The Reporter published a two-part series on Franklin in May 2011. When we were interviewing the people who had grown up in Franklin, it came up every time.” Franklin: Ghost Tours, Gem Mines and Scenic Smoky Mountains In the heart of the Nantahala National Forest is the North Carolina mountain town of Franklin. In Franklin, they made enough money to buy a home, to buy property, send their kids to school. “As a farmer in Italy or Slovenia, there was no opportunities for advancement. “Immigrants coming to America came here for opportunities,” he explained. The other issue Mason plans to discuss more is the opportunities the immigrants had when they came to Franklin. When the strike ended they kept all the blacks. About 0.6 miles in you will find the mine shaft that has a grate covering it and railing around it. From the trailhead parking lot, there are three trails. This hike is mostly uphill to the ghost town, so be prepared for a consistent, gentle incline.
Note that the falls trail is on private property and there is a fee to use it. There are also signs pointing left to the cemetery. The Franklin Ghost Town Trail is a fun adventure that can be combined with a hike to a nearby waterfall and river. Around 0.3 miles in there is a mine cart that says 'Franklin' on it. There wasn’t a black doctor and a white doctor. The hike begins at a yellow gate near the open field where you can park, and it continues up the wide gravel road. “No where else in America would you find black kids going to school with white kids,” he said. Mason added that there was no racial segregation in Franklin while there was in most cities in America at the time.
“There was some friction, but it wasn’t company sponsored, it wasn’t union sponsored. Yet, the racial tensions settled quickly afterwards, according to Mason. They went to the mines where fences had been placed around it to keep the striking miners out.Ī conflict occurred as a result in July, in which two men were killed, and the National Guard had to be brought in to restore order. Then though town cemetery, to the forest road, turned left to see the suspension bridge over the Green river, unfortunately the bridge is closed. When the black miners arrived in Franklin they were greeted by company men who handed them all firearms and told that there were violent Indians in the region. Franklin Ghost Town Hiked along the Green river gorge to Franklin town. But one of the most interesting ethnic groups in Franklin were African Americans who were hired by the coal company in 1891 to break a union strike.