Farmington is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Franklin County,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,592. Farmington is home to the University of Maine at Farmington, Nordica Memorial Auditorium, the Nordica Homestead, and the annual Farmington Fair.

History

The area was once territory of the Canibas tribe of

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pre ...

Indians. They had two camps located near Farmington Falls, with fields cleared for cultivation of

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

and

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

es. Their fort's stockade enclosed about an acre at the center of what is today Farmington Falls village. A group from Topsham arrived in 1776 to explore the area and lay out a town, called Plantation No. 1 or Sandy River Plantation, but permanent settlement was delayed by the Revolutionary War. In 1781, the first settlers arrived, the same year a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

was established. On February 1, 1794, Sandy River Plantation was incorporated as Farmington, named for its unusually fertile soil. Beginning with a cluster of

log house A log house, or log building, is a structure built with horizontal logs interlocked at the corners by notching. Logs may be round, squared or hewn to other shapes, either handcrafted or milled. The term " log cabin" generally refers to a sm ...

s at Farmington Falls, the town grew quickly and prospered.

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

was an important early occupation, with

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...

a principal product.

Orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

s yielded

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

s and other fruit. Farmington became one of the largest

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

producing towns in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

, with many herds of

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

grazing the hills and intervales. The town's

water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a ...

attracted industry, including five

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

mills, two

sash A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, bu ...

, blind and door factories, two brickyards, a

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

, a rake factory, three

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

s, nearly a dozen carriage factories, a cheese factory, two corn canning factories, two

reaper A reaper is a farm implement or person that reaps (cuts and often also gathers) crops at harvest when they are ripe. Usually the crop involved is a cereal grass. The first documented reaping machines were Gallic reapers that were used in Roma ...

machine factories A machine factory is a company, that produces machines. These companies traditionally belong to the heavy industry sector in comparison to a more consumer oriented and less capital intensive light industry. Today many companies make more sophistic ...

, a spool factory and a

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

. As a regional center for manufacturing, trade and agriculture, Farmington was designated county seat when Franklin County was formed in 1838. In 1859, the Androscoggin Railroad completed its line from Leeds Junction to Farmington, carrying

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

and tourists. In 1879, the town became the southern

terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

for the

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

Sandy River Railroad (later part of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad), making it a gateway to the

Rangeley Lake Rangeley Lake, located in Franklin County, Maine in the United States, is fed by several streams. Its waters flow out from the lake's northwestern corner via the short Rangeley River into Mooselookmeguntic Lake, then Upper and Lower Richardso ...

and

Sugarloaf Mountain Sugarloaf Mountain ( pt, Pão de Açúcar, ) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising above the harbor, the peak is named for its resemblance to ...

areas. Farmington suffered a devastating fire on October 22, 1886, when thirty-three houses, nineteen stores, three churches, the county jail and the post office were destroyed. The 1877 Methodist Church designed by noted architect

Arthur H. Vinal Arthur H. Vinal (July 1, 1855 – August 25, 1923) was an American architect who lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts. Vinal was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on July 1, 1855, to Howard Vinal and Clarissa J. Wentworth. Vinal apprenticed at ...

survived. Farmington is today a college town and

resort area A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

. File:View of Broadway, Farmington, ME.jpg, Broadway File:Home of Jacob Abbott, Farmington, ME.jpg,

Jacob Abbott Jacob Abbott (November 14, 1803 – October 31, 1879) was an American writer of children's books. Early life On November 14, 1803, Abbott was born in Hallowell, Maine to Jacob Abbott II and Betsey Chandler. He attended the Hallowell Academy. ...

home in 1906 File:View of Farmington Falls, ME.jpg, Farmington Falls in 1907

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Farmington is drained by Wilson Stream, Temple Stream, Beaver Brook and the Sandy River. The town is crossed by

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...

and Maine State Routes 4, 27, 43, 133 and 149. It borders the towns of

Industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

and New Sharon to the east, Chesterville to the south, Wilton to the southwest,

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

to the west, and Strong and New Vineyard to the north. Farmington is divided into four local areas and sometimes mapped as such. They are West Farmington, Fairbanks, Farmington Falls, and Farmington (downtown). Each except Fairbanks has its own zip code, but all are within Farmington's town limits.

Climate

Typically for Maine, Farmington has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfb'') with cold (sometimes severely cold) winters and warm, often humid summers. Winters are cold and snowy, with forty nights per year under and 68.6 days failing to top freezing. Snow cover peaks in February at typically around , but the maximum reached is on February 28, 1969. The coldest month since records began in 1893 was January 1982, with an average of , and the hottest was July 1921, with an average of , including 12 days over , while the coldest winter was that of 1917–1918, with an average temperature of . The hottest day was August 3, 1975, which reached , while the coldest temperature was on January 20, 1994. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with snowfall especially heavy in winter. The wettest calendar month was December 1969, with including of snow and a fall from a warm front of of precipitation (mostly rain) on December 27 and 28. The snowiest season was from July 1968 to June 1969, with total snowfall of , while the least snowy was from July 1980 to June 1981, with .

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 7,760 people, 3,072 households, and 1,597 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 3,441 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 3,072 households, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.0% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age in the town was 32.1 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 27.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 45.3% male and 54.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,410 people, 2,813 households, and 1,533 families residing in the town. The

was 132.8 people per square mile (51.2/km²). There were 3,048 housing units at an average density of 54.6 persons/sq mi (21.1 persons/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.48% White, 0.20%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.65%

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

of any race. There were 2,813 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 9.1% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 45.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 25.0% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,814, and the median income for a family was $33,656. Males had a median income of $27,569 versus $21,101 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $13,982. About 18.0% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 30.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.4% ages 65 or older.

Government

Farmington is the largest town, and county seat, of Franklin County. As a result, it has a number of regional administrative buildings such as a courthouse and DHHS branch. It is governed by a board of selectmen who meet at Town Hall on alternating Tuesdays at 6:30 PM. Daily administration is by a town manager, and the town holds an annual town meeting in March.

Sites of interest

* Farmington Historical Society * Nordica Memorial Homestead * Titcomb Mountain * Sandy River * Mount Blue Middle School * University of Maine at Farmington Farmington is home to a number of historic properties and districts. These include the Cutler Memorial Library, Farmington Historic District, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ,

Franklin County Courthouse Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral div ...

, Free Will Baptist Meetinghouse,

Greenacre Greenacre, a suburb of local government areas City of Canterbury-Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 17 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a pa ...

, Chester Greenwood House, Merrill Hall, Nordica Homestead, Old Union Meetinghouse, Hiram Ramsdell House and the Tufts House.

University of Maine At Farmington

Farmington is home to The University of Maine at Farmington, part of Maine's public university system. UMF had a full-time enrollment of 1,800 in 2016.

Neighborhoods

*Downtown Farmington – The main part of town, downtown has several banks, houses, stores, and public facilities. The University of Maine at Farmington is next to downtown. Downtown is at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway Street. *West Farmington – West Farmington is at the junction of U.S. 2 and SR 43. Titcomb Mountain is in West Farmington. The Whistle Stop Rail-Trail starts at Oakes Street and continues to East Wilton, Wilton and Jay. Bikers, hikers, ATVs, snowmobiles, and cross-country skiers use the trail. There is also a gas station, Madores. The Zip code is 04992. *Farmington Falls – Farmington Falls is at the junction of U.S. 2, SR 41 and SR 156. There are some houses and a church. The Sandy River passes through here. The zip code is 04940. *Fairbanks – Fairbanks once housed a school, and has a trading post and some restaurants. It is at the junction of SR 4 and SR 27. It is part of the 04938 Zip Code. The Lillian Nordica House is in Fairbanks. *Wilton Road – U.S. 2 passes through Farmington. This area is mostly businesses. There is a

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

, Hannaford, KFC,

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includin ...

, Subway,

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert a ...

and Ford, GM, and Chrysler dealerships. There are two Dunkin Donuts off Wilton Road: one near

Big Lots Big Lots Stores, Inc. (stylized as Big Lots!) is an American retail company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with over 1,400 stores in 47 states. History The Big Lots chain traces its history back to 1967 when Consolidated Stores Corporation ...

, and one near a Citgo gas station. Other businesses are on Wilton Road, where the zip code is 04938. *Front Street – Front Street is a street behind downtown. There are a few houses before the intersection at Broadway. There was a restaurant that served pizza and gelato called the Stone Hearth Cafe (now closed). The Narrow Gauge Square has a cinema, an eye doctor, and a few stores. Prescott Field is for baseball, softball, and soccer for the University of Maine at Farmington. It is the main way to get to the Sandy River swimming area. Giffords is on the corner of Main and Front Streets. Front Street is considered Historic Farmington's main street.

Prophecy

Farmington is the subject of a prophecy by the Quaker Licia Kuenning (formerly Lisa Bieberman) about a Coming New Order in the town. This was originally prophesied for Tuesday, June 6, 2006 but, after gathering more than 80 people together with no apparent miracles on that date, is now prophesied "within the next few years".

Notable people

* Edward Abbott, clergyman, journalist, author *

, author, educator *

Elizabeth Akers Allen Elizabeth Akers Allen (pen name, Florence Percy; October 9, 1832 – August 7, 1911), was an American poet and journalist. Her early poems appeared over the signature of "Florence Percy", and many of them were first published in the ''Portland Tra ...

, author, journalist, poet * Hiram Belcher, US congressman *

Supply Belcher Supply Belcher (March 29, 1751 – June 9, 1836) was an American composer, singer, and compiler of tune books. He was one of the so-called Yankee tunesmiths or First New England School, a group of mostly self-taught composers who created sacred vo ...

, composer, musician *

Nathan Cutler Nathan Cutler (May 29, 1775 – June 8, 1861) was an American politician in Massachusetts and Maine. He was a Democrat.''American Biography'' p 190 (1919) The American Historical Society, New York Cutler graduated from Dartmouth College in 17 ...

, politician * Robert Goodenow, US congressman * Walter Gooley, state legislator * Chester Greenwood, the inventor of earmuffs * Wilhelmina Harper, librarian and author * S. Clifton Ives, Methodist bishop *

Julia Harris May Julia Harris May (April 27, 1833 – May 6, 1912) was an American poet, teacher, and school founder of the long nineteenth century. She spent several years teaching in the south. From 1868, she was the head of a private school in Strong, Maine. ...

(1833–1912), founder of May School in Farmington *

Janet Mills Janet Trafton Mills (born December 30, 1947) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 75th governor of Maine since January 2019. She previously served as the Maine Attorney General on two occasions. A member of the Democratic Pa ...

, Governor of Maine, former state attorney general * Peter Mills, politician *

Samuel P. Morrill Samuel Plummer Morrill (February 11, 1816 – August 4, 1892) was a nineteenth-century politician and minister from Maine. Born in Chesterville, Massachusetts (now in Maine), Morrill attended common schools as a child and later attended F ...

, US congressman and minister * Lillian Nordica, singer * Thomas Parker, Judge, early donor to

Bates College Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...

* Dan Simoneau, cross country skier * Charlie Webster, state legislator and Chair of the Maine Republican Party * Seth Wescott, first Olympic gold medalist in Snowboard Cross * Henry Clay Wood, U.S. Army officer who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

* Chandler Woodcock, state senator

References

External links

Town of Farmington, Maine

Farmington Public Library
{{Authority control County seats in Maine