Outspoken about the community’s economic, social, spiritual, intellectual and physical health, Emery never wavered in following the Truth - as he saw it.

However, not everyone saw it his way, and expressed their differences with him in their own style.

“We have contended with every species of personal abuse, deceit, lying, defamation and slander, that could be connected by a few mean souls, and one malicious fool in particular, that were resorted to in order to injure our business and defame the character of our family - not even the wife being spared,” wrote Emery in the August 10, 1871 issue. “With all this, and in a period of general dullness and cry of hard times in this neighborhood, we have yet managed, by hard work and close application, by both man and wife (both in poor health), to get all the friends worth having, keep our Press moving, pay our bills, and TELL THE TRUTH.”

Farmington wasn’t making any progress in the early 1870s and he let the community know it, Things had gone from bad to worse and people were getting tired of Emery harping about it.

Unsanitary conditions of the streets and alleys created health problems. The first cold blooded murder in town - a local farmer beaten to death with a piece of firewood - was the result of a quarrel in one of Farmington’s six saloons, and a shop keeper rousted from his bed and dragged through the muddy streets by four inebriated and unhappy customers, were a few problems the community had no way to deal with.

These occurrences were “an outrage upon law and decency,” wrote Emery in the November 2, 1871 issue.

“People are determined that “law and order” shall prevail here even if it may be necessary to suppress every saloon in the village for that purpose.”

To have “law and order” prevail in the community, Farmington needed to be incorporated and organize a municipal government.

It took Emery a year and a half of hard campaigning to get the community ready.

In January 1872, state senator R.J. Chewning, a resident of Farmington, introduced a bill to have Farmington incorporated.

At last it seems that an act to incorporate the Village of Farmington has passed through the Legislature. We hope to have a copy of it soon. It should be printed and put in the hands of every person interested, so that all can act and vote upon it understandingly, when called upon. There can be no doubt of the importance of such a measure, in regulating and improving the village and enhancing the value of every man’s estate within its limits,” wrote Emery in the February 29, 1872 issue.

A copy of the act was slow to arrive but hurriedly printed in the March 21 issue for the residents to read, study and discuss its implications.

“In our view, it is very fair and equitable,” wrote Emery. Section 17 of the document indicated that the act of incorporation would be voted upon on the first Monday of April at Niskern’s Hotel on the corner of Oak and Second Streets.

After a week of discussing the act Emery had this to say in the March 28 issue: “The Incorporation Act, we suppose, is to be voted upon next Monday afternoon, and we presume all interested will be at the polls, to vote for or against it. Our opinion is that the act will be accepted by a respectable majority; for the fact is, the better portion of the people in this village are sick of the miserable and careless manner in which the place has gone on, with no government, no regulations, and no responsibility. If they are to live here, they desire to have the place assume a decent appearance, and made somewhat attractive, so that strangers passing thro’ and desiring a place to locate may not be repelled by the absence of all systems, order and neatness, which are so agreeable to people from the eastern States, generally, and to all people of taste and refinement from anywhere. Hundreds of persons in search of good farming locations, which are here abundant - people with money, enterprise and taste - what we specially need and must have to build here, have passed us by: the shanty-like aspect of things, the muddy streets and sink-holes, the absence of sidewalks and trees, made them dubious, and so they passed on, We must remedy all this, if possible, and the first step is now before us. We therefore urge all friends of order and improvement who have votes to give to throw them “For the Act of Incorporation,” on Monday next when they assemble to ballot.”

On April 1, 1872, the Act of Incorporation was approved by 89 voters and rejected by 11. Although the Act of Incorporation was accepted, Farmington had to wait a little longer for its anticipated Village Charter.

Emery was ready for the next step in the process and encouraged qualified residents to consider running for public office.

A citizen’s caucus was held on Friday, May 3, with nine candidates competing for six offices. It was no surprise that the candidates who received the majority votes at the caucus were the ones elected as Farmington’s first public officials on Monday, May 6.

B.F. Miller, a merchant, and Thomas C. Davis, a banker and wealthiest individual in town, were elected to the Board of Trustees. Edward Brackett, a railroad agent, was also elected a Trustee and chosen to preside over the Board.

J.F. Dilley, a merchant, was elected Constable, Charles B. Smith, a merchant and real estate agent, was elected Treasurer, and W. Gibbons, a merchant, was elected Justice of the Peace. Samuel Webster was appointed the Village Assessor by the Board of Trustees and John Emery was asked to be the community’s first Village Clerk.

Emery gave the newly elected officials some advice in the May 9 issue: “The officers elected are as competent and faithful as could be gathered from the list of those who would be willing to serve; and we trust they will perform their duties in an acceptable manner. The trustees are burdened with the entire management of the village government, and their office is one of much responsibility and trust. They will have plenty to see to, lots of fault found with them, and have no pay for their trouble - always expecting the satisfaction they will feel in regulating, re-arranging and beautifying this naturally pretty village. We say to our new Board of Officers: Go ahead, moderately, but firmly and fearlessly; and manage our young city’s affairs just you would manage your own estates - as if you had all to enjoy and all to pay for yourselves - and you cannot go very wide of the mark.”

The officers of the Board of Trustees did go ahead moderately, firmly and fearlessly, as well as generations of elected and appointed officials who followed them. Farmington’s charter would change with the community. In 1900 Farmington was re-incorporated. The village was then governed under the “general Village Laws of the State of Minnesota.” The special charter granted to the village in 1872 by the State was surrendered. The greatest benefit of the re-incorporation was that the duties of the elected officials were better defined. The stage was set for the community to see its greatest changes.