author
Franklin Hanford
b. 1844
A career U.S. Navy officer who later turned to local history, he left behind both a long record of service and a body of writing on western New York's past. His life bridges Civil War–era naval training, high command, and a quieter retirement devoted to research and writing.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Chili, New York, on November 8, 1844, Franklin Hanford studied at schools in Scottsville and Rochester before entering the United States Naval Academy in 1862. He went on to spend about four decades in the Navy and retired in 1903 with the rank of rear admiral.
After retiring, he returned to Scottsville, where he farmed and pursued a strong interest in the history of western New York. Archive records describe him not only as a career naval officer but also as a collector of papers, clippings, and memorabilia, and his later publications included local historical work such as studies of place names and regional events.
Hanford died on February 8, 1928. For audiobook listeners, he is an appealing figure because his writing grows out of lived experience: disciplined, observant, and shaped by both public service and deep curiosity about local history.