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Franklin Township
Civil Organization
At the March sessions of the Court of Quarter Sessions in 1789, the petition of a number of inhabitants of the north end of Tyrone township was read, setting forth the difficulties they labor under from the extent of said township, and praying for the relief in the premises, when it was
"Ordered that it be recommended to his Excellency the President, and the Supreme Executive Council, to erect the north end of Tyrone township aforesaid into a separate township and district for the purpose of electing Justices of the Peace, to be recorded by the name of Franklin Township, and bounded as follows, viz.: Beginning on the Little Juniata River, at the line of Huntingdon Township [now Porter], thence up the same to the corner of Frankstown township at Logan Narrows, thence by the line of Frankstown township to the line of Northumberland County; thence by the same to the corner of Barree township; thence by the line of Barree to the line of Huntingdon township, and thence by the same to the place of beginning."
Warrior's Mark township was set off from Franklin January sessions, 1798, and by the formation of Centre County a part of the northern end was shorn off. Since the organization the principal officers have been as follows:
| Year | Overseers of the Poor | Constables | Supervisor of Roads |
| 1789 | Shadrach Tipton | ||
| 1790 | Alexander Stewart | Robert Stewart | John Smith |
| 1791 | Charles Montgomery, Robert McCartney | Abraham Sell | Thomas Kerr, George Meek |
| 1792 | Evan Lewis, Henry Nearhoof | Thomas Kerr | Robert Stewart, George Meek |
| 1793 | John Glenn, David Scott | John Mann | Thomas Weston, Henry Nearhoof |
| 1794 | Andrew Boyd, Charles Montgomery | James Dixon | Archibald Ramsey, George Mathorn |
| 1795 | David Lewis, Samuel Marshall | Daniel Pimpton | John McClure, Charles Montgomery |
| 1796 | John Nichol, Abraham Elder | Benjamin Johnston | James Hunter, Alexander Stewart |
| 1797 | Evan Lewis, James Gibson | Thomas Thompson | John Spanogle, David Lewis |
| 1798 | George Hinkle, John Tester | Charles Montgomery | John Spanogle, David Lewis |
| 1799 | Henry Nearhoof, John Borland | Jacob Truby | Leonard Hartline, Mordecai Massey |
| 1800 | James Armitage, John Glenn | Mordecai Massey | Jonathan Hartsock, John Evans |
| 1801 | Leonard Hastline | Robert McCartney, Alexander Ewing | |
| 1802 | William Ingram | S. Marshall, Evan Crane | |
| 1803 | James Hunter | Jacob Truby, John Bickel | |
| 1804 | John Stull | William Ingram, John Spanogle | |
| 1805 | Henry Coon | Jonathan Travis, John Spanogle | |
| 1806 | Henry Traver | David Elder, George Mathorn | |
| 1807 | John Stull | George Thompson, John Stonebreaker | |
| 1808 | William McClellan | John Gray, Thomas Montgomery | |
| 1809 | John Gray | John Foster, Henry Peck | |
| 1810 | Alexander Ewing | James Clark, Robert McCartney | |
| 1811 | David Elder | ||
| 1812 | John Nichol | ||
| 1813 | George Mathorn | John Nichol, Caleb Roller | |
| 1814 | Benjamin Law | James Borland, Jacob Mathorn | |
| 1815 | Benjamin Law | Edward B. Patton, Samuel Gray | |
| 1816 | Jacob Mathorn | Edward B. Patton, Samuel Gray | |
| 1817 | John Stonebraker | Leonard Hartline, George Beigle | |
| 1818 | John Kuhn | George Thompson, Jacob Beigle | |
| 1819 | Samuel W. Caldwell | John Stonebreaker, George Thompson | |
| 1820 | Isaac Hazlett | John Stonebreaker, John Stewart | |
| 1821 | Thomas Owens | James Clark, John Beigle | |
| 1822 | James Dysart | ||
| 1823 | John McFerrin | ||
| 1824 | Israel Evans | Thomas Ewing, Robert Moore | |
| 1825 | William Ingram | Charles Montgomery, Alexander Stewart | |
| 1826 | John H. Stonebraker | David Mattern, John McPherran | |
| Robert Elder, William Lytle, Jr. | |||
| 1827 | John H. Stonebraker | David Mattern, Davis Junkinger | |
| 1828 | John H. Stonebraker | Stephen Davis, John Stonebreaker | |
| 1829 | John H. Stonebraker | Adam Rumberger, Thomas Johnston | |
| 1830 | John H. Stonebraker | Adam Rumberger, Thomas Johnston | |
| 1831 | John H. Stonebraker | James Wilson, Richard Jones | |
| 1832 | John H. Stonebraker | Henry Crane, Joseph Dysart | |
| 1833 | David Garland | Thomas Montgomery, David Henderson | |
| 1834 | Joseph Tippery | William H. Beck, Thomas Taylor | |
| 1835 | William H. Beck, John Allen | ||
| 1836 | Joseph Wagner, John Allen | ||
| 1837 | John Mark, John H. Stonebreaker | ||
| 1838 | James Ewing, Hugh Seeds | ||
| 1839 | James Enyeart, James Travis | ||
| 1840 | John W. Mattern, Samuel McPherran | ||
| 1841 | Richard Jones, Christopher Getts | ||
| 1842 | John McCurdy, Daniel Weight | ||
| 1843 | J. S. Mattern, Anderson Henry | ||
| 1844 | Samuel Jones, J. H. Stonebreaker | ||
| 1845 | John H. Stonebreaker, Gardner M. Thompson | ||
| 1846 | John H. Stonebreaker, Joseph Travis | ||
| 1847 | John S. Isett, J. McWilliams | ||
| 1848 | John Conrad, James Oliver | ||
| 1849 | Christopher Wigton, Abraham Crane | ||
| 1850 | John L. Travis, John McPherran | ||
| 1851 | William Coleburn, Alexander Stewart | ||
| 1852 | David Henderson, John Wray | ||
| 1853 | George W. Mattern, Hugh Seeds | ||
| 1854 | Abraham Weight, James Ewing | ||
| 1855 | J. H. Stonebreaker, Abraham Crane | ||
| 1856 | William B. McWilliams, J. H. Stonebreaker | ||
| 1857 | John B. Thompson, John L. Travis | ||
| 1858 | John Keimer, G. M. Thompson | ||
| 1859 | David Henderson, Frederick Crissman | ||
| 1860 | James Oliver, Robert T. Henderson | ||
| 1861 | David C. Gates, Abraham Weight | ||
| 1862 | Samuel Sprankle, Daniel Conrad | ||
| 1863 | A. Crane, A. S. McPherran | ||
| 1864 | George W. Mattern, John Q. Adams | ||
| 1865 | John L. Travis, Washington Stewart | ||
| 1866 | George W. Reynolds, Abraham Weight | ||
| 1867 | Daniel Conrad, J. B. Thompson | ||
| 1868 | W. B. McWilliams, Samuel Thompson | ||
| 1869 | R. C. Ingram, John McPherran | ||
| 1870 | H. McMonigal, J. Fisher | ||
| 1871 | H. McMonigal, J. Fisher | ||
| 1872 | James Oliver, J. Q. Adams | ||
| 1873 | Abram Hight, John Archey | ||
| 1874 | Samuel Wigton, E. E. Boist | ||
| 1875 | G. W. Reynolds, Robert Henderson | ||
| 1876 | C. Miller, John Ebberts | ||
| 1877 | Andrew Oliver, William Wray | ||
| 1878 | A. Minnimer, James S. Mattern | ||
| 1879 | N. Minnimer, W. D. Ingram | ||
| 1880 | William B. McWilliams, W. S. Love | ||
| 1881 | W. S. Love, Thomas McWilliams, George Kryder |
A number of roads were located soon after the township was organized, and the highways
then opened have retained their essential features until the present. In 1810 the
road from Coleraine to the mouth of Spruce Creek was laid out, running over the hills.
Before this time the principal road out of the valley was from Marshall's mill to
the "Hook" thence over a spur of Tussey Mountain down the narrows to the Little
Juniata and the Shaver's Creek Valley. Later the main road from Coleraine was
located along the creek, and a turnpike built through the valley, which is yet maintained.
