The first white settlers arrived in September or October of 1772. With the names Anderson, Malcolm and Crawford, they were natives of Scotland and called their bachelor logging camp "Sterlingtown" or “Sterling” after their native Scottish town of Stirling. In the spring of 1774 Dr. John Taylor of Lunenburg, Massachusetts entered into negotiations with the heirs of the Waldo Patent on purchasing the entire gore of unappropriated land belonging to the patent.
Accompanied by John and Phineas Butler, he landed near the mouth of the Crawford river on Monday July 18, 1774. Taylor's deed to the land was executed on November 17, 1774. The Butlers and Benjamin Packard continued to work the land until the arrival in 1776 of the first family of settlers, that of Philip Robbins. Philip's son David and his wife arrived in May and were followed in the fall by Philip and his wife and family, including an unmarried daughter named Mima.
The Robbins family crowded into a small cabin on the west side of Seven Tree Pond for the first winter. These beginnings and the early days of many settler-farmers are vividly recounted by author Ben Ames Williams in his 1940 historical novel Come Spring. The plantation of Sterlingtown was incorporated on October 20, 1786 by the name of UNION, so called because of the "uncommon harmony" among its people. Eventually there were several small villages associated with Union - Union Village, North Union, South Union, East Union and Happy Hollow, also known briefly as West Union. Over time these smaller centers combined to be Union.
Accompanied by John and Phineas Butler, he landed near the mouth of the Crawford river on Monday July 18, 1774. Taylor's deed to the land was executed on November 17, 1774. The Butlers and Benjamin Packard continued to work the land until the arrival in 1776 of the first family of settlers, that of Philip Robbins. Philip's son David and his wife arrived in May and were followed in the fall by Philip and his wife and family, including an unmarried daughter named Mima.
The Robbins family crowded into a small cabin on the west side of Seven Tree Pond for the first winter. These beginnings and the early days of many settler-farmers are vividly recounted by author Ben Ames Williams in his 1940 historical novel Come Spring. The plantation of Sterlingtown was incorporated on October 20, 1786 by the name of UNION, so called because of the "uncommon harmony" among its people. Eventually there were several small villages associated with Union - Union Village, North Union, South Union, East Union and Happy Hollow, also known briefly as West Union. Over time these smaller centers combined to be Union.
The first white settlers arrived in September or October of 1772. With the names Anderson, Malcolm and Crawford, they were natives of Scotland and called their bachelor logging camp "Sterlingtown" or “Sterling” after their native Scottish town of Stirling. In the spring of 1774 Dr. John Taylor of Lunenburg, Massachusetts entered into negotiations with the heirs of the Waldo Patent on purchasing the entire gore of unappropriated land belonging to the patent.
Accompanied by John and Phineas Butler, he landed near the mouth of the Crawford river on Monday July 18, 1774. Taylor's deed to the land was executed on November 17, 1774. The Butlers and Benjamin Packard continued to work the land until the arrival in 1776 of the first family of settlers, that of Philip Robbins. Philip's son David and his wife arrived in May and were followed in the fall by Philip and his wife and family, including an unmarried daughter named Mima.
The Robbins family crowded into a small cabin on the west side of Seven Tree Pond for the first winter. These beginnings and the early days of many settler-farmers are vividly recounted by author Ben Ames Williams in his 1940 historical novel Come Spring. The plantation of Sterlingtown was incorporated on October 20, 1786 by the name of UNION, so called because of the "uncommon harmony" among its people. Eventually there were several small villages associated with Union - Union Village, North Union, South Union, East Union and Happy Hollow, also known briefly as West Union. Over time these smaller centers combined to be Union.
Accompanied by John and Phineas Butler, he landed near the mouth of the Crawford river on Monday July 18, 1774. Taylor's deed to the land was executed on November 17, 1774. The Butlers and Benjamin Packard continued to work the land until the arrival in 1776 of the first family of settlers, that of Philip Robbins. Philip's son David and his wife arrived in May and were followed in the fall by Philip and his wife and family, including an unmarried daughter named Mima.
The Robbins family crowded into a small cabin on the west side of Seven Tree Pond for the first winter. These beginnings and the early days of many settler-farmers are vividly recounted by author Ben Ames Williams in his 1940 historical novel Come Spring. The plantation of Sterlingtown was incorporated on October 20, 1786 by the name of UNION, so called because of the "uncommon harmony" among its people. Eventually there were several small villages associated with Union - Union Village, North Union, South Union, East Union and Happy Hollow, also known briefly as West Union. Over time these smaller centers combined to be Union.
Inscription
In Memory Of DAVID ROBBINS, A soldier of the Revolution. The First Settler with family in Sterlington, Now Union, 1776. Father of the first female child, 1777, and the first male child, 1780, born in the town, who died in his home on the shore of the pond below, August 12, 1831, aged 79 years, 4 months, 21 days, and is buried in an unmarked grave in this cemetery.This boulder, placed by the divine architect, is dedicated byThe Sons of The American Revolution,The Citizens of Union and His Descendants,May 30, 1929
Family Members
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