Edwin A. Battison's Orphaned Museum
Or As He Named It
The Franklin Museum of Nature and the Human Spirit
Are You Curious?
Edwin Battison Was.
Uncovering the Lives of the Like-Minded In a Tale of Nature and the Human Spirit.
Edwin Battison (1915-2009) was a very curious 13-year old boy from a working-class family who struggled as did many others during the Great Depression. Taciturn like his Puritan ancestors, he was precocious, mentored by many talented adults, including his inventive father Albert, local factory owners and shop foremen. Especially important were two tinkering octogenarian brothers, Analdo and Ernest English, themselves sons and nephews of ever-so-clever country folks. The brothers invited Edwin into their small workshop, cluttered with their ongoing projects and machine tools, its old water wheel recently replaced by electric power. He had his own project there, making a lathe from leftover iron castings. This experience changed his life forever. If you are handy, you will readily appreciate the work of handier folks, launching an eyes-wide-open search for unique objects.
Edwin A. Battison (age 13), 8th grade student and professional collector. His motto was "Save the Best-Sell the Rest."
Why this Website?
Our orphaned museum, non-profit and private, has the ingredients worthy of a good museum but not the time, means or experience to become a public venue to showcase our possessions and storylines. While we search for a more permanent resting place, we decided to create this website.
