City of Farmington
On behalf of the beautiful city of Farmington, I am delighted to welcome you. Rich with history, culture, natural beauty, economic development and Midwestern values, Farmington is unique to other Missouri towns of its size and population. With strip mall development, many small towns lose the charm of an older downtown district. Farmington has worked with the Downtown Development Association to preserve this charm by working to restore and beautify our downtown historic district. You will feel as though you are stepping back to the turn of the century and sense the pride of the city when you visit shops and restaurants in downtown.
If you’re just passing through, I invite you to drive down West Columbia Street, which will take you past the historical residential area. This charming old tree-lined street passes several pre-civil war homes and will lead you directly to the courthouse square in the historic downtown district. The St. Francois County Courthouse, built in 1927, is one of the most imposing public structures in this section of the state. As the county grew, the city of Farmington and the county worked together to build a much needed courthouse annex on Liberty Street — just across from the old courthouse. This new courthouse annex is a monument to the enterprising public spirit of the community and a credit to its designers, engineers and builders.
Farmington’s motto is, “The City of Tradition and Progress.” From our intuitive forefathers forward, the city has strived to achieve both. Farmington was settled in 1798 by the Reverend William Murphy. William returned to Tennessee the next year to move his family here and died of fever en route. His widow, Sarah Barton Murphy, moved all their belongings by flatboat to Ste. Genevieve in 1800. With great fortitude and faith, she and her sons began the building of our town in an area called Murphy’s Settlement, where there was an abundance of good water springs. As settlers moved in, Sarah invited the children into her home for lessons and is known for starting the first Sunday school west of the Mississippi River. Sarah Barton Murphy would be proud of the many beautiful churches of many denominations that bless our city. The values and determination of this founding family has been passed down through the years and I believe this is what makes Farmington the progressive city it is.
Farmington has an outstanding school district and many beautiful old and new residential areas. Our city has always been the cultural center of the region and offers many amenities for our residents and our visitors. You won’t lack for something to do in Farmington! We have a Civic Center with a gymnasium, meeting rooms, indoor aquatics center and state-of-the-art fitness center. Next to the Civic Center you will find the Water Park, which brings visitors from as far as St. Louis to Cape Girardeau. The city’s Centene Center provides an auditorium for theatrical and musical productions and other community activities. We have a great library, many public parks and a skate park to provide yet another alternative.
With the strip mall development, Farmington has become the retail hub of the region and offers a variety of great restaurants, motels, a movie theater, skating rink, bowling alley and more.
As our town continues to grow, our city council will continue to maintain the integrity of those before us, ensuring that we keep the small town atmosphere we have become accustomed to in Farmington. I coined a phrase many years ago, and hope Farmington will always be “A Town to Come Home To!”
Most sincerely,
Jeannie Roberts
Mayor of Farmington
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