 In the era leading up to the American Civil War , Franklin Mills was an active stop on the Underground Railroad , giving fugitive slaves shelter on their escape to Canada . There were three notable stops in Franklin Mills , one of which still stands as of 2010 . During this period , from 1835 to 1839 , noted American abolitionist John Brown moved to the village , operating a tannery along the Cuyahoga River with Zenas Kent . 
