Albert Franklin Banta (December 18, 1843 – June 21, 1924) was an American newspaperman, politician, jurist, and army scout. As a scout, he was a member of the Wheeler Survey and assisted General George Crook during the Apache Wars. Banta was influential in the creation of Apache County, Arizona and later represented the county in the Arizona Territorial Legislature. As a newspaperman, he started and operated a number of papers throughout Arizona Territory.
For roughly two decades he used the assumed name Charles A. Franklin instead of his birth name.