Sun.  Nov. 3 – As Goes Franklin...a look at Franklin’s voting habits over the last 140 years…

Keyed up about the election? Learn about how and why Franklin has voted for presidents going back to the time of the Civil War!  Local history educator, Jayson Joyce, has been delving into archives and histories to learn about Franklin’s voting habits going back to the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln (yes, he carried Franklin), with lots of other interesting bits about how the town has voted right up to the 2020 election. Also look for some other bits of museum ephemera and visuals relating to our political past, on exhibit until Thanksgiving...Museum is open 1-4 with the presentation starting at 1:15.  The event is Free.

Sat. Nov 9 and Sun. Nov 10 – RECYCLE YOUR POLITICAL SIGNS!

With the election over, unclutter your property and your town and bring your corrugated plastic signs to the museum for recycling. Neither the town’s transfer station nor the curbside recycling program can take the type of plastic used in these signs. But our volunteers will! Just stop by the museum during open hours, Sat 10-1 (with coffee and cookies while they last) and Sunday 1-4, and stack you signs neatly on our front steps. Please, if possible, separate metal legs and pile them separately!  There is no fee for this service. AND while you are at the museum, consider taking a look at some of the displays showing how Franklin has voted over the last 150 years in its presidential elections. Questions? Call Historical Commission Chair Alan Earls (508) 560-3786 or email [email protected].

Sun. Nov 10--Second Sunday Speaker Series: The Story of the Boston Floating Hospital

Franklin’s own John Kulig, MD MPH, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, will share the remarkable story of the “Boston Floating Hospital,” which literally took its first trip around the harbor back in 1894, providing fresh air and medical care to poor, sick children. That beginning eventually led to an onshore hospital and remarkable research, including the development of life-saving ‘formula’ for children unable to get mother’s milk. Through research, ingenuity, and attention to the needs of ailing children and their families, the hospital grew into a scientific leader, pioneering pediatric medicine. Kulig not only practiced at “Floating” he also was involved in the effort to write the history of the institution, which benefited not only Boston but many, many Franklin area children, over the years.

Sun. Nov. 17  “Third Sunday” Music at the Museum program features Greenwich Bay Brass

The Greenwich Bay Brass has been together since 2006. It is an all- volunteer, British style brass ensemble with unique instrumentation. Based in Rhode Island, the GBB has made numerous appearances around the state including concerts at First Lutheran Church in East Greenwich, the Barrington Congregational Church, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Providence, and outdoor appearances at Hearthside House in Lincoln, and Wilcox Park in Westerly. Additionally, the ensemble has traveled to Massachusetts and Maine, with a concert at the historic Union Church in South Carver, MA and a joint concert together with the Salvation Army Brass Band in Old Orchard Beach, ME. The museum opens at 1 and the program will start at about 1:15. The event is FREE, but donations are always welcomed.

`CINEMA 80’

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6 p.m. The program is free, but donations are encouraged.  The lineup for October includes:

• 11/2, City Lights – The often-comic misadventures of Chaplin’s Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl. Considered by many to be Chaplin’s greatest film.

• 11/9, The Big Parade – With a showing timed for proximity to Veteran’s Day, The Big Parade a 1925 American drama has been praised as one of the best and most realistic films about World War I. 

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. The museum will be closed Independence Day weekend, July 6 and 7.

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at (508) 560-3786.   

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com