E. A. Decherd built the first two-story building in 1880, and shortly thereafter three hotels were constructed. Dr. G. M. D. Patterson moved his home to the town before the court house was completed and by 1882, there were at least fifty homes in the town.

In January, 1881, officials occupying offices in the town of Franklin included F. J. Miller, district clerk; A. M. Rushin, county clerk; commissioners, R. G. Collins, Ferman Moore, A.J. Springfield, and J. C. Roberts. The sheriff was W. Q. Wyser and the tax officials were J. G. Reagan and Daniel Payne.

The temporary courthouse was a frame building on a hill where the Central Church of Christ is now located. James I. Galloway became the tax assessor-collector in 1881; J. J. Carter and Lawson Woods were elected commissioners; and Collins and Moore were replaced on the county commissioners court by R. L. Moody and Frank Pickett.

The Rushin Hotel, built in 1881 by A. M. Rushin was sold to R. M. and Mary West (1884), and West later sold it to I. R. Overall and his wife Martha. The Overalls discovered mineral water on the property and, having learned from the spa enterprise at Wootan Wells of its value, Franklin became a health resort.

I. R. Overall was a leading citizen of Franklin and an able attorney. His first wife died in 1888, and thereafter he married Ella Buckstrom who operated the mineral water enterprise. The business brought people to the town in great numbers and bottled water was shipped over the state. When the demand for the water declined the Overalls closed the business.

R. H. and Minnie Rucker built the second hotel in the town somewhat removed from the courthouse square in 1881, and later built another across the street from the railway depot. The first was called the Farmers Hotel and the other was The National.

The 1880's hotels were fashionable. A number of successful men resided in the places and many of the townspeople ate their meals in their spacious dining rooms. One of the early "star boarders" at The National Hotel was Abe Silverman, who accumulated great wealth in land buying and selling before the time of his death. In later years, after Rucker's death, his wife continued to operate the hotel until, finally she sold it to Bob Reeves, who converted it into the Pioneer Motel.

In the first two years of Franklin's history three churches were built and two more were organized in the first decade. Through the leadership of Elias Reynolds the Christian Church was built on Block 85. Under the guidance of the Reverend Joe Tumer, and Reverend Robert Crawford, the Methodist congregation erected their first place of worship in 1881.

There were sixteen members of the Baptist Church in Franklin in 1880. Their church had been established in 1877, at Englewood, and was moved to Franklin when the town was laid out. The Reverend S. C. Thorton was the pastor. Rev. J. A. Bell read the "Articles of Faith" when the white frame sanctuary was dedicated in 1881. The attractive church remained for thirty-three years and was replaced with a modem brick structure on Gay Street. Reverend J. L. Wallace served the church as pastor for thirty-three years.

The Franklin Catholic Church was dedicated in 1892. It was on land donated by H. D. Gode, and it withstood the ravages of time until the savage windstorm of 1913. Afterwards, the damaged building was allowed to remain in a state of disrepair. It was located on Glass Street, and finally removed and never replaced; the location is still known as Catholic Hill.