Stone quarries are found on sections 23, 25 and 26, and on the east half of section 32, and the west half of 33. A good one is on the west side of Skunk river, and on the southwest quarter of southwest quarter of section 13, township 84, range 24. The rock is of good quality. Luther branch of Squaw Creek (now called, by some, Clear Creek,) enters Franklin Township on the west line of section 31, but crosses the south line of 31 east of the southwest corner and passes to a point near the south quarter section corner of 31; then it passes southeasterly through section 6, and easterly through section 5, and northeasterly through the northwest quarter of section 4 township 83, range 24, and empties into Squaw forty or fifty rods north of the south quarter section corner of section 33, township 84, range 24.
Luther Branch is the original name of this creek, and the grove through which it passes was called "Luther Grove." All this grove is in Washington Township; and so is nearly all of Luther Creek. There is a Clear Creek in the southeastern part of the county which will be noticed in Collins Township.
Bible Creek got its name from the circumstance of a book pedlar having left his buggy, loaded with books and Bibles, in a snow drift which proved, when the snow melted, to be in this stream. It was called Bible Creek from that occurrence. This creek empties into Skunk river near the center of the southwest quarter of section 23, township 84, range 24, passing through sections 10, 15 and 14.
The school houses are not all in their territorial limits, caused mainly by the interference of Skunk River. There are five church buildings in Franklin Township, viz: At Gilbert, two churches,one a Cumberland Presbyterian, the other a Congregationalist, the latter has thirty members. The buildings look very well.
Ontario has two churches—one a Christian Church, the other a Methodist Episcopal Church, a brick building. Bloomington has a Methodist Episcopal Church building but no organization just now.
There are several cemeteries in Franklin Township. One is in the northeast corner of the soutneast quarter of section 4; and one in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 1; and one in the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 13, and one in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 36, township 84, range 24. (See "Cemeteries" Index.)
First settlers of Franklin Township were among the following, viz: John H. Keigley, A. Hipsher, I. Cotton, Wm. McMichael, Adam Grove, Joshua B. Grove, Robt. M. Hunter, Frank C. Hunter, Henry BARNES, Sam J. Hiestand, T. F. Jones, W. J. Freed, Henry Clay Cameron, Fred Eckard, James Briley, Ira Briley, Elisha Briley, E. C. Evans, W. D. Evans, Otho French, Frank Thompson, Eli H. French, John Zenor, P. R. Craig, John Miller, Rev.