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Franklin County, Missouri
At 922 square miles, Franklin
County, Missouri, is one of the largest
counties in Missouri. In 1818, it was organized and
separated from neighboring St. Louis County, and named
after Benjamin Franklin.
By an act of the State Legislature on Jan. 22, 1825, the
City
of Union was established as the county seat.
The city’s name was chosen to express the coming
together of people and ideas. In the past 20 years,
Union has grown from a sleepy Missouri farm town to a
bustling bedroom community of nearby St. Louis. The
city’s population is about 8,000, and home to East
Central College and its 3,500 students. In a nationwide
survey released in 2001, Union was ranked “One of the
Top 10 Best Small Towns in the United States” and was
the only Missouri community on the list.
Today, Union is home to more than 300 successful
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. Other major employers are the
Franklin County Government, Union R-XI School District,
and East
Central College.
Major rivers and streams in the area include the
Missouri, the Meramec, the Bourbeuse, and the St. Johns
and Boeuf creeks. Native American Indians and early
explorers and settlers named these waterways. Robertsville
State Park, named after one-time landowner
Edward James Roberts, is 1,225 acres, and popular for
canoeing and fishing in the adjoining Meramec River.
In addition to Union and Roberstville, other cities and
towns in Franklin County include Beaufort, Berger,
Catawissa, Gerald, Gray Summit, Labadie, Leslie,
Lonedell, Luebbering, New Haven, Pacific, Saint Clair,
Sullivan, Villa Ridge, and Washington.
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