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You asked: Why was Whoresville renamed Franklin, and when?
Submitted photo: Bright Lanterns, a popular attraction in Whoresville, circa 1900
FRANKLIN—The most widely held belief as to why Whoresville was renamed dates back to 1904 when an abundance of “loose” women patrolled the Armory Drive in Franklin. Railroads were the primary mode of transportation and brought many visitors to Whoresville. From there, many of these women would climb aboard and ride the train to Norfolk in the hopes of meeting their future husband, according to Whoresville Historical Society Vice President Harriet “Ol’ Fashion” James.
“These women of ill-repute would go into the box cars and people would say ‘here come those harlots from Whoresville,’” James said. “They got tired of it, and petitioned for a new name.”
Historical Society President Brenda Hatfield said Ms. Maebelle Franklin, the head mistress of the best brothel in town at the time, Bright Lanterns, suggested the name change.
In a letter that was published at the time in The Foulwater News, Franklin passionately wrote, “If we are to be accepted as a real town, we must rename our fair city. Too often our name has scared off willing suitors from would-be wives, because the young gentleman believed that because his mistress was from Whoresville, she must, certainly at one point in time, have been a public urinal. We must act now, before we are doomed to be women of the night forever. Please everyone, meet at Sally’s Cat House, next to Frederick’s Pub, this 23rd day of July, Nineteen Hundred and Four. ”
James said she believes the name Franklin was chosen in honor of Ms. Maebelle Franklin, and to remove itself from the stigma that comes with a name like Whoresville.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the reason,” she said. “I think Whoresville is much better though. I’m sorry they ever changed it, before at least you knew what to expect from a town named Whoresville.”
“The name Whoresville was actually left over from the Nottoway Indians,” said James. “When the settlers moved into the tribe’s land, many of the Indians noted the physical nature of many of the white women. Nottoway Chief Powhatan often would speak of the settler women as wanting to, “get under my loin cloth, and give great rise to great spirit.” Well, to distinguish the boundaries of where the settlers lived, Powhatan quickly learned of the English word for that behavior and labeled the town Whoresville. The name stuck until 1904.