Farmington, New Hampshire’s former “Shoe Capital,” was settled as colonists moved inward onto historically Abenaki lands. The area around Farmington and New Durham was known as Chemung. Farmington’s settlement as an agricultural community expanded to introduce mills and downtown development on the Cocheco River and its tributaries. The introduction of the railroad just prior to the Civil War encouraged Farmington to expand its manufacturing capabilities, including that of the footwear industry it would become known for. Notable community member Henry Wilson was vice president under Ulysses S. Grant, a native of Farmington, and a shoemaker. Today Farmington is the gateway to the Lakes Region, as well as home to a mix of industrial, retail and service sector businesses, and critical workforce for seacoast area businesses.