Farmington’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 5 old photos of Farmington. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗William Murphy migrated from Kentucky to this former area of La Louisiane west of the Mississippi River in 1798, when it was under Spanish rule. Calderon was searching for the ideal site to relocate his family. Tradition holds that he was aided by a local Native American, likely Osage, in finding a spring near here.
Deciding that this was an excellent place to settle, Murphy acquired a Spanish Land Grant, allowing him and his family to found a community along the St. Francois River.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Farmington’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Farmington’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🗓️Date a photo4 archive items have no date+2 🔁Retake an old viewEast Columbia Street, 1900: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Farmington, decade by decade
1990s
7 historic places in Farmington
Farmington has 7 listings on the National Register, and they protect 45 historic buildings, because Courthouse Square Historic District alone counts 26.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
Listed 1996St. Francois County Jail and Sheriff's Residence
Listed 1998James Robinson McCormick House
Listed 2004Courthouse Square Historic District
Listed 2004East Columbia Historic District
Listed 2006Presbyterian Orphanage of MissouriListed 2007East Columbia Historic District (Boundary Increase)Listed 2010Farmington State Hospital No. 4 CemeteryThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as East Columbia Street (1900) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (7) and the Library of Congress (5). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.