Franklin Noble Billings

Franklin Noble Billings (March 8, 1829 - December 11, 1894) was a Vermont businessman and merchant. A member of the prominent Billings family, he was notable for his investment stakes and management roles in several Vermont businesses. He was the father of Governor Franklin S. Billings and grandfather of Judge Franklin S. Billings Jr. In addition, he was the brother of Frederick H. Billings, uncle of Mary Billings French, and grand-uncle of Mary French Rockefeller. Early life Franklin Noble Billings was born in Royalton, Vermont on March 8, 1829, to Oel Billings (1788–1871) and Sophia (Wetherbe) Billings (1796–1870). His family moved to Woodstock, Vermont when he was six, and he was educated in the schools of Royalton and Woodstock. At age 13, Billings began a mercantile career when he accepted a position in the general store of O. A. Bryant. He later moved to the store owned by Abram Stearns, and boarded with the Stearns family while continuing to learn his trade. From 1842 to 1846, Billings completed his education with attendance at Woodstock Academy. Career During the California Gold Rush, Billings traveled to California, joining his brother Frederick, who had become a prominent attorney in San Francisco. Billings worked in the mercantile business at the San Francisco warehouse of Simmons, Hutchinson, & Co., and was briefly employed to book passage for travelers and transport of cargo on a Sacramento River steamboat, the Jenny Lind. In 1852, he returned to Vermont. Shortly after arriving in Woodstock, Billings and a cousin traveled to Freeport, Illinois to explore business opportunities. They decided not to remain, and Billings returned to Woodstock to consider ventures closer to home.