Franklin Memories has been long in the making. It originated as a digital archive back in 2013, when it contained over 600 historical photographs from 1860-1940, as well as several interviews I had conducted with the town’s residents. As life happened and the website was less frequently updated, the project was put on hold.
After doing my family history research on and off for the past decade or so, I realized that I needed a place where my family could easily access and explore the stories I was finding. It’s one thing to explain your research, but to provide a space where your family can actually explore their history? It was time to finally revitalize Franklin Memories.
This latest evolution of the site focuses on the histories of the African American families who lived in or had some connection to Franklin, North Carolina and its surrounding areas. Most, if not all, of these individuals are connected to my family and I.