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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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