William B. Franklin (February 27, 1823-March 8, 1903) was a graduate of the United
States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Civil War as a Major
General. From 1880 to 1900, General Franklin was the president of the board of
managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.
The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was created by a bill signed by
Abraham Lincoln in 1865, in reaction to the influx of Civil War volunteer veterans
who needed long term care, but did not qualify for services provided for career
military veterans. Over time, the eligibility requirements for residency were
loosened and the homes evolved to address the needs of World War I veterans. The
creation of the Veteran’s Administration abolished the National Home for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers and the branches were reorganized under the VA’s auspices. The
Northwest Campus of National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Milwaukee had
begun in 1864 as an effort by local women to provide for the many injured veterans
returning to Wisconsin. After the bill of 1865, the women in charge of the Milwaukee
Soldier’s Home established fundraising efforts to convince federal authorities to
locate one of the first three institutions in Milwaukee.
