Buster, the Silver tip Grizzly

About the Book

About the Author

Born in 1886 in Hobart, Oklahoma, he was well known as an entrepreneur, story teller and quite a character. Franklin's mother, Mary Jane Briles, left Oklahoma without her family, a family mystery to this day. She traveled via the Oregon Trail to Dyerville, California. She operated a hotel and stage depot for A.P. Cross, her son in law. The line ran between Eureka and Willitts. T.F. Briles, Franklin's father, owned and operated a feed store and mill in Hobart as well as the lake pavilion where Buster performed. Franklin divided his adolescence between his mother's home in Dyerville and his father's place in Hobart. He eventually settled in the Los Angeles area and married the girl next door Anna May "Mayme" Stevens. He was employed in the farm equipment business and was a very successful salesman. He was promoted to district manager which was the foundation for designing and building a state of the art tractor named the BritraCk. Investors were secured and manufacturing started. He built a custom home, currently listed with the Los Angeles Historical Society and lived there for 6 prosperous years. One of the modern features of the home at 251 Borendo Street was the outside delivery door for the iceman. Every summer the family would drive their Buick and later their Packard at 30 mph to San Onofre Beach. They camped for 7 weeks at the Hula Hut for $1, used also for the set of a Marion Davies movie. In 1929, The Great Depression left Franklin and his family with nothing but the pioneering spirit. They did as most Americans did: they made do. 1930-32 the family spent some recovery time running a hotel in the redwoods near Laytonville before returning to Los Angeles. In order to provide food for themselves and others, the family continued to hunt and fish at their Alder Grove Camp in Klamath, California. To make ends meet, they canned and sold salmon. During the winter the family was back in Los Angeles making Franklin's patented trailer hitches, dart boards and ouiji boards. They also spent many a working vacation in the San Bernardino mountains fishing, hunting and taking people horseback riding. Throughout his life Franklin never lost his passion for adventure, hunting, fishing and the love of family. Pictured with him are his sons Franklin S., Paul and wife Mayme at the Seven Oaks Cabin Resort in the San Bernardino Mountains. He passed away in 1941 at the age of 56.