Union, Maine
Encyclopedia
Union is a town
in Knox County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 2,209 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage and annual Union Fair
.
, a grant made March 2, 1629 by the Plymouth Council
to John Beauchamp and Thomas Leverett. About 1720, it was purchased by General Samuel Waldo of Boston and thereafter called the Waldo Patent. The town was settled on July 19, 1774 and named Taylor Town after the original purchaser and settler, Dr. John Taylor from Lunenburg
, Massachusetts
. On May 3, 1786, it was organized as the Plantation of Sterlingtown, and on October 20, 1786 the town was incorporated and named Union. Washington
was formed from a portion of Union in 1811.
Agriculture
was the principal business, and on October 5, 1869 the North Knox Agricultural & Horticultural Society opened the first annual Union Fair
. The town had mills operated by water power at the outlets of ponds. Factories at Union produced carriage
s, cultivator
s, leather
, harness, boot
s and shoes
. South Union had a cabinet and musical instrument factory, an iron
foundry
, a machine shop and a coffin
factory. East Union had a lumbermill, in addition to a chair
and table
factory.
A war memorial
was dedicated at the common
on July 4, 1888. When Union celebrated on July 19, 1974 the bicentennial of its settlement, a time capsule
was buried near the statue, to be dug up July 19, 2024. The capsule contains a picture of children from around the town and "scores of current memorabilia." Union was the subject of the 1940 historical novel
, Come Spring, by author Ben Ames Williams
.
, the town has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²). 32.1 square miles (83.1 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it (6.88%) is water. Union is drained by the Medomak River
, Saint George River
, Pettengill Stream, Fuller Brook, Hope Brook, Little Medomak Brook and the Back River. Coggans Hill, elevation 817 feet (249 meters) above sea level, is the highest point in the town.
of 2000, there were 2,209 people, 863 households, and 632 families residing in the town. The population density
was 68.8 people per square mile (26.6/km²). There were 1,052 housing units at an average density of 32.8 per square mile (12.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.64% White, 0.09% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.
There were 863 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,679, and the median income for a family was $41,050. Males had a median income of $30,984 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,240. About 6.1% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
National Register of Historic Places
:
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Knox County
Knox County, Maine
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 39,736. Its county seat is Rockland. The county is named for American Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who lived in the county from 1795 until his death in 1806. The county was...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,209 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage and annual Union Fair
Union Fair
The Union Fair is an agricultural fair in Union, Maine. It began in 1869 and, since 1886, all fair's have taken place in Union....
.
History
Union was part of a tract of land called the Muscongus PatentWaldo Patent
The Waldo Patent, a letters patent also known as the Muscongus Patent or the Lincolnshire Patent, was an area of land 36 miles square in what is now the U.S...
, a grant made March 2, 1629 by the Plymouth Council
Plymouth Council for New England
The Plymouth Council for New England was the name of a 17th century English joint stock company that was granted a royal charter to found colonial settlements along the coast of North America....
to John Beauchamp and Thomas Leverett. About 1720, it was purchased by General Samuel Waldo of Boston and thereafter called the Waldo Patent. The town was settled on July 19, 1774 and named Taylor Town after the original purchaser and settler, Dr. John Taylor from Lunenburg
Lunenburg, Massachusetts
Lunenburg is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,086 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lunenburg, please see the article Lunenburg , Massachusetts....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. On May 3, 1786, it was organized as the Plantation of Sterlingtown, and on October 20, 1786 the town was incorporated and named Union. Washington
Washington, Maine
Washington is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,345 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
was formed from a portion of Union in 1811.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
was the principal business, and on October 5, 1869 the North Knox Agricultural & Horticultural Society opened the first annual Union Fair
Union Fair
The Union Fair is an agricultural fair in Union, Maine. It began in 1869 and, since 1886, all fair's have taken place in Union....
. The town had mills operated by water power at the outlets of ponds. Factories at Union produced carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s, cultivator
Cultivator
A cultivator is any of several types of farm implement used for secondary tillage. One sense of the name refers to frames with teeth that pierce the soil as they are dragged through it linearly. Another sense refers to machines that use rotary motion of disks or teeth to accomplish a similar result...
s, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, harness, boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s and shoes
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
. South Union had a cabinet and musical instrument factory, an iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
, a machine shop and a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
factory. East Union had a lumbermill, in addition to a chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
and table
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
factory.
A war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
was dedicated at the common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
on July 4, 1888. When Union celebrated on July 19, 1974 the bicentennial of its settlement, a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
was buried near the statue, to be dug up July 19, 2024. The capsule contains a picture of children from around the town and "scores of current memorabilia." Union was the subject of the 1940 historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
, Come Spring, by author Ben Ames Williams
Ben Ames Williams
Ben Ames Williams American writer who published over thirty novels, including All the Brothers Were Valiant ,Come Spring ,The Strange Woman , House Divided , Leave Her to Heaven and The Unconquered...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²). 32.1 square miles (83.1 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it (6.88%) is water. Union is drained by the Medomak River
Medomak River
The Medomak River is a river in Maine. From its source in Liberty, the river winds south to the head of its estuary in Waldoboro, then about south to Bremen. The river flows through Hockomock Channel into the head of Muscongus Bay.-References:**...
, Saint George River
Saint George River
The Saint George River is a river in Maine with a watershed of in a unique and historic area of mountains, sea coast, lakes, tidal streams and inlets. The origin of the Saint George River is the outflow of Saint George Lake in Liberty...
, Pettengill Stream, Fuller Brook, Hope Brook, Little Medomak Brook and the Back River. Coggans Hill, elevation 817 feet (249 meters) above sea level, is the highest point in the town.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,209 people, 863 households, and 632 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 68.8 people per square mile (26.6/km²). There were 1,052 housing units at an average density of 32.8 per square mile (12.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.64% White, 0.09% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.
There were 863 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,679, and the median income for a family was $41,050. Males had a median income of $30,984 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $16,240. About 6.1% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine, United States...
:
- Ebenezer Alden HouseEbenezer Alden HouseEbenezer Alden House is an historic house in Union, Maine. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-References:...
- The Union
- Lermond Mill
- Joseph and Hannah Maxcy Homestead
- Union Town House
Notable people
- Obadiah GardnerObadiah GardnerObadiah Gardner was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. Gardner was a businessman and member of the Democratic Party who served in several minor state executive positions before serving a single six-year term in the United States Senate.Gardner was born near Port Huron, Michigan...
, senator - Augustin ThompsonAugustin ThompsonAugustin Thompson was a physician, business person and philanthropist who created the Moxie soft drink and the company that manufactures it.-Early life:Thompson was born in Union, Maine on November 25, 1835...
, physician and businessman who created MoxieMoxieMoxie is a carbonated beverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It continues to be regionally popular today....
Further reading
- 200 Years in Union By Chester Nash, Patricia Kahn, and the Union Historical Society in 1974. Printed by the Courier-Gazette.
- 200 Years in Union: Corrections and Additions Supplement by the Union Historical Society
- "Union Past and Present" by Union Weekly Times, 1895
- Sibley's History of Union by John L. Sibley