1860–1909

Introduction

Born: 1860, Shu­qua­lak, Mis­sis­sip­pi.

Died: De­cem­ber 3, 1909, Gold­en, Tex­as.

Buried: Bold Springs Ce­me­te­ry, West, Tex­as.

portrait

Biography

Franklin was the son of James Eil­and and Sar­ah Ann Sav­age, and hus­band of Ma­ry E. Nis­bett of Ro­bert­son County, Tex­as (mar­ried 1884). After Ma­ry died, he married El­la May Ken­ne­dy of Van Zandt Coun­ty in 1894. El­la lived on­ly 10 days af­ter the mar­ri­age, and in 1896, he mar­ried again, to Min­nie Ja­ru­shia Val­en­tine of Mc­Len­nan Coun­ty.

In 1892, Ei­land, with James Tho­mas and J. M. Greer, es­tab­lished the Trio Mu­sic Com­pa­ny in Wa­co, Tex­as. Four years lat­er, he found­ed The Mu­sic­al Trio pe­ri­od­ic­al.

In 1898, Ei­land, Ho­mer El­li­ott and Em­mett Dean found­ed the South­ern De­vel­op­ment Nor­mal mu­sic school in Wa­co; The SDN Theo­ry of Mu­sic text­book came out of this ef­fort. John Her­bert & John Vaugh­an were among the teach­ers at the school. The stu­dents in­clud­ed such song­writ­ers as Til­lit Ted­dlie.

Works

Sources

Lyrics

Music

Help Needed

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Ei­land,