Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from

UNION.    _t    547

nor less than five, and they were to fill from members of the town any
vacancy that might occur in tho board. They were authorized to sell
and convey in fee-simple all of said ministerial and school lands, and
put the proceeds at interest. The latter was to accumulate until there
should be a fund, which would yield annually from the ministerial fund
the sum of $350, and from the school land $200, when the former
should be applied by the trustees to the settlement of a learned Prot-
estant minister ; and that it should never be in the power of the town
to alienate or anywise alter the funds aforesaid. The ministerial fund
became available in 1811, and the interest arising therefrom was paid
to Rev. Allen Greely, Congregationalist, who was the only settled min-
ister. In 1834 a Universalist Society having been formed, it was
agreed between their minister, Rev. George Bates, and Rev. Mr.Greely,
to divide the income of the fund between them ; and in 1840, the legisla-
ture of Maine authorized the trustees to divide the fund among several
Protestant ministers settled in town in proportion to the rateable polls
belonging to the congregations of said ministers. The town now has
Congregationalist, Baptist, Universalist and Methodist societies.

The first school taught in town was a private one, kept on the
“ Lower Street,” about 1788, by Mr. Arthur Bradman, of Turner. The
town has now eighteen public schoolhouses, valued at $7,000. The
total amount expended for schools from April 1,1878 to April 1, 1879
was $3,271. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $815,684. In 1880
it was $748,856.. The population at that date was 2,380. In 1880 it
was 2,286. The rate of taxation in 1880 was .0145 on $1.

Umbagog’ Lake. See article on Rangeley Lakes.

Union is situated in the western part of Knox County, 13
miles north-west of Rockland. It is bounded on the north-east by
Appleton and Hope, south by Warren, and west by Waldoboro and
Washington. The town contains four ponds (two lying on the
border), whose outlets furnish a large amount of water-power. Their
names are Crawford’s, Seven Tree, Sennebec and Round; the three
first having an area of about one mile each, and the last about one-
third of a mile. The town excels in picturesque arrangement of hill,
dale, water and woods, and in the summer season the scenery is very
beautiful. The soil is good and the farmer finds profitable returns for*
his toil.

The town has four villages, Union and North, East and South
Union. The manufactures at Union are carriages (three factories), cul-
tivators, leather, harnesses, hoots and shoes. At South Union are a cab-
inet and musical instrument factory, an iron foundry, machine-shop,
and a coffin and casket factory. At East Union are a lumber-mill, a
chair and table factory, etc. Union was a part of the Muscongus, or
Waldo patent, and was purchased of the Waldo heirs by Dr. John
Taylor of Lunenburg, Mass., in 1774, “for the consideration of £1,000
lawful money.” The settlement was commenced the same year, and
such favorable terms were offered to actual settlers that, in a few years,
the whole tract was taken up. It first bore the name Taylortown,
from its owner, but was organized as a plantation under the name of
Sterlingtown, to gratify some of its inhabitants who had emigrated from
a place of that name in Great Britain. It was incorporated as the