Union County was formed in 1842 from Anson and Mecklenburg Counties, and was named "Union" as a compromise to settle a dispute between local Whigs and Democrats over whether the new county should be named "Clay" or "Jackson." Both names were subsequently used for new counties in the extreme southwestern part of the state. The county seat is Monroe. If you are researching early settlers in Union, you'll also want to look at Anson County resources.