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is a city in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 8,405, the lowest of any of New Hampshire's 13 cities. Franklin includes the village of West Franklin.
Situated at the junction of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers to form the Merrimack River, the town was settled in 1764 and originally known as
. It was taken from portions of Salisbury, Andover, Sanbornton and Northfield. The name
was adopted in 1820 in honor of Benjamin Franklin. Water power from the falls helped it develop as a mill town. It would incorporate as a town in 1828, and then as a city in 1895. More recently, Franklin has been experiencing a renaissance, as commuters from Concord discover the city's quality of life and affordable housing.
Daniel Webster was born here in a section then part of Salisbury. There is a historic site located off Route 127 that preserves the famous orator's childhood home. In 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers created the Franklin Falls Reservoir above Franklin by constructing the Franklin Falls Dam for flood control on the Pemigewasset River.