Officers President: Dottie Bean
Vice-Pres: Norma Park
Secretary: Joyce White
Treasurer: Rebecca Howard
Auditor: Lola Wallace
Public Relations: JoAnn Doke & Stan Freeda
Curator: Kyle Leach
Monthly Meetings
Our monthly programs are free and open to the public!
The Society meets on the first Friday of the Month. A presentation to the group is followed by a business meeting.
Meetings are:
January - no meeting
February - business meeting only, no presentation
March through October - presentation and business meeting
November - annual Pot Luck Supper Meeting
December - presentation and business meeting
Check the calendar below for specific dates.
Membership
Annual dues are $5.00
New members are always welcome.
Our monthly programs are free and open to the public!
Programs
Monthly meetings include of presentations on topics of interest feature local and regional speakers.
The Society operates and manages the Farmington Historical Society Museum.
The Society annually awards a $500 scholarship to a graduating Farmington High School senior. The Society published the pictorial book Images of America - Farmington, available at the library for $16.99. We also have a written History of Farmington NH, available at the library for $3.00.
A little Farmington History
The native Indians called the area "Chemung," meaning "canoe place." When settlers arrived in the 1770's, it was known as the Northwest Parish of Rochester. Distance and rough roads made it difficult for these first families to travel to the established church in Rochester, although they were taxed heavily for it. This age old problem of taxation was the catalyst which caused the citizens to petition for a charter to incorporate a separate township of Farmington, and this was granted on December 1, 1798. The first town meeting was held on March 11, 1799, at the home of Simon Dame. The 141 voters present elected three selectmen: Idhabod Hayes, Lieutenant Ephraim Kimball and David Roberts. This form of government has been maintained, with the addition of a town administrator, to this day.
Originally an agricultural settlement, the early homes were farms in the Merrill's Corner section, hence the town name. In the 1800s, the establishment of water-powered industries along the Cocheco, Ela and Mad Rivers caused a population shift with the present downtown area evolving near these rivers. The subsequent construction, in 1849, of a railroad through the mill area brought further prosperity and cemented the location of the town commercial center. In the early days this business area was referred to as "The Dock" or "Puddledock," a name which endures today on the masthead of the local newspaper, The Puddledock Press.
Although Farmington began as an agricultural community, the principal industry to develop was shoe manufacturing. From its beginnings in 1836 when E. H. Badger built the first shoe shop on Spring Street, to its ending in 1991 when the last factory (the Alton Shoe Company) closed its doors, the shoe industry made the town's reputation and employed upwards of 2,000 people. It was as a cobbler that the most renowned native, Vice President Henry Wilson, got his start, journeying to the shoe capital of Natick, Massachusetts, in 1833 to learn his trade.
Though difficult to envision today, the downtown area once contained several hotels, grocery stores and even a movie theater and bowling alley. Farmington has had its ups and downs like any other community, with prosperity checked by disasters and economic depressions. Through good and bad times, its generations of loyal residents remained strong and supportive of one another, with deep pride in the past accomplishments and optimism for the future.
Books About Farmington History
These books are available from the Farmington Historical Society or can be purchased at the Goodwin Library.
Arcadia Publishing, 1997
Farmington Historical Society, Book Committee:
Dorothy Bean
Dorinda Howard
Norma Park,
Home to the world's largest bobsled - nicknamed "Uncle Sam" - and the birthplace of scientists, artists, writers, and even a Vice-President of the United States, Farmington has a history as fascinating as it is long. The efforts to create this amazing photographic history began when members of the Farmington Historical Society agreed upon a unique way to commemorate the 1998 Bicentennial of the incorporation of the Town of Farmington. This gem of a pictorial history of Farmington is available from the Farmington Historical Society for $16.99.
The History of Farmington, New Hampshire
The Foster Press, 1976
Bicentennial History Committee
Farmington, NH, 1976
Marion E. Newbury
Velma Eaton
Judy Sullivan
Linda Ghareeb
This history of Farmington does not pretend to be all inclusive. Several times over the years, records have been destroyed by fires over the years, and there are no records previous to 1879. The book is available from the Puddledock Press for $5.00.
Geneology Records
The Historical Society does not maintain historical records of residents and families previously living in Farmington. The Goodwin Library does have a few records from local cemeteries. While we welcome questions of any kid, and will try to answer them as best we can, please contact the town offices and Goodwin Library first, if you are conducting genealogical searches. They are more equipped to help you with your questions than we might be.
