Peter Franks
Peter Franks, son of Jacob Franks, was born in Fayette County, Penn., May 21, 1797. His great-grandfather, Michael Franks, emigrated from Eilsen, Germany, with his wife and four children, Jacob, Michael, Catherine and Henry (the last of whom died on the voyage), and settled in Fayette County, Penn., after a brief residence in Baltimore, Md. They are all now deceased. Michael Franks, with other trustees, took up a tract of 145 acres of land, which they presented to the church of which he was a member, and it is still owned and used for church purposes. The trustees were Everly, Ballinger, Mason, and Michael Franks, to whom it is proposed to erect a monument, and toward which Peter Franks has voluntarily offered to make a very liberal gift. Jacob, son of Michael and grandfather of Peter, married Barbara Bradenberg, and lived and died in Pennsylvania. Their children were George, Jacob, Elizabeth, Catherine, Michael, Conrad and Sarah, all now deceased. Jacob, father of the subject of this memoir, was born in Pennsylvania, and married Sarah Livingood, of Fayette County, Penn., where they lived and died. Their children were Elizabeth, Christina, Jonathan, Sarah, Peter, Reason, Catherine, Solomon and Nancy, all now deceased except Peter. Several of the family lived to extreme old age, one dying when ninety-six years old, another when past ninety-two, and Peter is now ninety-two. Peter married Julia Ann Fletcher, of Fayette County, Penn., in 1819, and located on the farm he now owns, in Salt Creek Township, Wayne Co., Ohio, in 1820, in which year he took up the land from the Government and paid the first tax. (He came there, however, in 1816). Their children were William (deceased), Sarah (deceased), Naomi, Jacob, Manoah, Thomas F., Samantha, Solomon and Lemuel (deceased).
Mr. Franks came here when the country was in a wilderness, took up 170 1/2 acres of land, and assisted at the raising of a barn in 1816, he being the only one now living who was present at that time. He has been trustee of his township, assessor for a period of eight years, and has the respect and confidence of the community where he resides. Mrs. Franks died May 7, 1871. She was a member of the Methodist Church. Politically Mr. Franks is a Democrat.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889