Union

UNION Incorporated 1734 This was the last town to be settled east of the Connecticut River, because of its rough terrain and poor soil. In 1633 John Oldham, an adventurer from Massachusetts, obtained from the Indians here specimens of black lead or graphite. During the Revolutionary War this valuable resource was tapped by Governor Trumbull for use at cannon foundries. Union, containing 12,500 acres, was sold by the General Assembly on July 1, 1720 to twelve proprietors for £307. The earliest actual settler, James McNall, came here in 1727. The first Connecticut census in 1756 showed the population of Union at five hundred, approximately the same as today. Lumbering was a leading industry during the 19th century. Shoes and axe handles were also made here. The only surviving industries are agriculture, forestry, and the manufacture of charcoal. Union is now mainly a residential community.