The “52 Cousins” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Franklin Alexander Laton (1828-1906) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
Franklin Alexander Laton: A Life in 19th Century North Carolina, 1828-1906
Early Life and Family Origins
Franklin Alexander Laton was born on August 13, 1828, in Montgomery County, North Carolina, to John Laton Sr. and Catharine Dry. His father John (1777-1852) was a substantial landowner who had built up considerable property holdings in the region, while his mother Catharine (1791-1857) came from the Dry family line. Franklin grew up in a large household with several siblings, including Martin, Lydia, James, and others who would remain close throughout his life.
The Laton family had deep roots in North Carolina, representing the kind of farming families who were establishing themselves across the piedmont region during the early 1800s. By 1850, when Franklin was 22, the census shows him still living in his father's household in Harris, Stanly County, along with his parents and several siblings, indicating the close-knit nature of the family unit.
Marriage and Family Life
Around 1847, when Franklin was about 19, he married Martha Ann Solomon, who was born in 1825. Martha proved to be a devoted partner who would bear him seven children over the course of their marriage. Their first child, Frankie Annie, was born in May 1848, confirming the approximate timing of their wedding. The couple went on to have:
Frankie Annie Laton (1848-1927)
Mary Jane Laton (1850-1923)
Thomas Allen Laton (1855-1937)
Sophronia Cathern Laton (1858-1937)
John William Laton (1860-1952)
Martha H. Laton (1863-1940)
Etta Louisa Laton (1866-1917)
The family moved to Stanly County, where Franklin established himself as a farmer near Albemarle. Census records show the family growing and prospering through the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s, with Franklin working the land and raising his children in the rural community.
Property Holdings and Business Dealings
Franklin inherited a keen sense for land dealings from his father. His first significant property transaction came in 1852, just months after his father's death, when he and other family members honored their father's promise to John W. Sanders, a former indentured servant. They quit-claimed 50 acres near Albemarle to Sanders, fulfilling their father's commitment to compensate him for $100 worth of services rendered.
Throughout the 1850s, Franklin continued to acquire and manage property. In 1858, he entered into a complex deed of trust arrangement with John J. Freeman, using his land and personal property (including horses, livestock, crops, and promissory notes) as collateral for debts. This type of arrangement was common among farmers who needed to leverage their assets while continuing to work their land.
One of his most significant property transactions occurred in 1885, when Franklin and Martha sold 73¾ acres to their son John W. Laton for $237.50. This represented a typical pattern of the era - parents passing land to the next generation to ensure family continuity on the farm.
The Civil War Years
When the Civil War erupted, Franklin answered the call to serve the Confederacy. He enlisted on September 1, 1862, in Salisbury, North Carolina, and was assigned to the 66th North Carolina Infantry Regiment (also known as the 8th Battalion, Partisan Rangers; 13th Battalion). He rose to the rank of Sergeant, indicating his leadership abilities and the respect of his fellow soldiers.
The war years were difficult for Franklin and his family. He was eventually captured and became a prisoner of war, finally being released on June 28, 1865, after the war's end. During his absence, Martha had to manage the farm and care for their young children, including baby John William who was born just as the war began.
Later Years and Second Marriage
Tragedy struck the Laton household in 1889 when Martha Ann died after more than 40 years of marriage. Franklin, then 61 years old, found himself widowed with some of his children still at home. On July 23, 1891, he married Zilpha Jane Thompson, a much younger woman born in 1870. She was only 21 years old at the time of their marriage, while Franklin was 62 - a significant age difference that was not uncommon in the era when widowers sought younger wives to help manage households and farms.
Franklin and Zilpha had one child together, Rosa Laton, born in 1898 when Franklin was 70 years old. Sadly, Rosa died young in 1911 at only 13 years of age, adding to the sorrows of Franklin's later years.
Historical Context: Life in 19th Century Stanly County
Franklin's life spanned a transformative period in North Carolina history. Born in the late 1820s, he witnessed the state's agricultural expansion, the trauma of the Civil War, and the challenges of Reconstruction. Stanly County, formed in 1841, was still a relatively new county during Franklin's prime years, and families like the Latons were among those who helped establish its agricultural character.
The region was primarily agricultural, with farmers growing corn, wheat, and other crops while raising livestock. The deed of trust from 1858 mentions Franklin's wheat crop and various animals, providing a glimpse into the diversified farming typical of the area. The presence of mills, like those referenced in property boundaries, indicates a developing local economy that processed agricultural products.
Final Years and Legacy
Franklin's later years were spent continuing his farming activities while watching his children establish their own families and farms in the area. The 1900 census shows him still active at age 71, living with his young wife Jane and their daughter Rosa, along with a boarder named George G. Underwood.
His health began to fail around 1905, and after more than a year of declining condition, Franklin Alexander Laton died on May 11, 1906, at the age of 77. His obituary in The Enterprise newspaper described him as "one of the oldest and best known citizens of the vicinity 4 miles east of Albemarle" and noted that "in his youth he was a strong man and a hard worker, his entire life being spent upon the farm."
The funeral service was conducted by Rev. E. M. Brooks, and Franklin was laid to rest in the family burial grounds at Laton Cemetery near Albemarle. His gravestone bears the poignant inscription: "REMEMBER MAN AS YOU PASS BYE. AS YOU ARE NOW, SO WONCED WAS EYE. AS EYE AM NOW SO YOU MUST BEE."
Franklin left behind his widow Jane and his grown sons J. W. Laton and T. A. Laton, who continued to farm near the old home place, carrying on the family tradition that had sustained the Latons in Stanly County for generations. His life represented the experiences of countless North Carolina farmers who built their communities through hard work, family devotion, and perseverance through both prosperity and hardship.
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