Quality of apples compares favorable with the product of other more extensive fruit producing localities. Speaking in terms of commercial apple growing, our valley produces in a normal year in the neighborhood of one hundred standard car loads. There are about 53,000 bearing apple trees in the San Juan district. A quote from 'The Sunny San Juan Magazine' from 1938 gives us a glimpse into how important the apple commerce was, 'The harvesting of some 2,000 acres of fruit calls for a lot of activity in this valley. In the early part of the 1900s, apples became a prime crop for the local farmers. Farmington began to blossom into a flourishing farm and ranch economy and incorporated on July 15, 1901. Settled by pioneers from Animas City, Colorado at the confluence of the La Plata, Animas, and San Juan Rivers. It was not until mid 1870's tht the population of the area began to grow with the actual settlement of what was to become Farmingtown, later shortened to Farmington. The Spanish passed through this area in the late 1700's and eventually settled in the eastern part of San Juan County in the early 1800's. After the Anasazi exit from the area, the land was then inhabited by the Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, and the Utes, which add to the cultural diversity found in this area to this day. Their past occupancy can still be seen in the various ruins that fill the surrounding countryside.

The history of Farmington can be dated back over 2,000 years ago when the Anasazi 'basket makers' lived in the area in what is now known as 'pit houses' and later in pueblo structures built from the native sandstone rock.

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