astonished
the Indian pursuers of the old hunter
The distance of the leap was % feet. Not
far from franklin is Brady's Lake, where
he hid from the Indians. A short dis
lance up the river is Council Rock"
where the Sschems of the Red Man were
wont to assemble and DISCUSS grave mat
tiers of State.
We found Franklin quite 8 pleasant
place to spend a few hours. Its surround.
ing scenery is very picturesque, and in
the season when nature is robed in her
glory, a painter might no doubt find
scenes well worthy his pencil. Soon il
will have passed the degree of a little
quiet country village. The machine and
work shops of the company, in which il
is intended all or a great part of the
rolling stock of the road will be built, in.
Guiding locomotives, passenger and
freight cars, and everything else necessa'
rily belonging to the working machinery
OF the road, will require an immense
number of workmen, which will add sew.
eral thousands to the population of the
place. The cotton factory will add its
hundreds of operatives. The glass works
will require a large number of Workmen
Indeed we do not much doubt that in 6
few years Franklin, Tor "Kent City,
will have a population of five to ten
thousand.