Union was incorporated June 19, 1905 and became a town Feb. 24, 1906. Immediately, work began on forming a city government.
The Union Appeal first noted that in March 1913, a city jail was built on Front Street for $800. Originally, it was called the “Calaboose.” In early Union, the county was “wet,” and the stores selling alcohol stayed open late at night; therefore, many people stayed in town late. As a result, lots of problems for law enforcement arose. Also, into the 1930s, there were many “beer joints” on the outskirts of town where fights often broke out.
During this period of Union’s history, the town employed one man who served as day marshal and one who served as night marshal. At that time, the town marshals were elected by popular vote rather than by appointment of the Board of Aldermen. One citizen in particular, Senie Worthen, ran for the office of marshal and won the election in 1938. It eventually proved to be a costly move for him. At 5 a.m. Sunday, June 11, 1944, Senie went to the GM&O railroad station to arrest a man who had robbed the night marshal and was attempting to get away. Senie was shot in the waiting room of the depot and died before medical aid could reach him. His family, who owned and lived in Sessums Hotel near the depot, heard the shot that killed him in the line of duty.
Next, Union saw improvement in the physical plants of city government beginning in 1957. First, the City Hall got a new home after operating from the Masonic Temple from the time it was built in 1921. After Herschel Nicholson sold the building, that he had used for his dry-cleaning business at 402 Bank St., to the town, it was remodeled into a City Hall, which housed a water department, the city clerk’s office and the police department.
Until 1949, the town clerk, also, was elected by popular vote rather than by appointment. Percy Williams, an early town clerk, worked in the town clerk’s office located on the second floor of Masonic Hall. Since the mid-1950s, Cecil Taylor, Tom Weaver and presently Cheryl Chaney have served as city clerks in its present location.
A short time later, a new Police Station was opened in the building adjoining City Hall. Then in 1961, the city built a new jail at a cost of $7000, at 406 Bank St., south of the fire station to replace the “Calaboose.” This jail housed prisoners until 2003 when Newton County built a new jail in Decatur on Highway 15 South. At that time, Union closed its city jail and began transporting all prisoners to the county jail.
Updates began for the police station, which was remodeled in 1967. Then in 2001, the city police bought radar detectors. Next, in 2010, they got a K-9 dog. Currently, plans are in the making for a station move. The Board of Aldermen have approved the upcoming relocation of the police station to the former Wood Plus building on McMahen Street at the junction of South Bank Street.
Another important department of our city is the Union Volunteer Fire Department. The first documentation of a fire station in Union was in 1930, when Senee Worthen was fire chief. A fire broke out in the Bailey Building in 1931. The Union Appeal reported that the fire truck was located across the street, but it could not contain the fire. However, the exact location of the station could not be discovered.
Next, in 1945, the newspaper reported that the town constructed a building on the south edge of the business district for a fire station and a street department. George Matthews, the town’s water works manager, also served as fire chief. The area next to the police station now serves as a space for police cars.
The volunteer fire department got a new fire truck in March 1964. In 1982, they bought a jaws-of-life. In 1985, they bought a new fire truck to replace the current 1964 model. Then in 1986, they acquired a rescue van. Bob Ammon served as fire chief.
In April 1995, a new fire station was built in the area that had once housed the Buckwalter Commissary at the southwest end of Bank Street. The volunteer firemen have progressively upgraded their equipment. For example, in February 2000, they got a new fire truck; in 2002, a 4000- gallon tanker; and in 2012, a new jaws-of-life to replace the 2003 model. Just this month, Union will be getting a new fire truck. The Board of Aldermen also just voted to raise the minimum age for drivers of all fire department equipment to at least 25 years old. Dale Yates is the current fire chief.
In January 2013, three emergency sirens went up in Union. One was on the bypass, one at the UHS athletic facility on Industrial Circle, and one downtown at the new fire station.
In 2014, the town built a 150-foot communications tower for fire, police and city works on the property between Bolten Street and TriC. The former one was located on top of the Tyson Feed Mill tower.
Union can be proud of the progress that the city government has made throughout the years and for the safe environment that it provides for the citizens and their property.
**Do you remember other former chiefs-of-police or city clerks or fire chiefs in Union’s past?
If you have additions or corrections, please contact me at teresablount26@yahoo.com or 601-774-5564.
