Born: 1860, Shuqualak, Mississippi.
Died: December 3, 1909, Golden, Texas.
Buried: Bold Springs Cemetery, West, Texas.
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.
If you know where to get a better photo of Eiland,