Franklin County, Pa., Agricultural Production

Franklin County's agricultural production by voting precinct shows the diverse mix of Franklin's farms. The county grew mainly wheat, but significant amounts of rye as well. Dry Run, Lurgan, Concord, and Warren precincts stand out from the other precincts by their higher level of corn production and lower level of wheat production.

The map is based on GIS data and soil type data derived from a 1978 U.S. Geological Survey soil map. The map is derived from a D. H. Davison map of Franklin County, published in 1858. The Davison map has been georeferenced at the Virginia Center for Digital History, using ESRI Arc Info to produce a Geographic Information Systems map and database of households.

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Edward L. Ayers and William G. Thomas, III
Franklin County, Pa., Agricultural Production
2001

"On a per capita basis, Franklin farmers grew far less corn and more wheat than their counterparts in Augusta, and their commitment to wheat was seen by many as both the symbol of the North's wealth and the evidence of its superior labor system."

"In Franklin County, John Breckinridge won a majority in six precincts, most of them in the far northern and western belt of the county, where few blacks lived and farmers planted corn not wheat."