Franklin Township

Franklin Township, one of the nine townships of Marion County, is located in the southeastern corner of the county. Laid out by the county commissioners in 1822, Franklin Township became a separate political unit with its division from Perry Township on May 12, 1824. It comprises approximately 42 square miles in area.

The earliest settler is believed to have been William Rector, whose land lay along Buck Creek where Michigan Road (later S.R. 29, U.S. 421, and now I-74 and Southeastern Avenue) enters the township. The first election was held at his cabin, where he was chosen justice of the peace on June 19, 1824. The first settlement was New Bethel, platted along the Michigan Road in 1834.

There was a store, a pottery, a blacksmith, and a wagon maker. Smither Tavern, just west of the village, was an early stage stop, about 12 miles from Indianapolis.

In 1889, needing a name for the newly established post office (there was already a Bethel, Indiana), the town chose Wanamaker, honoring Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker, then U.S. postmaster general. Acton was platted in 1852 adjacent to the nearly completed Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railroad. Though originally called Farmersville, the town was purportedly renamed after resident General Acton after the post office was opened in 1854.

Acton developed into a busy trading center with general stores, blacksmith shops, a lumber yard, a feed mill, a canning factory, a bank, three lodge halls, churches, and homes. The Acton Camp Ground, a 40-acre tract at the corner of Southport and Acton roads, was established as a Methodist campground in 1859. Visitors came from a wide area for the late summer programs, and many well-known clergymen, educators, and politicians spoke there. Families rented or owned cottages on the grounds, some staying all summer. The grounds burned in 1905, destroying the large pavilion and 115 cottages. In 1902, the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Traction Company began service through the township, along Michigan Road through Wanamaker, then following the train tracks through Acton. The Interurban line, which extended to Greensburg, was discontinued in the mid-1930s.

Though Franklin Township encompasses only 10 percent of Marion County, 40 percent of the underdeveloped farm ground is located here. Beech Grove annexed some land that was originally Franklin Township, including the Beech Grove Railroad Shop (Amtrak) and commercial property along Emerson Avenue. The Five Points area includes the H. A. Waterman Company, a century-old business, a few stores, and the nearby Marion County Fairgrounds.

The township’s population has surged more than 200 percent in recent decades. New residential developments give the area a suburban atmosphere, yet sprawling family farms continue to offer a rural lifestyle feel. The increase in population has led to a demand for commercial developments, quality-of-life improvements, and school construction.

Commercial projects have been focused near new residential developments where necessity-based retailers are in high demand. A new project near Southport and Franklin roads features a Kroger grocery store. A new development located at the corner of Five Points and Southport roads is anchored by an ACE Hardware store. Construction started in March 2023, with completion slated for December 2025.

In April 2025, Indy Parks started a $2.8 million project at the Franklin Township Community Park. A grant from the Lilly Endowment enabled the improvements at the park, which will include pickleball courts to support one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. The grant is aimed at promoting quality-of-life improvements in Southside areas.

Most of the housing development in Franklin Township has been west of Franklin Road. The increase in residential developments has forced the school district to rely heavily on residential property taxes for revenue, which has dropped by almost 20 percent since the state mandated property tax caps that took effect between 2008 and 2011.

The Franklin Township Community School Corporation (FTCSC) operates one early learning center, seven elementary schools, two intermediate schools, Franklin Central Junior High School, and Franklin Central High School. FTCSC supports junior high and high school athletics programs, as well as arts programming through its band, orchestra, and theater initiatives. Outside the FTCSC, parochial schools located within Franklin Township include Nativity Catholic School, Lutheran High School of Indianapolis, and Colonial Christian School.