Franklin County CourthouseCounty Seat: Mount VernonCounty Population: 10,367

The Franklin County Courthouse was built in 1912 in a Neo-Classical Revival style as designed by L.L. Thurmon of Dallas. Unique features include large, porticoed entrances with prominent Doric columns and a four-sided, domed clock tower.
Franklin County, carved from Titus County, was organized in 1875. Three communities vied for the county seat with each one stating how much money and land they would supply for a new courthouse.
In his book “Historic Texas Courthouses,” Michael Andrews describes the spirited contest:
A few days before the election, heavy spring rains flooded the creeks and river crossings making turnout critical. Supporters of Mount Vernon took no chances and quickly built a boat to ferry their registered voters to the polling places. More importantly, Mount Vernon supporters staged horse races on Election Day, assuring that most men and boys of voting age would come to town regardless of the high water. Some prospective voters swam the swollen creeks to get to the race track. Mount Vernon won by a large majority.
Franklin County with its narrow, north-south configuration is the eighth-smallest county in Texas. The Cherokee Trace is on the eastern boundary and is intersected by the Choctaw Trail. With the well-traveled Indian routes passing through the county, there is good reason to believe that the remnants of the LaSalle party passed through the county as they tried to reach French Canada in the late 1600s.
More than 30 signs throughout the county mark the routes of early roads and Indian trails. The local historical association maintains more than 60 signs marking pre-World War I homes, and another 20 official state historic markers designate historic sites.
A wealth of special attractions and features help display the uniqueness of Franklin County including the Franklin County Museum. Housed in the old 1940, WPA-financed fire station, exhibits include nature history displays of butterflies, bird eggs, violins, toys, seashells, antique tools, wood carvings, and Indian artifacts. In fact, the Franklin County Museum is one of only 13 museums holding eggs of the extinct Carolina Parokeet, Heath Hen, and the Passenger Pigeon. Other tourist features include:
home-turned-museum of the tallest soldier in the Civil War, Henry Clay Thruston, who stood 7 feet, 7