Junto Society Founder of the Month

Other men may have reached a higher level of popularity in America’s history than Benjamin Franklin, but none have had such tremendous influence on the American way of life. Throughout the annals of history, few names live on to such a status of greatness as the name of the American Sage, Benjamin Franklin. Not only did Franklin achieve that level, but he did so by rising from commonality. That a child, born into poverty and uneducated, could rise to such nobility, set a precedent for what would become, the American dream. Benjamin Franklin set a standard of excellence for this great young nation. A standard desired by all, achieved by few, and passed on, from one generation of Americans to the next.

In the early 1680’s to escape persecution against the puritans by Charles II, Josiah Franklin brought his wife and 3 children to the colonies and settled in the town of Boston. A few years later, Josiah Franklin’s first wife died during the birth of her seventh child. The elder Franklin then married Abiah Folger of Nantucket, the daughter of an indentured servant, who bore Franklin another 10 children. The youngest of the male children being Benjamin, named after his uncle who had remained in England. Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin would proudly profess to be the youngest son of the youngest son for five generations.

Josiah Franklin was a dyer by trade, but could not find work sufficient to support his family in the new country, so he took up the crafts of soap and candle making. He was to continue in these crafts the remainder of his life.

Benjamin’s education was spurred on by his namesake. His uncle Benjamin had married and had 10 children. His wife and nine of the children had died, the 10th child, Samuel, had left him for New England. The lonely old man took a special interest in his nephew and began collecting political pamphlets, hand written sermons, poetry and such, and sending them to his young nephew. Benjamin Franklin would later write in his autobiography that he could not remember a time

I was born in the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts. It was named after him during his lifetime when the farmers of southern Wrentham split off from Wrentham and formed their own town. Originally they were going to call their town Exeter, but settled instead on Franklin.

There was an ulterior motive. In those days, the center of civic life was the church building. Services were held there, but since it was the only building large enough to hold the whole town, it was the meeting point for civic assemblies and the rallying point in case of Indian attack, fire, and other emergencies. And the days before electronics, the only way to call everyone together for services, or rally them as needed, or to tell everyone when it was noon was to ring the church bell.

But church bells were expensive. So, they named the town "Franklin". Then they wrote the great man a letter letting him know about the great honor they had done him, and asked if he could donate a church bell. However, Franklin had his own idea. "Sense being preferable to Sound", he sent not a church bell but a case of books to the Franklin farmers, and suggested that they be made available to the public.

They were. They still are. If you walk into the main door of the oldest public lending library in the United States of America (1792), in Franklin, Massachusetts, you'll see a glass case with Dr. Franklin's original books in it. And if you can give the librarian good reason, you can put on a pair of cotton gloves and examine them. I spent a good amout of time in that library, whose grounds and buildings were well-funded first by some prominent citizens who donated money and are now tax-supported, and earned my first Boy Scout Merit Badge there (Reading). There are 3 public schools and a private junior college within walking distance.

Josiah Franklin’s first wife died during the birth of her seventh child. The elder Franklin then married Abiah Folger of Nantucket, the daughter of an indentured servant, who bore Franklin another 10 children. Josiah Franklin was a dyer by trade, but could not find work sufficient to support his family in the new country.

I doubt he could find work to support 17 children in ANY country!

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