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 onethird 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), cultivators, leather, harnesses, boots and shoes. At South Union are a cabinet 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 town of Union in 1786. It contained at this time 19 families, a large proportion of whom had emigrated from Massachusetts; and the harmony that prevailed among them was purposely commemorated in the name of the town. At this time the town contained 77 families, bearing among others the following well-known names: Adams, Bowen, Butler, Cummings, Grinnell, Hawes, Hills, Holmes, Mero, Partridge, Robbins and Ware. The settlers were mostly devout Christians, and made every effort to cultivate the feeling for friendly intercourse which makes life blessed. A church was formed in 1803, and in 1805 Rev. Henry True was settled. The town now has a church of each the Baptist, Congregationalist, Methodist and Universalist denominations. There are fourteen public schoolhouses, and the school property is valued at $9,850. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $533,660. In 1880 it was $597,330. Time population in 1870 was 1,701. In 1880 it was 1,547.