H.L. Franklin owned various business buildings in the 200 and 300 blocks of Silver Street.  Little biographical information is known about Franklin other than that prior to coming to Lake City he owned a ranch in the Rio Grande Valley near the settlement of San Juan.

With his partner H. B. Oatman, he operated the Franklin & Oatman freight and passenger line that began service up Henson Creek in 1877, "Departure point - H. L. Franklin's Store - corner 3rd and Silver."*