Calling a Farming Town Farmington

So how did Farmington get its name? I have a couple of pals who snicker at the name Farmington. Naming a place after its primary business is not all that popular. This is a good thing in some cases. No one would move to South St. Paul if it was called Meat Meadows, after its historical stockyards.

In 1856, James C. Dow, editor of the Dakota Weekly Journal, a territorial newspaper published in Hastings, wrote this about Farmington.

"Farmington is situated on the Vermillion River, about fifteen miles from Hastings. This place is rightly named, for it looks like a village of farms. Good soil, good water, good timer and intelligent citizens is their wealth."

Quote courtesy of the Farmington Heritage Preservation Commission

Of course, I had to mention this quote not only because it points to the origin of the Farmington name, but also because it refers to Farmington's "intelligent citizens." I can't imagine a more flattering description.