"union south carolina" Union by doug48

union is located at the intersection of SC 215 and US 176 in northwest south carolina. union is the county seat of union south carolina. union was originally named unionville after the old union church. union was settled in 1744 and the economy of union was based on tabacco, flax, corn, and wheat farming. during the civil war union was spared from destruction by the forces of union general william t. sherman because the broad river flooded and blocked his advance into the town. this small town became nationally famous in 1994 when union resident susan smith murdered her two children. she claimed that a black man carjacked her and drove away with her two sons. smith later confessed that she pushed her car into john d. long lake and drowned her two children. susan smith's motive was that she was dating a wealthy local man and he had no interest in a "ready made family". smith decided to get rid of her children so she could get married to her boyfriend. this despicable crime is a very dark page in the history of union. another famous resident of union was confederate general states rights gist. of interest to the tourist is union's downtown historic district which has a number of homes and buildings listed on the national register of historic places and nearby rose hill mansion state historic site.