HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes,
Lewis Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, Vol. II,
pp. 634-35.    [Daviess County]

EDWARD T. FRANKS--The initiative and constructive ability of Mr. Franks has
been manifested along divergent lines, and in each association he has
shown the maturity of his powers, which has given him indubitable prestige
is a lawyer, public official, financier and director of political forces.
He is now giving the major part of his time and attention to the executive
duties devolving upon him as president of the United States National Bank
of Owensboro and he has gained recognition also as one of the able members
of the bar of his native state and as a leader in the councils of the
Republican party within the borders of Kentucky.
     Edward T. Franks was born on the old homestead farm of his father in
Crittenden county, Kentucky, on the 1st of December, 1863, and is a son of
John M. and Nancy Margaret (Moore) Franks, the former of whom was born near
Carthage, Smith county, Tennessee, in March 1822, and the latter of whom
was born in North Carolina, in the year 1828.  The father died in 1883 and
the mother was summoned to the life eternal in 1885.  They became the
parents of ten children, of whom nine were reared to years of maturity and
still survive the honored parents, namely: Robert M., Jesse J., David H.,
Jane Ann, John T., Edward T., William B. (deceased), Helen E., Nannie, and
Addie E.  John M. Franks' father was of Irish lineage and was the founder
of the family in Kentucky, where he took up his residence more than
three-fourths of a century ago, becoming one of the prosperous
agriculturists of Crittenden county, where both he and his wife continued
to reside until their death.  John M. Franks likewise devoted his entire
active career to the great basic industry of agriculture, in connection
with which he gained a goodly measure of success.  He was one of the
honored and well known citizens of Crittenden county, was a stalwart
Republican in politics and both he and his wife held membership in the
Baptist church.  They continued to reside in Crittenden county until the
close of their lives.
     Edward T. Franks, whose name initiates this review, is indebted to the
public schools of his native county for his early educational discipline,
and at the age of twenty years he secured a position as clerk in a
dry-goods establishment in Marion, Crittenden county.  To this vocation he
gave his attention for a period of three years and he was then elected
village marshal, an office of which he was incumbent for a short time. He
resigned the position to begin the study of law, and in this preparing
himself for the work of his chosen profession he was favored in having the
able preceptorship of Thomas J. Nunn and William I. Cruse, representative
members of the bar of Marion, the judicial center of Crittenden county. He
made rapid progress in his absorption and assimilation of the science of
jurisprudence and in 1888 he was admitted to the bar of his native county.
He engaged in the practice of his profession at Marion, where he remained
thus occupied until September, 1889, when he was appointed United States
gauger, an office of which he continued in tenure for four years.  He
then resumed the practice of his profession at Owensboro, where he had
established his residence in 1889, but after four years of successful work
he was appointed by President McKinley collector of internal revenue for
the Second District of Kentucky.  In this important office Mr. Franks
continued to serve for twelve consecutive years, in the meanwhile
continuing to maintain his home in Owensboro.  He retired from office in
December, 1909, by voluntary resignation, as in June of that year he had
effected the organization of the United States National Bank of Owensboro,
of which he was elected president upon its incorporation.  In executive
control and capitalistic reinforcement this institution has nothing to be
desired and its business has become large and substantial, based upon a
capital stock of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.  As already
stated Mr. Franks now gives virtually his entire time and attention to
the administration of the affairs of the bank.
     He has long been recognized as one of the wheel-horses of the
Republican party in Kentucky, and as a campaign speaker and an executive
in the maneuvering of political forces he has wielded potent influence in
advancing the party cause.  He cast his first presidential vote for General
Benjamin Harrison, and stumped the western part of Kentucky in the campaign
which resulted in the election of Harrison.  In 1890 he was made the
candidate of his party for representative of the second district of
Kentucky in congress, and in 1896 he was again nominated, but on each
occasion he was unable to overcome the large and normal Democratic majority
in the district.  In 1892 he was presidential elector on the Republican
ticket for the state at large, and in many campaigns he has labored most
zealously in behalf of the party cause, in which connection his services
have been in requisition in all but five counties in Kentucky, as well as
in Indiana and Illinois.  He is affiliated with Owensboro Lodge, No. 57,
Knights of Pythias, and with Green River Camp, No. 43, Woodmen of the
World.  He holds membership in the Baptist church, in whose faith he was
reared, and his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church.  They are
popular factors in connection with the leading social activities of their
home city and their attractive home is a center of gracious hospitality.
     In the year 1899 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Franks to Miss
Janet Brodie, who was born and reared in Owensboro, and who is a daughter
of Robert and Margaret (Reid) Brodie.  Mr. Brodie died in 1899, and Mrs.
Brodie still resides in Owensboro.  Both were born in Scotland.  Mr. and
Mrs. Franks have two children--Margaret Reid and Mary Fleming.

Franks Moore Brodie Reid Nunn Cruse
=
Marion-Crittenden-KY Carthage-Smith-TN NC

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/daviess/franks.et.txt