In 1818 Franklin County, MissouriFranklin County was organized and separated from St. Louis County, MissouriSt. Louis County and named after one of America's founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. With 922 square miles, Franklin County is the largest geographic area in the St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis United States metropolitan areaMetropolitan Statistical Area and one of the largest counties in all of Missouri. By an act of the State Legislature on January 22, 1825, the City of Union was established as the County Seat. The court met for the first time in Union in 1827. The name "Union" has nothing to do with the American Civil War or organized labor; it came before either of them. Rather, the name was chosen to express the coming together of people and ideas, as demonstrated by Union's selection as the new, centrally located seat of county government in the early 1800s. The first building used as a courthouse in Union was a log structure. The ground where Union now exists was owned by three farmers who donated 72.5 acres for the establishment of the original town. The County's present-day courthouse in Union was constructed in 1923 and was completely remodeled in 1970. In 1969 the building recieved a bomb threat as a diversion during a bank robbery. More than two centuries ago, the French peopleFrench were the first European settlers in Franklin County. These immigrants focused primarily on commercial ventures such as trapping, trading, and mining. Soon Anglo-American settlers followed as they migrated from the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia to establish farms in the area. The first American settler to Franklin County is generally considered to be Kincaid Caldwell, who arrived around 1803. Major rivers and streams in the area include the Missouri RiverMissouri, the Meramec RiverMeramec, and the Bourbeuse RiverBourbeuse rivers, and St. Johns and Boeuf creeks. These waterways received their names from the Native Americans in the United StatesNative Americans and early explorers and settlers. Starting in 1820, a steady stream of GermansGerman settlers were drawn to the area, and this trend continued through 1910. Strong evidence of the German culture can still be found in architecture throughout Union and Franklin County and is reflected in common family names like Alfermann, Hoffmann, Overschmidt, Schroeder, Voss, and Zimmermann. In November 1882, a joint stock company was formed by businessmen of Union and Washington, MissouriWashington to build a telephone line to connect the two towns. On Jan. 19, 1900, the Bell Telephone Company announced they would soon have the line connecting Washington and Pacific, MissouriPacific with St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, and that Union and other towns along the Frisco Railroad would be included in the circuit. Starting that April, anyone in Union who was willing to pay the price could use the telephone at the Reinhard-Miller Drug Store to call long distance to New York CityNew York and San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco. In 1887 the St. Louis-Kansas City and Colorado Railroad was constructed through Union. The SLKC&CRR was the product of several businessmen who lived in towns west of St. Louis, primarily those in Union, who saw the potential of having a railroad serving their community. This railroad later came under the ownership of the Rock Island Railroad. Today the city is served by the Missouri Central Railroad. Railroads in Franklin County primarily concentrate on hauling freight, although Amtrak passenger service is available from nearby Washington. The first successful factory in Union was the National Cob Pipe Works which was opened in 1907 by a small group of local business leaders who saw the need to help create jobs for the semi-skilled labor force in the community. Its first order was for 1,000 pipes from a Chicago tobacconist. Within eight years, the company was producing five million pipes a year and claimed to be one of the largest manufacturers in the world. Employment during this period rose from 10 to 75. In 1968, East Central College was established to serve the higher educational needs of people in east central Missouri. One year after voters created this new college district, the first classes were held in temporary facilities within the Union City Hall. That same year, a 114-acre tract of land was purchased for developing the main campus at the intersection of U.S. Route 50U.S. Highway 50 and Prairie Dell Road. Today, ECC now encompasses more than 200 picturesque acres and serves an enrollment of 3,500 students. The college recently added a walking path, made from asphalt and glass. It is one of the main recycling devices the school offers. At the start of the 21st century, more than 300 businesses are now based in Union. Some of the city's largest employers are manufacturing firms, such as the Esselte Pendaflex Corporation and Transaction Technology/Coinco, as well as public service agencies like Franklin County government, the Union R-XI School District, and East Central College. Along with the City of Union, the region of Franklin County now includes the cities and towns of Beaufort, MissouriBeaufort, Berger, MissouriBerger, Catawissa, MissouriCatawissa, Gerald, MissouriGerald, Gray Summit, MissouriGray Summit, Labadie, MissouriLabadie, Leslie, MissouriLeslie, Lonedell, MissouriLonedell, Luebbering, MissouriLuebbering, New Haven, MissouriNew Haven, Pacific, MissouriPacific, Robertsville, MissouriRobertsville, Saint Clair, MissouriSaint Clair, Sullivan, MissouriSullivan, Villa Ridge, MissouriVilla Ridge, and Washington, MissouriWashington. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union%2C_Missouri