The 67th annual Franklin Rodeo began Thursday, May 19th and continues through Saturday, the 21st, at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center. This annual event has a long history within Williamson County, here are 7 facts you may not know about this time honored event.
1. The Franklin Rodeo began in 1949 and is billed as the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi.
2. Admission to the first rodeo was 60 cents.
3. The Franklin Rodeo is a project of the Franklin Noon Rotary Club, which was chartered January 13, 1948 with 14 members. Today, the club has almost 150 members
4. Over the past 60 plus years, the Rodeo has raised over $2.5 million for community causes, including everything from college scholarships to medical care.
5. Each year, the Rodeo Parade kicks off a series of rodeo events. The first rodeo parade was a rousing success. It was led by then Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning, local Rotarians and visiting cowboys. Bands from Franklin High School and the Columbia Military Academy also participated. About 1,000 4-H kids and their parents were in town and they joined in too. Many county residents rode their horses to town for the event so they also joined the parade. That started a tradition that goes on to this day.
6.For many years the Franklin Noon Rotary Club gave scholarships to medical, dental and nursing schools.Funds often also went to buy band uniforms and library books for the public schools. Following the 1950 rodeo, the Review Appeal newspaper printed, “Not only will the reader have the time of his life (at the rodeo), but he is assured that his 60 cents (admission) will be spent wisely – adequate uniforms for the FHS band.”
7. Today’s rodeo looks a lot different than the first one held in 1949. The event spans three nights, is held inside an air conditioned arena and attendance exceeds the entire 1949 population of Franklin.
