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History of Franklin Park Borough
Originally named Franklin Township in honor of colonial statesman Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Park was settled around 1800 by Revolutionary War veterans and others whose descendents still live in our community. In 1823, what is now Franklin Park, Marshall and Bradford Woods was named Franklin Township and seceded from Ohio Township. Forty years later, Marshall seceded from Franklin and in 1915, Bradford Woods left Marshall. It was not until 1961 that Franklin Township became the Borough of Franklin Park.
Throughout most of its history, Franklin was a rural community without a village, town or business district. Scattered among family farms were one-room schools, churches and a sprinkling of country stores and blacksmith shops. There was a short lived oil and gas boom in the early 20th century.
Post-World War II population growth brought the creation of sub-divisions and the North Allegheny School District. Recently built I-79 and I-279 through the borough continue to contribute to the community’s growth. Located about twelve miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Franklin Park is today a thriving suburban community with over 13,000 residents. Predominantly residential, it is home to fourteen churches, a municipal golf course, four parks, two schools and is a charter sponsor of Northland Public Library.
Links to Historical Information about Franklin Park Borough
Franklin Park Stories
- Blue Laws
- Blueberry Hill Has History
- Field Club Estates – “How a Texan’s Love of Golf Helped Create Franklin Park”
- Robert G. Woodside and the Stone Mansion
- Oil and Gas Stories
- Crime Stories – part 1
- Crime Stories – part 2
- Harmony Line Trolleys
- Synthesis: From an interview with and the writings of George R. Purifoy, Jr.
- Ingomar Manor – “…a marvelous place in which to grow up…”
- Old Cemeteries Filled with Art and Verse
Links to Historical Maps of Franklin Park
- 1850 Map of Allegheny County through Historic Pittsburgh
- Warrantee atlas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1914 – Plate no. 37 – Franklin Township
- USGS Topographic map, 1908 edition, reprinted in 1944, Pennsylvania – Sewickley Quadrangle
Newspaper Articles
- September 24, 1838 Affidavit of James Wakefield, of Franklin township, Allegheny County
- June 14, 1937 Ingomar Church Acquires Organ Once Heard by Guests of Mellons
- January 21, 1961 Boro Status is requested by Franklin Township
- July 13, 2000 Soergel Family has Spent 150 years down on the farm in Wexford
- December 15, 2004 Council Seeks Role in Cabin Expenditures
- December 21, 2004 Council Approves Foundation Support of Jones-Neely House
Franklin Park Oral Histories
Northland has a collection of oral history binders available for reference use at the library. From 2001-2002 interviews were conducted with some of the long-time residents of Franklin Park. Most of the binders contain the taped interviews, transcripts of the interviews and some accompanying materials.
Oral Histories are available for:
- Penny Fifer (and Barbara Fifer Kurylo) – Listen here
- Barbara Fifer Kurylo – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Bertha Skiles Fiscus – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Glen Ford, Bellwood Dairy Farm – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Chester Frazier (and Shirley Eberhardt Frazier) – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Shirley Eberhardt Frazier – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Paul Hague, World War II Veteran – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two, side one here; Listen to tape two, side two here; Listen to tape three, side one here; Listen to tape three, side two here.
- Henning Family, World War II Veterans
- Sally Watenpool Heuton
- Margaret “Peg” Trimble Lees – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two here
- Letha Skiles Makray – Listen here
- Catherine Gruber McLaughlin
- Katherine Gross Miller – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Mary Pegher Richwalls – Listen here
- Bessie Neely Sarver
- Herbert Sarver – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two, side one here; Listen to tape two, side two here
- Zelda Mohr Sarver (and Birdie Sarver Steele) – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Birdie Sarver Steele – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two here
- Herb and Pat Scott – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Violet King Smith
- Charles Soergel – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two here
- Charles Thoerner – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two, side one here; Listen to tape two, side two here; Listen to tape three, side one here; Listen to tape three, side two here; Listen to tape four, side one here; Listen to tape four, side two here
- Dorothy Schenk Van Der Voort
- Joe Watenpool
- Olive Virginia Wightman – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two here
- Mary “Mae” Wiskeman – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- John “Jack” Wiskeman – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two, side one here; Listen to tape two, side two here
- Louis Wolf, World War II Veteran – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- Jean King Wolff – Listen here
- Charles Wilson Grubbs – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
- William “Bill” Hoffman 2001 – Listen to tape one, side one here; Listen to tape one, side two here; Listen to tape two, side one here; Listen to tape two, side two here
- William “Bill” Hoffman 2005 – Listen to side one here; Listen to side two here
