Name: Farmington (Bridgeport)

Class: H2

GPS: 45.449086, -122.947071

Directions: From Beaverton Oregon, drive West along Farmington Road/Highway 10. The town was just under 8 miles, before Farmington crosses the Tualatin River.

Description:

Farmington is one of the numerous farming towns in the Tualatin Valley that never made it very big. The town isn’t even listed in “Historic Communities of the Tualatin Valley.” What we do know is that Philip Harris and his wife Sarah were on the 1845 wagon train to Oregon, and were part of the smaller group that took the Meek Cutoff. The areas seems to have immediately became known as Bridgeport and in 1846 Church services were being held at their home. By 1852 the church had moved to it’s own building and seems to have served a large area. Residents from Kinton and Scholls were members of the congregation.

Phillip Harris built a ferry across the Tualatin River here, and later a bridge. The modern bridge at this location is named after him. Farmington grew after a mill was built and became a grain shipping town. Steam paddle wheelers plied the Tualatin River and stopped here to pick up goods that farmers were shipping to market. By 1884 there was enough population to necessitate a Post Office.

Many accounts say the area changed name from Bridgeport to Farmington, and this is likely when it happened. To reduce confusion with the existing post office atBridgeport, the Farmington Post Office was opened November 24, 1884. Lewis L. McArthur says in Oregon Geographic Names that the name was probably for Farmington, Connecticut. The post office lasted longer then many in this era, closing on January 14, 1905 to Hillsboro. Isaac B. Everson was the first Post Master.

It’s unclear when the Farmington Schoolhouse was built, but it’s said that the bell at the school was from nearby Laurel school. The two schools merged into the Farmington View Elementary and are now part of the Hillsboro School District.

More Information:

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