Here begins the tale of Farmington Hills a city in Oakland County. Farmington Hills history began long before its incorporation. The first white settler was a Quaker named Arthur Power. He came from Farmington New York. Power bought land in 1823. He returned in 1824 with families to clear the land. The settlement was first called Quakertown.
A post office was established in 1826. It was named Farmington. The township of Farmington was organized in 1827. The settlement incorporated as the village of Farmington in 1866 to 1867. A fire destroyed many buildings in 1872. Farmington became a city in 1926.
Did you know Farmington Hills ranks as one of the safest cities in the United States? It also ranks as one of America’s best cities to live in. Farmington and Farmington Hills are often thought of as one community. They were once part of Farmington Township.
Farmington Hills is home to the Holocaust Memorial Center. It is the only Holocaust memorial in Michigan. The center teaches people about the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Holocaust Memorial Center moved from West Bloomfield Township.
Farmington Hills has a total area of 33.31 square miles. Most of it is land. A small portion is water. Farmington Hills borders several other communities. These include West Bloomfield Franklin Southfield Livonia and Novi.
Before Farmington Hills became a city there were two villages within its boundaries. One was Quakertown. It started as a subdivision named Quaker Valley Farms. The other was Wood Creek Farms. It was developed as a subdivision in 1937. These villages joined with Farmington Township to form Farmington Hills in 1973. The city grew rapidly.
Many major companies have headquarters in Farmington Hills. These include Gale Mango Languages 5-Hour Energy and The Sharper Image. The United States headquarters of Bosch and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services are also here. Nissan’s North American technical center is in Farmington Hills too. The Nissan technical center handles project engineering of vehicle bodies.
Farmington Hills operates under a council-manager form of government. The city council has seven members. The mayor is elected to a two-year term. Six council members are elected to four-year terms. Council members serve at-large. They are elected in a nonpartisan capacity.
Farmington Hills has an active Mayor’s Youth Council. It addresses teen problems and issues. The council helped build Riley Skate Park. The Commission for Children Youth and Families works with Farmington. It promotes volunteerism community service and education.
In 2006, there was a public meeting about merging Farmington and Farmington Hills. The idea was to save money. Farmington and Farmington Hills already share some services. These include a school district a library system and a district court.
Almost all of Farmington Hills is in the Farmington Public Schools district. The district has elementary schools middle schools and high schools. Harrison High School closed in 2019. It became a community center called The Hawk. The Orchard Ridge campus of Oakland Community College is in Farmington Hills.
Major roads in Farmington Hills include M-5 Orchard Lake Road 12 Mile Road and 8 Mile Road. Public transportation is provided by SMART. Farmington Hills has been home to many notable people. These include Steve Ballmer Elizabeth Berkley and Pam Dawber.
Farmington Hills is a city with a rich history. It offers a high quality of life for its residents. From its early beginnings to its current status as a thriving suburb Farmington Hills has a lot to offer.