JOSEPH M. FRANKLIN - Chickasaw

[Information taken from the book "Leaders and Leading Men of the Indian Territory, Choctaw and Chickasaw", by H. F. O’Beirne, vol. 1. Publisher is: American Publishers’ Association, Chicago, IL, printed in the year 1891. Pages 310-311]

The subject of this sketch was born at Milam, Mo., in December, 1854. Joseph was the son of Edmond Franklin, one of the earliest settlers of Missouri, and who came to that country with a little colony from Kentucky. Early in 1865 Joseph emigrated to Burnett county, Texas, and in 1874 to Panola county, Indian Territory, where in the year following he married Tinnie Colbert, daughter of Sam Colbert, and by this union became a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. After marriage Mr.Franklin started farming in Pickins county close to Berwyn, which place he parted with on the death of his wife in 1877. Moving to Panola he soon located at Pleasant Valley, where he now resides. In 1880 he married Eliza R. Shelton, daughter of J.J. Shelton (one of the earliest of Texas pioneers) and in 1884 was elected member of the House of Representatives, where he served honorably and intelligently for three terms and was again re-elected in 1889. On this occasion, however, he served but eleven days, until, he was expelled from the House as a disfranchised citizen. In 1889 Mr. Franklin was a candidate for attorney general, and received the popular vote, but was counted out by the opposite faction, and his place filled by Ben Kemp. On July 21 last, at the progressive convention held at Tishomingo, Joseph Franklin was once more nominated as attorney general, and it may be added that no man in the Nation is better adopted to his responsible office than the present nominee of the progressive party.

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