Union City, Michigan
| Union City, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Location of Union City, Michigan |
|
| Coordinates: 42°4′2″N 85°8′16″W / 42.06722°N 85.13778°WCoordinates: 42°4′2″N 85°8′16″W / 42.06722°N 85.13778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Branch, Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.49 sq mi (3.86 km2) |
| • Land | 1.44 sq mi (3.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 906 ft (276 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,599 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,592 |
| • Density | 1,110.4/sq mi (428.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 49094 |
| Area code(s) | 517 |
| FIPS code | 26-81360 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1615340 |
Union City is a village in Branch and Calhoun counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located mostly within Union Township in Branch County, it sits at the junction of the Coldwater and St. Joseph rivers; the Calhoun County portion lies within that county's Burlington Township. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,599 at the 2010 census.
M-60 passes just north of the village.
Union City is located on the northern border of Branch County, about ten miles (16 km) northwest of Coldwater. This is a small picturesque and historic town that functions primarily as an adjunct community to the greater Coldwater and Battle Creek areas. It has a striking turn-of-the-century look architecturally, with well–preserved downtown buildings and several Victorian style homes. A Civil War monument can be seen on the north end of the main street area in the churchyard, while a veteran’s memorial along the riverbank to the south end commemorates those who fought in more recent wars.
Union City was first settled by Justin Goodwin in 1833, when he built a mill here and became the first postmaster, calling it "Goodwinville". A year later, he sold several hundred acres to E. W. Morgan, who officially platted the site, renaming it from the "union" of the Coldwater and St. Joseph Rivers, which join there. A consortium of four proprietors bought the site in 1837. It was eventually incorporated as a village in 1866.
Union City was designated as Station No. 2 of the famous Underground Railroad, where John D. Zimmerman (1811-1879), formerly of Connecticut, was stationmaster. The slaves seeking refuge were taken into a home built around 1840 by Mr. Zimmerman, who arrived in Union City from Fairfield, Connecticut, in the spring of 1838. He brought with him a set of blacksmith tools to operate the blacksmith shop promised for him by Israel Ward Clark, one of the four proprietors of the village of Union City in 1837. In September 1839, Zimmerman returned to Union City with his family; he soon built a wagon factory, blacksmith shop, and a Greek Revival house. Outraged by the institution of slavery, Zimmerman became a stationmaster for the Underground Railroad, hiding escaped slaves in his house and assisting them in their flight to Canada and freedom. The home is on the list of Michigan State Historic Sites and is located at 119 East High Street.
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