page_title: Farmington, Minnesota
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Farmington, Minnesota / History
caption_attribution_description: English: By William Wesen on en:February 23, en:2008 - released to the Public Domain en:Category:Images of Minnesota - should be in Commons Category:Registered Historic Places in Minnesota
context_page_description: Farmington is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 21,086 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
context_section_description: Settlers began arriving in Empire Township, in which Farmington grew, in the early 1850s. The village of Dakota City began around the intersection of the Minnesota Central, Hastings, and Dakota railroads, and also the Vermillion River. The popular city train station in Dakota City was Farmington Station and non-residents began confusing the two names and identifying the town as Farmington. The town's name was then permanently changed from Dakota City to Farmington. The present name was given for the numerous farms near the original town site. Farmington received its village charter in 1872 making Farmington the second oldest community in Dakota County after the county seat, Hastings.
  A notable event in Farmington's history is the movement of the Dakota County Fair to Farmington in 1869. Another event, the Great Fire of Farmington on November 22, 1879, destroyed several houses, stores, a hotel, and a grain elevator in the current downtown area.  The fire was started by a firework cart that was knocked over in a buggy accident. Farmington High School graduated its first class in 1884. Farmington was one of the first communities in the United States to offer rural free mail delivery in 1897.
  The town continued to grow throughout the twentieth century. The city celebrated its centennial in 1972. In the recent past, the city has expanded to include several suburban neighborhoods north of the original downtown area. Farmington is still separated by Lakeville to the north and west by farms. However, the community continues to be incorporated in the expanding suburbs of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
  Farmington is home to three properties listed on the Register of Historic Places for Dakota County: the Daniel F. Akin House, the Church of the Advent, and the Exchange Bank Building.
caption: The Exchange Bank Building in downtown Farmington
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