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History · Farmington

Farmington dates to 1878, and 51% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Masonic Hall. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1880.

1878founded
1on the National Register
51%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Farmington’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Farmington began

When was Farmington founded?

1878

Farmington dates its founding to 1878 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 76 in 18802020 census: 131148 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1877.The full story ↓

What stands out about Farmington’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Old housesHalf of Farmington’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 489 in 1910; 131 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1888 to 1908, drew every building in Farmington.
★ What stands out · The story

How Farmington came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Farmington.

Read it all →

Farmington was laid out in 1878. Farmington was officially incorporated in 1888. At Farmington's peak (1900–1930) the town boasted a population of just under 500. As demand for farm labor decreased, the population and business of the town decreased. Today, Farmington has a population of about 150.

Farmington was settled as Pine Creek, and incorporated as Farmington in 1888, when the population peaked at 1,200.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Farmington, census by census

010020030040050018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 489

Peaked at 489 in 1910; 131 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Farmington’s Wikipedia page.

Every building

Farmington, building by building, 1888–1908

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Farmington fire insurance map, 1888, sheet 11888Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Farmington, 1877 to 1964

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1877Post officeThe Pine Creek post office opens
  3. 1878
    FoundingFarmington is established
  4. 1879Post officeThe Pine Creek post office closes
  5. 1879Post officeThe Farmington post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1909In the archiveFarmington High School and Park, circa 1909 - DPLA - 802f375e23c1ea12d799453ec2f7875a
  8. 1910In the archiveFarmington State Bank and the Old Crow Saloon - DPLA - 70b7aa9acb808ebb82ffc837740f2771
  9. 1910CensusPopulation peaks at 489
  10. 1922In the archiveFarmington high school classes of 1921-1924 - DPLA - 819100794aa770cb6c3fb5a81ec0feed
  11. 1950In the archiveFarmington State Bank - DPLA - a567ed153471c0d90705b5de5114feb8
  12. 1964On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Farmington, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s–1920s5 items
Farmington High School and Park, circa 1909 - DPLA - 802f375e23c1ea12d799453ec2f7875ac. 1909Farmington High School and Park, circa 1909 - DPLA - …Home in Farmington, Washington, 1909 - DPLA - 7e4e010e97c0cc44bde54304236215401909Home in Farmington, Washington, 1909 - DPLA - 7e4e010…Farmington State Bank and the Old Crow Saloon - DPLA - 70b7aa9acb808ebb82ffc837740f2771c. 1910Farmington State Bank and the Old Crow Saloon - DPLA …Farmington High School, Farmington, Washington, circa 1913 - DPLA - 170b29c18c2b89bfd3cf39b3254ce5bec. 1913Farmington High School, Farmington, Washington, circa…Farmington high school classes of 1921-1924 - DPLA - 819100794aa770cb6c3fb5a81ec0feed1922Farmington high school classes of 1921-1924 - DPLA - …
1950s1 item
Farmington State Bank - DPLA - a567ed153471c0d90705b5de5114feb8c. 1950Farmington State Bank - DPLA - a567ed153471c0d90705b5…
1960s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today6 recent
02-43-10, steptoe butte201302-43-10, steptoe butte02-43-08, sunrise201302-43-08, sunriseUntitled photo2013Untitled photo04-11-05-farmington200404-11-05-farmingtonFarmington wa2003Farmington waFarmington wa autumn2002Farmington wa autumn
On the map

Farmington on the map, 1964 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Farmington. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Farmington on the 1964 USGS mapFarmington on the 1984 USGS mapFarmington on the 1994 USGS map1964Farmington sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Farmington.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Farmington High School and Park, circa 1909 - DPLA - 802f375e23c1ea12d799453ec2f7875a
Retake this viewFarmington High School and Park, circa 1909 - DPLA - 802f375e23c1ea12d799453ec2f7875a, c. 1909

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Farmington’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Farmington

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1987
Masonic Hall
Masonic Hall
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Neo-Classical1
All 1 listings
Masonic HallBuilding · listed 1987

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Farmington

Nobody well known was born in Farmington itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jim MattisUnited States 26th Secretary of Defense · b. 1950
John Kitzhaber35th and 37th governor of Oregon · b. 1947
Yakima CanuttAmerican rodeo rider, actor and stuntman · b. 1895
Georgia ColemanDiver · b. 1912
Mildred BaileyNative American jazz singer · b. 1907
Josh RitterAmerican musician · b. 1976
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Farmington’s post office has been open since 1879. Another post office, Pine Creek, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Pine Creek
1877–1879
Farmington
1879–today
18701950today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Farmington’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFarmington High School and Park, circa …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Farmington’s history

What year was Farmington founded?

In 1878, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Farmington’s post office opened in 1877, and the census of 1880 counted 76 people here.

What is on the National Register in Farmington?

One place: the Masonic Hall (listed 1987).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.