The town of Franklin was founded in 1816 and named for Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. William Becknell, known as the "Father of the Santa Fe Trail" lived on a farm a few miles northwest of Franklin. There was a spring near Becknell's property, Boone Lick Spring. The spring and its salt water attracted people from St. Louis and points east. They came to distill the water for its salt. They came so often that they created a trail, calling it the Boonslick Road. The Boone refers to Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, sons of Daniel Boone. The two brothers first operated the saltlick business.