Farmington, Missouri

Farmington is the county seat and largest city of St. Francois County, Missouri. With a population of 16,240 at the 2010 census, it is the fourth-largest city in southeast Missouri, behind Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, and Sikeston. It is also the center of the Farmington Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes St. Francois and Washington Counties.

History

Farmington was one of the first permanent settlements to be made in what became St. Francois County. In the late 1790s, the Spanish colonial authorities began awarding land grants to settlers in the Louisiana Territory, including to American pioneers pushing westwards. One of these was William Murphy, an Irish immigrant and a Baptist minister residing along the Holston River in east Tennessee, who arrived in the territory in 1798 and obtained a plot in some rolling land near the St. Francois Mountains. Murphy sketched out a homestead before returning to Tennessee to gather his family; he fell ill and died while there, but his wife and sons traveled to the new spot nonetheless, along with other relations and dependents. By 1803, several interrelated families had arrived and formed a loose community, known as Murphy Settlement.

Murphy Settlement quickly became one of the more prominent frontier outposts, dominated from the start by the numerous Murphy clan. William Murphy's widow, Sarah, was said to have led the first Protestant Sunday school west of the Mississippi River, and to have been active in the building of a log church at an early date; her sons, meanwhile, were widely known as large landowners and mainstays of local business and peacekeeping. Under their leadership, the community and the surrounding area steadily grew in population, and in late 1821 it was organized as St. Francois County. The need for selecting a county seat at once was apparent, and Murphy Settlement was a strong candidate, due to its relatively central location and its being in less mountainous terrain. One of William and Sarah Murphy's sons, David, donated 52 acres of land for the construction of a courthouse and other offices, and in 1822 the new county seat was surveyed and laid out. Initially it was dubbed St. Francois Court House, but by 1825 it had been renamed Farmington, presumably on account of the rich farmland nearby.

During the next few decades, the town grew slowly in population, numbering only about 500 residents on the eve of the Civil War; nonetheless, it was an important regional center, serving as a market for local farmers and as a transport link between the nearby lead and iron ore mines and Ste. Genevieve and other river ports to the east. It suffered a serious setback in the late 1850s, when the new St. Louis and Iron Mountain railroad opted to bypass Farmington to the west, after local leaders refused to buy into its stock. This, combined with the depredations of the Civil War shortly afterward, raised fears that business and county government would be moved to the new town of DeLassus (which was along the rail line), and Farmington would sink into obscurity. A proposal to move the county seat to DeLassus was defeated in the late 1870s, however, and thereafter Farmington flourished, thanks in large part to the increasingly-important lead-mining business. Having been incorporated as a village in 1856, it was elevated in 1878 to a fourth-class city, and by 1910 had a population of some 2,600 and could boast of three banks, twelve general stores, three newspapers, and many other businesses. It had also emerged as a center for education and public institutions--two private colleges, Carleton College and Elmwood Seminary, operated in the city, as did a branch of the Missouri State Hospital.

Farmington's diversification enabled it to endure the decline of the lead-mining business in the mid-20th century without much trouble. It passed the 10,000 mark in population in the 1980s, and has continued to expand in recent years, being the recognized economic hub for the Lead Belt region. In the next few years, it may well surpass Poplar Bluff and Sikeston to become the second-largest city in Southeast Missouri.

Geography

Farmington lies in east-central St. Francois County, a short distance southeast of some of the older lead-mining communities, such as Desloge and Leadington, and just east of St. Joe State Park, which contains some of the abandoned mines themselves. It is about 60 miles south-southwest of St. Louis. Its official coordinates are 37°46’55”N 90°25’20”W.

The city has a total land area of 9.39 square miles, including 9.35 of land and 0.04 of water. Though surrounded by some of the higher peaks of the St. Francois Mountains to the east, south, and especially the west, Farmington itself sits on a plateau of sorts, with relatively flat terrain within its boundaries. Its average elevation is about 915 feet.

The major highways in the city are U.S. Route 67, which curves along its western edge, and Missouri State Highway 32, which generally runs through it as Karsch Boulevard from northwest to southeast. Much of Farmington's more recent growth has been to the west and northwest, as more businesses try to take advantage of the traffic on U.S. 67.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Farmington had a total of 16,240 inhabitants, grouped into 5,620 households, with a population density of 1,736.9 people per square mile. This figure marked a significant increase from the 2000 census, when Farmington had a population of 13,924. 90.26% of the inhabitants were White, 7.14% were African-American, 0.32% were Native American, 0.80% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.30% were from some other race, and 1.13% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.52% of the population.

The median age in Farmington was 37.6 years, with 19.0% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 9.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 31.2% between 25 and 44, 24.7% between 45 and 64, and 15.1% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 56.3% male, 43.7% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Farmington had a median household income of $47,109, and a median family income of $65,253. The unemployment rate was 4.3%. The per capita income was $22,247. About 11.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 12.6% of people under the age of 18 and 4.2% of people 65 years old or older.

Government

Farmington has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor, elected for a four-year term, is assisted by eight city councilmen, two of whom are elected from each of the city's four wards, typically for two-year terms. A City Administrator, City Clerk/Collector, and City Attorney also assist in day-to-day administration. The current mayor is Larry Forsythe, first elected in April 2017.

Economy

Farmington derives much of its economic significance from its status as the county seat, as well as its being a central market for the broader Lead Belt region. Such occupations as education, government, and retail trade together employ a majority of the city's workforce, with Wal-Mart and the Farmington School District being among the largest individual employers. Other significant businesses include Lowe's, J.C. Penney, Accent Marketing, and Centene Corporation.

Various manufacturers also operate in the Farmington area. These include branches of U.S. Tool Grinding and SRG Global, an auto parts supplier. The city and the local Chamber of Commerce have also made efforts to attract businesses to the historic downtown district. One of the most significant developments in recent years has been the opening of The Factory, a former garment industry property converted into an indoor mall with specialty shops and art studios.

Education

Various schools have operated in Farmington practically since the start of its existence, and it was the site of the first public school in St. Francois County (1870). Today, the city and the surrounding area are served by the Farmington R-VII School District. It consists of one kindergarten (Truman), three elementary schools for grades 1-4 (Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Washington-Franklin), one intermediate school for grades 5-6 (Lincoln), Farmington Middle School for grades 7-8, and Farmington Senior High School for grades 9-12. It has a total enrollment of approximately 4,000 students. Its mascot is the Knights, and the school colors are black and gold.

There are also two private schools in the city: St. Joseph Catholic School and St. Paul Lutheran School. Both serve grades K-8.