Franklin

Franklin, city, Merrimack county, central New Hampshire, U.S., at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers (there forming the Merrimack). The locality was settled in 1748 as Salisbury and was renamed for Benjamin Franklin when the present town was formed in 1828 from parts of Andover, Northfield, Salisbury, and Sanbornton. It was chartered as a city in 1895. The restored birthplace of the orator and statesman Daniel Webster, built in 1780, is a state historic site and museum. The Franklin Falls flood-control dam (completed 1943) is north of the city. The falls provided waterpower for early 19th-century milling operations. Manufactures now consist mainly of plastic and metal products. Pop. (2000) 8,405; (2010) 8,477.