Farmington is a town in
Marion County, West Virginia
Marion County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,205. Its county seat is Fairmont. The county was named in honor of General Francis Marion (''ca.'' 1732–1795), known to history as "T ...
, United States. The population was 389 at the
2020 census.
It is best known for being the site of the 1968
Farmington Mine disaster
The Farmington Mine disaster was an explosion that happened at approximately 5:30 a.m. on November 20, 1968, at the Consol No. 9 coal mine north of Farmington and Mannington, West Virginia, United States.
The explosion was large enough to be ...
.
The community was named for the fact a large share of the first settlers were farmers. The area was first settled by James Goodin in the late 1700s, by Nicholas Wood and family, and by Jacob Straight and family in the 1770s. A later settler, Joseph Morgan, would build a mill here in 1801. The area would later be incorporated in Marion County as the town of Farmington in 1896, but was earlier known as Willeyvile, Willeytown, and Underwood. While it was officially named Farmington in 1896, when the
B and O Railroad ran through the town its stations there went under the name Underwood because of there being many towns of the same name. The town was also home to mines Number 08 of Jamison Coal and Coke Co.(exploded in 1926 and then sealed in the 1940s)
and Number 09 of
Consolidated Coal Co.(exploded in 1954 and
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
, then sealed in 1978), to the Farmington High School "Farmers" and the
North Marion High School Huskies, and to several small family businesses that run to present day. The small town is situated on
Buffalo Creek and the
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...
about 6 miles west of Fairmont, West Virginia, Marion County's county seat.
Geography
Farmington is located at (39.512979, -80.252060),
along
Buffalo Creek.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 375 people, 163 households, and 111 families living in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 192 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.3%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 1.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.3% of the population.
There were 163 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age in the town was 39.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 387 people, 163 households, and 108 families living in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 917.3 inhabitants per square mile (355.8/km
2). There were 194 housing units at an average density of 459.8 per square mile (178.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.90%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.81%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, and 1.29% from two or more races.
There were 163 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $39,688. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,750 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $15,990. About 5.9% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
Waitman T. Willey
Waitman Thomas Willey (October 18, 1811May 2, 1900) was an American lawyer and politician from Morgantown, West Virginia. One of the founders of the state of West Virginia during the American Civil War, he served in the United States Senate r ...
, was born in a log cabin near Farmington
*
Frank Gatski
Frank "Gunner" Gatski (March 18, 1921 – November 22, 2005) was an American professional football player who was a center for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) in the 19 ...
, athlete in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
*
Joe Manchin
Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor of ...
, U.S. Senator
*
Sam Huff
Robert Lee "Sam" Huff (October 4, 1934 – November 13, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He played college foot ...
, Pro Football Hall of Fame
See also
* Other
Farmington
Farmington may refer to:
Places Canada
*Farmington, British Columbia
* Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation)
United States
*Farmington, Arkansas
*Farmington, California
*Farmington, Connecticut
*Farmington, Delaware
* Farmington, Georgia
* ...
s
*
Fairmont Marion County Transit Authority
References
External links
Mine Disaster
{{authority control
Towns in Marion County, West Virginia
Towns in West Virginia
Coal towns in West Virginia