Union is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in the northeastern part of Tolland County,

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, United States and is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region and Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. The population was 785 at the 2020 census, making it the least populous town and municipality in Connecticut. Union includes the village of Mashapaug located in the Eastern Uplands at the

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

state line. Union is located northeast of the state capital,

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

and southwest of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, as well as northeast of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

History

The first European Settlement in Union was in 1727, making Union the last Connecticut town east of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

to be settled. The first settler was James McNall of Ireland. He was closely followed by his brother William. The town was incorporated in October 1734. The name Union designates "union of lands". Union was first a town in Windham County. It became a town in Tolland County upon its formation from part of Windham County on October 13, 1785. There were 500 people in the town in 1756. The population grew to 767 by 1800, but declined thereafter. There were just 431 people in Union in 1890. The official population of the town is still less than 1,000 residents today.

Civic associations

Union is home to Venturing Crew 83 of the Connecticut Rivers Council. They are a member of the Nipmuck District and chartered by the Union Volunteer Fire Department.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (3.75%) is water. Union has the highest town center in eastern Connecticut at and the 4th highest in the state. The highest elevation in eastern Connecticut is Burley Hill in the northwestern part of town. In addition,

I-84 Interstate 84 may refer to: * Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts), passing through New York and Connecticut {{road disambiguation ...

reaches its highest elevation in Connecticut () in Union. Approximately one-third of the town is state park land, including Bigelow Hollow State Park, Nipmuck State Forest and the Mountain Laurel Sanctuary. A portion of the

Yale-Myers Forest The Yale-Myers Forest is a 7,840-acre (32 km2) forest in Northeastern Connecticut owned by Yale University and administered by the Yale School of the Environment. Located in the towns of Union, Ashford, Eastford, and Woodstock, the fo ...

and Hull Foresters are located in Union. All combined, there are nearly 34,000 acres of forestland in Union.

Mashapaug Lake Mashapaug Lake is a lake surrounded by Bigelow Hollow State Park and Nipmuck State Forest in the town of Union, Connecticut, Union in northeastern Connecticut. The lake has a maximum depth of , and an average depth of . Its normal surface ele ...

is a large lake in Union. The lake is used for fishing, boating, and swimming.

Demographics

At the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 693 people, 285 households, and 200 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 332 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.56%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.14% Asian, and 1.30% from two or more races. There were 285 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $58,214, and the median income for a family was $65,417. Males had a median income of $48,021 versus $35,469 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $27,900. About 2.0% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

Union residents are zoned to the Union School District for grades

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through 8. The only school in the district is Union Elementary School. High schoolers have the option of attending Stafford High School, Rockville Vocational-Agricultural School, Windham Regional Technical Vocational School or Woodstock Academy.

Tourism

Recreation

With over 40,000 acres of forestland in and around town and a major interstate going through it, Union is known for outdoor recreation such as hunting,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

and picnicking. The area's elevation and dominance of evergreen trees makes the area cooler than surrounding places. Most activity is centered on Bigelow Hollow State Park, and especially at

Snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

is also enjoyed in the area.

Landmarks

The village of Mashapaug in Union is the site of the Traveler Restaurant, a unique eating establishment that gives away used books to its patrons. Camp Pomperaug, a Boy Scout camp operated by the Connecticut Yankee Council, BSA, is situated within Union, and borders the state forest. It was originally property of the Wells family, for whom Wells Pond is named. The camp was originally situated on Lake Zoar in Monroe, but was relocated to the Union property when the original camp's dining hall was destroyed by a severe winter storm. The camp includes old stone foundations of the buildings once comprising Well's Mill, and also includes a small Revolutionary War cemetery where, among other soldiers interred, lies a brother-in-law of Benedict Arnold. The burial site is thought by some to be haunted. The Union Free Public Library is housed in one of the town's few public buildings. The library was established by a town meeting in November 1894, and opened March 25, 1895, in a private home. In 1912 it moved into a newly built building, which it still occupies. * Union Green Historic District

Notable people

Alonzo Horton Alonzo Eratus Horton (October 24, 1813 – January 7, 1909) was an American real estate developer in the nineteenth century. Early life Horton was born 1813 in Union, Connecticut, the scion of an old New England family, Christman, Florence: ...

, considered the second founder of the city of

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and the founder of Hortonville,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, was born in Union on October 24, 1813. His family moved away from the area in 1815Charles Hammond and Harvey Merrill Lawson (1893
The History of Union, Conn
Price, Lee, & Adkins Co., New Haven, Connecticut. Pages 368-369. * Moses G. Leonard (1809–1899), a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, grew up in Union but was born in nearby

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...

Charles Hammond and Harvey Merrill Lawson (1893
The History of Union, Conn
Price, Lee, & Adkins Co., New Haven, Connecticut. Pages 469-470. * Ebenezer Stoddard (1785–1847), a United States Representative from Connecticut and

Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut The lieutenant governor of Connecticut is the second highest executive officer of the government of the U.S. State of Connecticut. The lieutenant governor acts as President of the State Senate, presiding over the Senate and casting votes in the ...

, was born in Union

References

External links

Town of Union WebsiteUnion Elementary School Website
{{authority control Towns in Tolland County, Connecticut Towns in Connecticut Greater Hartford Towns in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut