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THE STORY OF FARMINGTON FOUNDING IS ONE OF A CITY BOUND TO GROW The Daily Journal, Flat River, Mo., Monday, March 19, 1979

              The story of Farmington’s beginnings is often told chronicle.  No tribute to the city on its 100^th birthday can leave out the first chapters. 

            Farmington’s founding family was divided by the Revolutionary War.   Two of the sons of the Rev. William Murphy of Virginia, Joseph and David, fought for Britain.  A third son, William, joined the rebels. 

            After the war ended, establishing the United States as a nation, the Baptist preacher and his three sons settled near Knoxville, Tenn.  In 1795, the quartet and a friend, Silas George, traveled to Missouri, which did not come under the Stars and Stripes until 1803 and become a state until 18 years later.  Led by an Indian guide, the Murphy’s and George reached the present site of Farmington. 

            Spain, which then owned Missouri, granted 640 acres of land to whomever cleared it.  The Murphy’s claimed their clearing, which became known as Murphy’s Settlement.  The father was given the area around Carter’s Spring. 

            Joseph took possession of land one and one-half miles from the center of the present city on what was called the Potosi Road.  William’s home became a farm two miles south of downtown Farmington.   Land to the north near a spring known as Waide’s Spring passed into David’s hand. 

            Rev. Murphy died on a return trip to Virginia in 1799.  Numerous direct descendents live in Farmington today.

             His widow, Mrs. Sarah Barton Murphy, became the leader in the community her husband and sons established.  She is credited with organizing the first Protestant Sunday school west of the Mississippi River and donated an acre of the town for the site of a church built of logs.  It was open to all Christians. 

            The community’s first store was opened in 1823 by John Peers.  In 1887, a bank opened its doors with A. Parkhurst as president and M.P. Cayce as cashier.  The Southern Missouri Argus was first published in 1860 by Nicol, Crowell and Shuck. 

            In the early days, a sturdy fort was also added.  It stood at the southern edge of the village near William Murphy’s original claim for protection against Indian raids.  After the Indian threat ended in 1824, the blockhouse was torn down.   Its nails, made by a local blacksmith, were exhibited at a World’s Fair. 

            The name Farmington, according to research by Ms. Gertrude Zimmer, replaced Murphy’s Settlement.  The permanent name, Ms. Zimmer wrote, recognized the richest farming land in the region.  The name is also found in 25 other states. 

           No written history can be found to document the date of the renaming.   Mrs. Ann Caroline Tetley, recognized as a Farmingtonian highly informed on the city’s past, said the present title came into use some time before 1821.  Persons making the community’s plat then referred to it as Farmington. 

            The town was the hub of St. Francois County, when the county was officially created on Dec. 19, 1821.  The leading community officially became the county seat the following year.  County officials held their first meeting in the home of Jesse Murphy. 

            One of them, County Surveyor Henry Poston, established the first surveyor’s corners.  According to historian Tom Miles, Poston marked the angles with mulberry-wood posts, worth 25 cents each, which did not remain permanently. 

            For some reason Poston did not finish the job, and an Irish schoolteacher in Doe Run, named Alexander Boyd, was commissioned to align streets and lots. 

           According to Miles, “Human nature being the same then as it is now, Boyd and his assistants were frequent partakers of rather strong stimulants, and it appears that during the time of the survey, they were unable to see straight in all matters.”  Five years later, the County Court appointed Richard Murphy to make a second survey and eliminate mistakes by Boyd and his crew.

            The city limits were drawn around 52 acres.  The eastern, southern and western boundaries were respectively Main, First and A streets.  The southern boundary ran partly along Spring Street.  The borders enclosed 73 lots. 

            Farmington’s incorporation came in 1836.  A special election of March 20, 1879 made the place a fourth-class city.   Seventy-four voters favored the change.   One ballot was marked “no.” 

            The first mayor was Alvin Rucker. 

            In 1860 Farmington had less than 500 inhabitants.  The population had grown to 3,001 by 1930.  The present population is estimated at 8,000 persons living in an area of 2,581 acres.

Many thanks to Jeanne (Hunt) Nassaney for transcribing this article for us! 

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