Union County, South Carolina
| Union County, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Location in the U.S. state of South Carolina |
|
 South Carolina's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1785 |
| Seat | Union |
| Largest city | Union |
| Area | |
| • Total | 516 sq mi (1,336 km2) |
| • Land | 514 sq mi (1,331 km2) |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (5 km2), 0.4% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 27,777 |
| • Density | 56/sq mi (22/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,961. Its county seat is Union. The county was created in 1785.
Union County is included in the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.
The area that includes Union County was once controlled by the Cherokee Indians and they used it as a hunting ground. Up until recent years, one could find numerous arrowheads with little effort throughout the county.
The first European settlers in Union County came from the backcountry of Virginia and Pennsylvania; more than three-fourths were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. It has been suggested that the first group of pioneers arrived as early as 1751. They settled in the northwestern section of the county near a small river that would later be named Fairforest Creek. According to tradition, a member of the party looked out at the thick woodlands and exclaimed, "What a fair forest!" At the time of their arrival, wild buffalo and horses abounded as well as panthers and cougars, which were called "tigers" or "tygers" by the settlers. This may be where the Tyger River got its name.
The early settlers established Fairforest Presbyterian Church, the first house of worship in Union County. Around 1754, the Brown's Creek area was first settled, about four miles northeast of the present city of Union. A log church or meetinghouse was built and shared among several denominations that could not yet afford their own separate structures. The county and county seat were named for this "Union" church. Quakers arrived in the mid 1750s and settled the southern portion of the county, establishing Cane Creek Church in the Santuc community, and Padgett's Creek Church in the Cross Keys community. The Quakers left in the early 1800s because of their opposition to slavery. Baptists entered the county in 1759 and established the first Baptist church in the South Carolina upcountry. Many Baptist churches throughout the county are descended from this original congregation.
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