The many gulls that followed the breaking plows in pioneer days, soaring and circling around in an excited manner over the breaking outfits, sashaying about in the air, swooping suddenly to catch the bugs, grubs, worms and grasshoppers in the newly made furrows, awning up again and sailing on ahead only to repeat their actions, were the Franklin Gulls. They are named in honor of Sir John Franklin, the noted English Arctic explorer who with all members of his expedition sailing in the British ship Resolute perished above the Arctic Circle while searching for the North Pole
The Franklin gulls plumage is white with a grayish mantle. A dark slate colored hood covers the neck and head. The wings are tipped with black, and a pale exquisite rose blush is seen on the white under parts. They fly with their wings tilted in all degrees, vertical, horizontal and angled. They are of the prairie variety and the Dakota prairies in early days were their nesting places although they range over the dry prairies and marshy lakes north of the barren lands of Canada and winter in Central and South America. They build their nests in marshy places. The nests partly floating easily rocked by the ripples of the waves. Besides their usefulness in ridding the prairies of insects, their tameness and familiarity was pleasing. Their eggs are a drab blue, heavily marked in black.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 131