Union, Missouri
Encyclopedia : U : UN : UNI : Union, Missouri
Union is a city in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,757 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County[Geographic references#6GR6]. It is located on the Bourbeuse River. The city was founded in 1827 and is named after the ideal of political unity.
Geography
Union is located at (38.446684, -91.006070)[Geographic references#1GR1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.9 km² (8.1 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 7,757 people, 2,940 households, and 2,002 families residing in the city. The population density was 370.7/km² (959.9/mi²). There were 3,133 housing units at an average density of 149.7/km² (387.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.44% White, 1.43% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.There were 2,940 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,596, and the median income for a family was $44,474. Males had a median income of $31,852 versus $22,924 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,885. About 4.2% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The City of Union is a 4th Class City with a City Administrator form of government.The elected, policy-making body of the City consists of a Mayor and an eight-member Board of Aldermen. Union is divided into four wards and each ward has two aldermanic representatives. Municipal elections are held on the first Tuesday of April every year.
The City Administrator is appointed by the Board of Aldermen and is the full-time Administrative Officer of the City responsible for overseeing all daily operations and the municipal staff.
The current Mayor of Union is Mayor Glenn Van Leer. The city is divided into four wards. Two Aldermen are elected from each ward and sit on the Board of Aldermen.
Board of Aldermen Ward I: Paul Arand,Dale Schmuke Ward II: Anne Parker, Bill Isgriggs Ward III: Don Viehland, Bob Schmuke Ward IV : Terry Copeland,Karen D. Erwin
History
In 1818 Franklin County was organized and separated from St. Louis County and named after one of America's founding fathers: Benjamin Franklin.With 922 square miles, Franklin County is the largest geographic area in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area and one of the largest counties in all of Missouri.
By an act of the State Legislature on January 22, 1825, the City of Union was established as the County Seat and the court met for the first time in Union in 1827.
The name "Union" has nothing to do with the American Civil War or organized labor; it came before either of them. Rather, the name was chosen to express the coming together of people and ideas as demonstrated by Union's selection as the new, centrally located seat of county government in the early 1800s.
The first building used as a courthouse in Union was a log structure and the ground where Union now exists was owned by three farmers who donated 72.5 acres for the establishment of the original town.
The County's present-day courthouse in Union was constructed in 1923 and was completely remodeled in 1970 after being bombed the previous year as a diversion during a bank robbery.
More than two centuries ago, the French were the first European settlers in Franklin County. These immigrants focused primarily on commercial ventures such as trapping, trading, and mining.
Soon Anglo-American settlers followed as they migrated from the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia to establish farms in the area. The first American settler to Franklin County is generally considered to be Kincaid Caldwell who arrived around 1803.
Major rivers and streams in the area include the Missouri, the Meramec, the Bourbeuse, the St. Johns and Boeuf Creeks. These waterways received their names from the Native American Indians and these early explorers and settlers.
Starting in 1820, a steady stream of German settlers were drawn to the area and this trend continued through 1910. Strong evidence of the German culture can still be found in architecture throughout Union and Franklin County and is reflected in common family names like Alfermann, Hoffmann, Overschmidt, Schroeder, Voss, and Zimmermann.
In November 1882 , a joint stock company was formed by businessmen of Union and Washington to build a telephone line to connect the two towns.
On Jan. 19, 1900, the Bell Telephone Company announced they would soon have the line connecting Washington and Pacific with St. Louis and that Union and other towns along the Frisco Railroad would be included in the circuit. Starting that April, anyone in Union who was willing to pay the price could use the telephone at the Reinhard-Miller Drug Store to call long distance to New York and San Francisco.
In 1887 the St. Louis-Kansas City and Colorado Railroad was constructed through Union. The SLKC&CRR was the product of several businessmen who lived in towns east of St. Louis, primarily those in Union, who saw the potential of having a railroad serving their community. This railroad later came under the ownership of the Rock Island Railroad. Today the city is served by the Missouri Central Railroad. Railroads in Franklin County primarily concentrate on hauling freight although Amtrak passenger service is available from the nearby City of Washington.
The first successful factory in Union was the National Cob Pipe Works which was opened in 1907 by a small group of local business leaders who saw the need to help create jobs for the semi-skilled labor force in the community. Its first order was for 1,000 pipes from a Chicago tobacconist. Within eight years, the company was producing five million pipes a year and claimed to be one of the largest manufacturers in the world. Employment during this period rose from 10 to 75.
In 1968, East Central College was established to serve the higher educational needs of people in east central Missouri. One year after voters created this new college district, the first classes were held in temporary facilities within the Union City Hall. That same year, a 114-acre tract of land was purchased for developing the main campus at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Prairie Dell Road.
Today, ECC now encompasses more than 200 picturesque acres and serves an enrollment of 3,500 students.
At the start of the 21st century, more than 300 successful businesses are now based in Union. Some of the City's largest employers are manufacturing firms such as the Esselte Pendaflex Corporation and Transaction Technology/Coinco as well as public service agencies like Franklin County Government, Union R-XI School District, and East Central College.
Along with the City of Union, the region of Franklin County now includes the cities and towns of Beaufort, Berger, Catawissa, Gerald, Gray Summit, Labadie, Leslie, Lonedell, Luebbering, New Haven, Pacific, Robertsville, Saint Clair, Sullivan, Villa Ridge, and Washington.
Union and Franklin County continue to grow in much the same way as our area started and progressed 200 years ago: through hard work, planning, and community spirit.
External links
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