Franklin sits on a hill above the Little Tennessee River. The surveyors who chose the site in 1820 admired its beauty, laying out the town with Main Street facing the Cowee Mountains to the east and the Nantahala Range to the west. Though ringed by rugged summits, Franklin was linked to population centers by well-worn trails. It soon developed into the market center of southwestern North Carolina, a role it retains today, especially for the building trades, furniture, and jewelry. Richly blessed with gems and minerals, the town was once touted as the "Gem Capital of the World." Franklin is...