Union County
… was formed in 1842 from Anson and Mecklenburg Counties. Located in the S central section of the state, it is bounded by the state of South Carolina and by Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Stanly, and Anson Counties. At the time the county was formed, there was a dispute between local Whigs and Democrats as to whether it should be named Clay or Jackson. The name Union was suggested and adopted as a compromise and because the new county was created from parts of two others. Area: 643 sq. mi. County seat: Monroe, with an elevation of 576 ft. Townships are Buford, Goose Creek, Jackson, Lanes Creek, Marshville, Monroe, New Salem, Sandy Ridge, and Vance. Produces oats, wheat, corn, cotton, lespedeza, poultry, turkeys, hogs, dairy products, livestock, textiles, apparel, bricks, pipes, processed meat, industrial machinery, wood products, asbestos, and crushed stone.
