LOCAL/FAMILY HISTORY DEPT. * DONNELLSON PUBLIC LIBRARY * 500 PARK AVE. * DONNELLSON, IA * 52625
History: Franklin Chairs
Keeping Iowa History Alive
Arthur Graham was one of the earliest settlers to come to Iowa and we must remember him in Lee County History. Born in 1811 in Cumberland County
England, he married Sarah Bainbridge June 4, 1836. They came to America in the spring of 1836 to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. In 1839, following the migration trails of the day, they came to Ohio for a short time and then on to Lee County where they purchased land in Charleston and Franklin Townships and finally settled in Franklin Centre.Arthur was a chair maker, held several offices of trust in his township, and was elected the first mayor in 1874. The census of 1860 and 1870 give us this information Arthur Graham managed a chair factory a few blocks from the Franklin School and made dining room and rocking chairs. School children gazed in awe as Graham used horses in a stall on an incline to tread the rollers which served as lathes. His chairs are known as Franklin Chairs or Graham Chairs.
The settlers coming in were glad to purchase Arthur’s chairs and many have been passed down from one generation to another as family heirlooms and are
highly prized by their owners.It appears they were originally stained black or black buttermilk paint was used. Some had gold designs. Some of the chairs found at auctions today are varnished making one wonder if they have been refinished. Today in an antique store the varnished ones are selling for about $45 each; however, a set of four would probably bring $200-$300.
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