Franklin Cannon

Franklin Cannon (March 12, 1794 – June 13, 1863) was an American politician from the state of Missouri. A Democrat, he served as the state's 5th Lieutenant Governor. Cannon was the son-in-law of Missouri's 3rd Governor, Daniel Dunklin.

Franklin Cannon came to Missouri Territory in 1819 from North Carolina and established a medical practice in the area that would later become Jackson, Missouri. He earned a reputation as an excellent physician during a cholera outbreak that killed hundreds in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri in 1832 & 1833. After serving in the Missouri House of Representatives, Cannon was elected to the state senate in 1832.

On March 15, 1835, despite her being twenty-two years his junior, Cannon was wed to Mary W. Dunklin, daughter of Missouri Governor Daniel Dunklin. In 1836 Doctor Cannon defeated Whig candidate James Jones 57.6% to 42.1% to become Lieutenant Governor. After serving one term in office Cannon returned to Jackson and resumed his life as a physician and prosperous plantation owner. His son would become a physician as well and the two constructed a large building in Jackson for use in their joint practice. In 1845, he served as a delegate to the failed Missouri Constitutional Convention. Franklin Cannon died June 13, 1863. He is buried in Jackson Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.