John B. Franklin was born July 9, 1853 in Cherokee (now Gilmer Co.,), Georgia to Anderson Green and Elizabeth Jane (Bryan) Franklin. John and his older brother, Abe, stopped in Texas to visit their brother, Anderson while on their way to Oregon. John was living in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington in 1907 when he submitted an application for participation in the fund for the Eastern and Emigrant Cherokees. He declared he was unmarried and was the son of Anderson Green Franklin and Elisebeth Jane Bryan. John does not appear in the 1889 Pierce County, Washington, Assessor's Census and his death certificate indicated that he had lived in Tacoma since 1890.
He mentioned that he had moved from 1953 South East Street and had relocated to 1515 South Tacoma Avenue by April 30, 1907. He relocated again by April 16th, 1908 to 405-1/2 East 25th Street. A year later, on April 7, 1908, he moved to 406 East 26th Street. By May 1910, he was a lodger on Pacific Avenue. In 1920, he was enumerated by the census taker as a roomer in the Sylvan Apartments on St. Helen's Avenue in Tacoma. He was earning a wage as a laborer in a restaurant and was 67 years of age. According to his death certificate, he had been a helper at a restaurant from the age of 54 to 74. He passed away on 22 February 1932 in Tacoma at the age of 79. His death certificate indicated that he died as a result of a head injury from an automobile accident at 10 p.m. No parentage was listed on the vital record so a correction was submitted by John's great great niece, Margie (Allred) von Marenholtz in 2000. No obituary appeared in the local paper; however, funeral arrangements were announced as being held at the Cassedy-Allen mortuary with a Christian Science service to be read. Burial was at the Mountain View Cemetery in Tacoma.