According to Shanick folklore, and Ruth's Tierney's book "Echoes From the Past", George Franklin found his brother Charles Franklin with his face in Beaver Creek and with an axe buried deep into the back of his skull. Darren Neill, a family member, advises he has Charles' death certificate, the coroners report , and the Marmora newspaper article documenting his death. He did drown in Beaver creek near Shanick but he was not murdered.

Darren goes on to dispel another Shanick rumour pointing out that George Franklin, the last Post Master, was NOT illiterate as the story goes. (Ruth Tierney writes "To overcome this handicap and avoid confusion, he laid the mail in neat order on a long table from which the recipients chose their own letters.") George was Darren's great Grandmother's brother and they have documents in his hand writing. So maybe there was a long table, and maybe the letters were laid out on it, but this was not due to illiteracy.

Wedding day of Isabella Franklin and Robert Gray, November 22, 1904

Unknown, Mary Ann (Turner) Franklin, Isabella Franklin, Myrtle Franklin, Robert Gray

Darren adds, "George Franklin, Charles Franklin, Isabella Franklin ( Grey) and their mother Mary Anne Franklin, moved to Shanick from Elzivir area. Charles died in 1905 of accidental drowning in Beaver creek. Their father was Richard Franklin who is buried in (Queensborough?). My Grandmother, Myrtle Neill (Grey) and her brother German grew up in Shanick. Both far up the north road and the cabin on the concession rd that runs east. Myrtle and John Neill purchased the house we still own across from Trenear’s in the 1920s.

Click here to read more about Shanick