[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 114 (Friday, June 30, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E633-E634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING FARMINGTON HILLS UPON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HALEY M. STEVENS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 30, 2023

  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th 
anniversary of the city of Farmington Hills, and to recognize its 
contributions to the state of Michigan. Farmington Hills is a haven for 
a diverse community, for children of all ages, and for growth and 
justice. Over a hundred years before it became a city, Farmington 
Township and the Village of Farmington lived next to each other in 
harmony as a farming community that made its mark on Michigan history.
  Farmington received its name from its first settler, Arthur Power, 
who hailed from Farmington, New York. Power and Dr. Ezekiel Webb helped 
develop the community by starting families and creating a post office, 
a physician's office, and school. Together, they developed a small, 
strong farming community that slowly grew more businesses and 
traditions. Power spread his Quaker religious teachings to his son, 
Nathan, and imbued in him respect for all humans regardless of race. 
Nathan Power went on to serve as President of the Oakland County 
Antislavery Society. As a result of Nathan Power's leadership, 
Farmington became a key stop on the Underground Railroad and a channel 
for formerly enslaved individuals to travel to Detroit and Canada. 
Other famous abolitionists that spent time in Farmington in the 1800s 
include Laura Haviland, J.S.T. Milligan, and Sojourner Truth.

[[Page E634]]

  The city was also a part of a secret attack by the Japanese during 
World War II known as Operation Fu-Go, which launched over 9,000 
hydrogen balloons that failed to explode over the U.S. and Canada. One 
of these balloons was found near 8 Mile and Gill roads in Farmington in 
1945. The balloon started a small, short-lived fire in an open lot near 
the home of the Hedt's family and looked like a bonfire. At the 
instruction of the American government, the Farmington community and 
media stayed quiet about this attack until a few months later. In true 
patriotic fashion, Farmington contributed many of its dedicated 
community members to the war effort, including Army Private Alfred 
Ricke who was recently identified after being considered Missing In 
Action for the past 78 years.
  Farmington Township and the Village of Farmington began on their 
journey to join together and become a city in the 1970s, and the 
Township incorporated in May of 1973 to become the City of Farmington 
Hills. Becoming a city put Farmington Hills on the map, literally and 
figuratively. It brought in new business, more people, and inspired 
development. In the last fifty years, the City of Farmington Hills has 
grown from a simple farming community to one of the most diverse, 
populous, and safe cities in the state of Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to represent the City of Farmington 
Hills, Michigan, a community that represents true Michigan spirit and 
unique culture. This city's strong history represents the core values 
that make this a wonderful place to live, and it makes the 11th 
Congressional District proud. Their contributions to this state and 
this country have not gone unnoticed, and I ask my colleagues to join 
me in celebrating their 50 years of being the city of Farmington Hills, 
a place and a people that make us a stronger nation.