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Except for a small strip of land bordering Livonia to the south, the City of Farmington is surrounded by the larger city of Farmington Hills.

Both are northern suburbs of the Detroit Metro Area, in lower Oakland County. As might be expected, the two cities share a history. Both were part of Farmington Township. Farmington was incorporated as a village in 1867 and separated from the township to become a city in 1926. The remainder of the township was incorporated as the City of Farmington Hills in 1973. Farmington is by far the smaller of the two, both in land area and in population. The population of Farmington is about 10,000, while Farmington Hills has a population of about 80,000.

In what was to become Farmington Township, and later Farmington, the first known European-American settlers were a Quaker by the name of Arthur Power, his son John, and an another Quaker named David Smith, who came in 1824. The township, and consequently both cities, were eventually named for Power's hometown of Farmington, New York. Originally, however, it was named Quakertown.

In the beginning, though, Power cleared his land and built a log cabin, which was the first building in what would later become Farmington. In 1825, he built a sawmill. As more settlers arrived, many of them Quakers, more homes, some businesses, schools, churches, and cemeteries were built. Before long, there were the makings of a town, along with a few other settlements within the township. A Baptist church was organized in 1826, with Elkanah Comstock as pastor.

A post office was established on January 7, 1826, with Ezekiel Webb as its first postmaster. The post office took the name of Farmington rather than Quakertown, however. In 1958, another community within the township was incorporated as the village of Quakertown, although it became part of Farmington Hills in 1972.

Farmington Township was organized in 1827, one of the first townships in Michigan to hold elections.

In the time leading up to the American Civil War, several people within the township served as part of the Underground Railroad, aiding escaped slaves from the South to find freedom in Canada, or elsewhere. Arthur Power's son, Nathan, was elected one of eleven vice presidents of the Michigan State Anti Slavery Society.

Development slowed during the war as many Farmington residents served in the Union Army. After the war, one square mile of Farmington, centered on Grand River Road and Farmington Road, was incorporated as a village in 1867.

In the early 1900s, the Detroit United Railroad established a passenger transport hub at the corner of Grand River Road and Orchard Lake Road, serving as the center for business for about thirty years until the automobiles largely replaced rail transport.

In 1926, a couple of years after Farmington celebrated its centennial, Farmington incorporated as a city. Following World War II, Farmington experienced rapid growth, its population increasing by nearly two hundred percent between 1950 and 1960. Although Farmington has experienced a few decades of slight decline, its history has been mostly one of growth.

The focus of this guide is on the City of Farmington, Michigan. Appropriate topics for this category include online resources for Farmington businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events, as well as those of the municipal government.

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