Union, Maine

Union, Maine
Town
Union Common in 1915
Location in Knox County and the state of Maine.
Coordinates: 44°12′47″N 69°16′3″W / 44.21306°N 69.26750°W / 44.21306; -69.26750
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Knox
Incorporated	1786
Area
• Total	34.49 sq mi (89.33 km2)
• Land	32.15 sq mi (83.27 km2)
• Water	2.34 sq mi (6.06 km2)
Elevation	43 ft (13 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,259
• Estimate (2012)	2,252
• Density	70.3/sq mi (27.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04862
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-78115
GNIS feature ID	0582772
Website	www.union.govoffice2.com

Union is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,259 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage and annual Union Fair.

Union was part of a tract of land called the Muscongus Patent, 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 first white settlers by the names of Anderson, Malcolm, and Crawford, arrived in 1772. The town was settled on July 19, 1774 and named Taylor Town after the original purchaser and settler, Dr. John Taylor from Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Dr. John Taylor purchased Union for £1,000. 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 carriages, cultivators, leather, , boots 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.