Franklin, Virginia

Here are some things I have learned about Sister Poulsen's new area:
It is surprisingly similar to Rocky Mount, NC.  It is a smallish town with a beautiuful downtown district that is next to a railroad depot.  There was a large paper mill that was shut down within the last 10 years.  This caused many local jobs to be lost.    What makes this town different is that it is next to a river, The Blackwater and this river flooded the town in 1999 as an aftermath of a hurricane. There is a 22foot high water mark monument in the downtown area marking the difficult event.  Something else that makes it different to her last area is that it still has a vibrant farm community and is one of the most prosperous agricultural communities in the state of VA.
She will just miss the Franklin Downtown Fall Festival that was held this past week.  But it looks like it showcases the wonderful community feel of this place that will be very welcoming and familiar to Sister Poulsen. This will be another wonderful place for our girl's continued adventure!

Quick facts:
Franklin is an independent city in Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,582. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton County for statistical purposes.
Zip code:23851
Population:8,638 (2013)
Area code:757
Wikipedia

Main Street:

"Take a leisurely walk down Franklin’s Main Street and you’ll find everything from classic treasures to country charm. Antiques, collectibles, fashions, flowers, furniture, jewelry, music, men's clothing and more line one of the quaintest streets in the area. Be sure to drop by restaurants like Fred’s or Pam’s Tea Room for a rest and scrumptious lunch.
Friendly, personal service in a beautiful little city is what you’ll find in Franklin."
City of Franklin , Virginia Website www.franklinva.com


 History
In 1862, the American Civil War came to Franklin, in what was referred to as the Joint Expedition Against Franklin. As several United States Navy Flag steamships, led by the USS Commodore Perry, tried to pass through Franklin on the Blackwater River, a band of local Confederates opened fire on the ships. As stated by an officer aboard one of the ships, "The fighting was the same—Here and there high banks with dense foliage, a narrow and very crooked stream, with frequent heavy firing of musketry."[6]

In all, the battle yielded five naval casualties killed in action and 16 wounded. As the naval vessels retreated, the Confederates tried to block the narrow Blackwater River by felling large trees across the width. In the end, the Confederate attempts failed as no soldiers were captured and no ships were lost.

Demographics:

The racial makeup of the city was 39.4% White, 56.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,384 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93.

 For every 100 females there were 79.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,687, and the median income for a family was $40,299.  About 16.8% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

LDS Church: Franklin Ward meets at 10am on Sundays.
of the Chesapeake Virginia Stake.