Biography George B. Franklin; ALA., then Richland Parish, Louisiana
A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 197-198, by Henry E. Chambers.  
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925. 

Submitted by Mike Miller


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 George B. Franklin is president of Cochran & Franklin, merchants, 
manufacturers and planters, with headquarters at Rayville in Richland Parish.  
Mr. Franklin and Jesse Cochran began business as a firm in 1917 and on 
February 21, 1924, incorporated, with Mr. Franklin as president and Mr. Cochran 
as secretary and treasurer.  As a firm the were formerly engaged in logging, 
supplying the Chess & Wymond plant at Holly Ridge with a large proportion of 
its supply of timber.  The firm in December, 1924, took over the Chess & Wymond 
heading and stave plant and operates it.  Both Mr. Cochran and Mr. Franklin made 
their start in the woods.

Jesse E. Cochran was born in Hickman County, Tennessee, in 1876, was educated 
in his native state and as a young man taught school.  He became associated 
with the Chess & Wymond's interests seven years ago.  He has active charge of 
the extensive planting interests of Cochran & Franklin, some five miles north 
of Holly Ridge.  He is unmarried, and is a member of the Masonic Order.

George B. Franklin was born in Alabama in 1895.  He completed his eighth grade 
schooling in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was fourteen years old when he came to 
Holly Ridge, Louisiana, and wore his first pair of long trousers after going to 
work in the Chess & Wymond Company's store at Holly Ridge.  The manager of the 
store at that time was Eugene Graham, now president of the Graham Heading & Stave 
Company.  After three years in the store Mr. Franklin went into the woods to engage 
in logging. 

The firm of Cochran & Franklin have probably sold more goods than any store in 
Richland Parish during the same length of time.  They have an immense trade over 
an extended territory around Rayville.

Mr. Franklin married Miss Birdie Scott, daughter of Bud Scott of Rayville.  
He is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Elks at Monroe.  
He took his first degrees in Masonry at San Antonio, Texas, while in the aviation 
service during the World war.  He enlisted even before America entered the war with 
Germany, joining the aviation branch and was trained with the Twenty-ninth American 
Air Squadron on the Mexican border and at Keiley and Brooks Fields in Texas.  He 
received his honorable discharge as a first class sergeant in the air service and 
is now commander of the local post of the American Legion.  He was with the first 
contingent of one hundred members of the American Legion, who made an official tour 
of European countries the first year after the war closed, this party going over on 
the George Washington.  They visited the battle fields and flew over various European 
cities and were present when the King of Belgium presented the highest war honors 
within his gifts to a member of the touring party for an act of distinguished bravery 
in rescuing under fire a major from No-Mans-Land.

NOTE:  The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject 
with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 197-198, by Henry E. Chambers. 
 Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.