Romulous Gibson Grave Stone, Part of Green River Gorge Photography Exhibit that will be on display at the Black Diamond Museum on March 4th before the tour.
Join the Black Diamond Historical Society. They are conducting the final tour of the year of the former coal mining town of Franklin.
Saturday, March 4 at 12:00 P.M.
Franklin was a company-owned coal mining town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town site was nestled alongside the Green River Gorge and has many cement foundations, a 1,300-foot coal mine shaft, cemetery, and other reminders of what it was like when coal was king in the King County area.
Walking through the old historic Franklin Townsite is like a treasure hunt. Out of the tangle of ferns, salal, vine maple, and Cedar old building foundations reveal themselves. Old pieces of cable and rock filled mine shafts catch the corner of your eye. At the old historic cemetery grave stones mark another time, of people, who pioneered this once bustling coal mining town. Names like Romulas, Standridge, Farro, Johnson, and Hanson mark the gravestones. Immigrants of different European descent. Their descendants, some scattered to the wind and some still carrying on the lineage locally in the town of Black Diamond and surrounding countryside.
For more information you can visit:
Black Diamond Facebook Event Page
If you’re unfamiliar with the town’s history, check out Franklin: Everything You Always Wanted to Know, at http://wp.me/pDbRj-hV.
If you wish to go on the tour:
12 p.m.: Meet at the Black Diamond Museum. You may park in the Eagles parking lot. Fill out the Hold Harmless Agreement and drop your donation in the container at the front desk.
12:15 – 12:30 p.m.: Attend the orientation in the museum auditorium. Receive a map of Franklin and pictures related to the tour.
12:30 p.m.: Drive your vehicle, caravan-style, to the Franklin town site.
12:45 p.m.: Meet Tour Director Don Mason. Be prepared for a rugged 1½-mile hike on rough terrain.
Enjoy the foliage, hear the river, see the sites, and hear the Franklin stories that Don Mason and others will share with the group about this ghost town.
We would appreciate a $5 donation for each attendee except for minors, seniors, BDHS members, and veterans.
Wear hiking boots and clothing suitable for the weather.
Check with your doctor for clearance to engage in strenuous activity.
Have a good time.