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Farmington Village

The village of Farmington embraces within its corporate limits a territory one mile square, being the west half of section 27 and the east half of section 28. The business centre of the village is one and a quarter miles south of the geographical centre of the township. The creek, which furnishes water-power to the Hardenberg, the Shackleton, and the Loveridge mills, flows diagonally through the northeast quarter of the corporation.

We have seen how its first commencement was made by Arthur Power, in the building of his large log house on the left bank of the creek, and how its first claim to comparative importance was created by the settlement of Dr. Webb, the first and only physician of the township, and still further advanced by the establishment of the post-office, and the erection of Mr. Power's mill; and we have seen how, because it owed its settlement and progress chiefly to these two men, and in less degree to others of the Friends who had settled in and near it, it came to receive the distinctive name of Quakertown. This name, however, although not objected to by them on account of its reference to their sect, was not favored by Dr. Webb and Mr. Power, who desired instead that it should be named in honor of the old home which they had left, in Ontario county, New York. This purpose had been in a great measure accomplished by them when the post-office was established by the name of Farmington; for, from being first given to the office, it gradually displaced that of Quakertown, and then, naturally enough, came to be applied to the whole township, and finally was officially adopted in the organization.

In or about the year 1830, Arthur Power added a grist-mill to the list of his real estate at Farmington. It was built upon a new dam which he threw across the stream some distance below the leaky one which he had built for the saw-mill, and by the new arrangement both the saw- and grist-mill took their water from the new dam, and the first one, as well as the canal which led from it, were discontinued. This mill continued in operation there for many years, but it never attained as high a standing as that enjoyed by the Steel mill. The dam and the wreck of the mill building may still be seen just above the upper road leading from the village across the stream to the northward.

Before 1830 another physician came to Farmington, in the person of Dr. Isaac Wixom. He located not far from the Quaker meeting- house, just outside the village, but within the present limits of the corporation. Not long after came Dr. Hudson, a bachelor, who first took board in the village, but soon married. He afterwards removed to Lansing, where he died. With three resident physicians the people of the village and of the township had no longer any lack of medical advice and treatment; and not only had they these three, but also Drs. Ebenezer Raynale - just across the town line, in Southfield - on the one hand, and Dr. J. C. Emery on the other, in the eastern edge of Novi; both excellent physicians, and both of whom practiced considerably in Farmington. Dr. Webb had, however, at this time, in a great degree withdrawn from practice, and (chiefly in consequence of a disagreement in matters of property between himself and Arthur Power) was preparing to remove from Farmington, which he did soon after; disposing of his property to George W. Collins.

There had been no public-house in the village until about 1830, when one was opened on the north side of the Detroit, or Shiawassee road, as it was often called, then the main street of the village. This tavern (there were no hotels in those days) stood a little east of where the Baptist church now is, and but a short distance from the bank of the creek. We are not able to state positively whether it was the same building which was erected in 1826 by Constantine Wood, for upon this point the opinions of those who remember the house are about equally divided, some being positive that is was the Wood house, and others asserting with equal earnestness that it was not. But whoever may have been the builder of the house, it seems to be quite certain that Dr. Isaac Wixom was its first landlord. After Dr. Wixom it was kept by Myra Gage, who was followed by several other landlords during the time of its existence, which was about twenty years.

Among the first of the village mechanics was Ebenezer G. Stevens, who opened the business of shoemaker in 1830, in a shop built for him by Arthur Power, on the north side of the road (or main street), and just east of the tavern, while nearly opposite to him a blacksmith-shop was opened about the same time, by two brothers named Dutcher.

In the business of merchandising at Farmington village Stephen Page was the pioneer. His store was opened in a dwelling-house which stood on the north side of the main road, west of the present location of the Baptist church. Another store was opened soon after near Page's, by Henry Miller, who is now living in Claifornia. His store was also built for him by Arthur Power, who seems to have been foremost in the encouragement of all enterprises calculated to promote the growth and prosperity of the village. Whether the stores of Page and Miller proved profitable to their proprietors is not known.

Among the other early stores in the village were those of Wells (who died by suicide upon the back of the creek, at Farmington in 1836), James I. Mead, and George W. Collins. Mr. Collins had moved from his farm into the village, and succeeded Dr. Webb as postmaster when the latter removed from town. He also purchased the property of the doctor, and opened his store in the small red building at the corner, west of the tavern. This red store was afterwards removed, and changed into a school-room for Mr. H. P. Daily, then again moved and transformed into a tin-shop, and finally destroyed in the fire of October 9, 1872.

John Thomas and Daniel S. Lee were also early merchants of Farmington.

Plats and Additions

The dates and locations of the various plats and additions of the village of Farmington are found recorded as follows:

Ebenezer Stewart's plat, eastern part, located on section 28, March 8, 1841.

W. D. Power's plat, located on northeast quarter of section 28, December 8, 1846.

Henry P. Daily's plat, located on northeast quarter section 28, April 30, 1850.

Davis' addition, located on the Davis farm, by Henry N. Walker, proprietor, September 3, 1850.

Abraham Lapham's addition, located on section 27, May 2, 1867.

Gardurus Webster's addition, located on section 28, October 10, 1870.