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 ...

, United States. The population was 389 at the 2020 census. The small town is situated on Buffalo Creek and the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

about 6 miles west of Fairmont, Marion County's county seat. It is best known for being the site of the 1968 Farmington Mine disaster.

History

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

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

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 close to mine Number 08 of Jamison Coal and Coke Company. The mine exploded in 1926 and was sealed in the 1940s. The town is also close to mine Number 09 of Consolidated Coal Company, which is the site of the 1968 Farmington Mine disaster that killed 78 people. The mine had previously exploded in 1954 and was eventually sealed in 1978.

Education

For public education, the town is part of Marion County Schools, which covers all of Marion County. Preschool through grade three attend Fairview Elementary School and grades four through eight attend Fairview Middle School, both in nearby Fairview, while students in grades nine through twelve attend North Marion High School, which is located approximately east of Farmington on US Route 250 and has a Farmington mailing address. Adjacent to North Marion High School is the Marion County Technical Center, which houses vocational and career tech programs available to high school students from the entire district. Prior to 1975, Farmington had its own high school, Farmington High School. Athletic teams were known as the Farmers. It was closed due to structural issues caused by mine

subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope mov ...

, which affected several other properties in town during the 1970s. North Marion opened four years later as a consolidation of the remaining surrounding high schools.

Geography

Farmington is located at (39.512979, -80.252060), along Buffalo Creek. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 375 people, 163 households, and 111 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Asian, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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

of 2000, there were 387 people, 163 households, and 108 families living in the town. The

was 917.3 inhabitants per square mile (355.8/km²). There were 194 housing units at an average density of 459.8 per square mile (178.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.90%

, 1.81%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 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

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Waitman T. Willey, was born in a log cabin near Farmington * Frank Gatski, athlete in the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

* Joe Manchin, former U.S. Senator from West Virginia * Sam Huff, Pro Football Hall of Fame

References

External links

Mine Disaster
{{authority control Towns in Marion County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia Coal towns in West Virginia