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Iowa State Gazetteer -- Union Co.--VAN BUREN CO. Page 358
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Union County.
Was organized in 1853, and is in the fourth county from the Missouri River, and in the second tier from the southern line of the State. It is bounded on the north by Adair and Madison Counties, on the east by Clark, on the south by Ringgold, and on the west by Adams. Grand River and its tributaries flow in a southeasterly direction through the eastern portion of the county, and the head waters of the Platte River in a southwesterly direction through the western portion of the county, it being on the water shed between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The lands in this county are generally very rough, with some high hills for a prairie country. There is a large district of very desirable land around Highland, about three miles southwest of Afton. The county is well watered, and tolerably well timbered. There are some splendid groves of timber, one covering about a township, on Platte River, in the southwest part, of good white oak. Extensive beds of stone coal have recently been discovered in this county. The county is well adapted to stock, sheep especially.
AFTON, the county seat, is situated northeast of the centre of the county, near Grand River. It has a good court house, three general stores, one drug store, one hardware, stove, and tin store, three groceries and one jeweler. Population about 400.
NEW HOPE is in the northeastern portion of the county, near Grand River, in the township of the same name. There are in the township four churches, Baptist, Christian, DUnkard, and Methodist. Population of village, 200; of township, 145.
Olio, Philo and Union City are the other post offices and villages in the county.
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