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Union is in southern Newton County, Mississippi, with a small portion extending into Neshoba County. Although the Chickasaw and Chocktaw people inhabited the area before the European-Americans, the Chickasaw were forcibly moved from Mississippi in the early 1830s. By 1833, a town had developed, housing the Neshoba County courthouse. In the early days, Christians worshiped in one church building which, because it housed more than one denomination, became known as Union Church, and people began referring to the surrounding town as Union, a name that was later made official. Boler’s Inn in Union was one of the original stops along the stage coach line that ran along the Old Jackson Road from Jackson to Meridian, and Union was entirely within Neshoba County, and was its county seat. However, in 1836, a new county was formed, and named for Sir Isaac Newton, and Decatur was designated the county seat, while Union became part of the new county. By the time of the American Civil War, Union had a post office and four stores. When Union General Sherman came through the town, it is reported that he learned the name of the town and gave orders that the town was not to be burned because the Union was what they were fighting to save. Sherman spent the night in Union, making Boler’s Inn his headquarters. In 1905, the railroad came through Union from the south, and was later completed to Louisville. A few years later, the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad constructed tracks from Meridian to Jackson, going through Union. The first newspaper, the Union Advocate, was published in 1910, and by 1919 the town had a bank, known as the People’s Bank. Union, Mississippi was chartered as a town in 1905, and the paving of its streets began in 1927, with an airport established in 1933. In 1938, a 10-bed hospital was built, and operated by Dr. E.L. Laird. A 25-bed hospital was built the following years, and additions have been made since, still named for Dr. Laird.

 

 

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