County History

In the year 1803 the first white settlement was made in the territory now comprising Union County. Two families, Abram Hunsaker and George Wolf, came down the Ohio River and up the Cache, hunting and fishing and finally started on an overland route. They camped one night a short distance from where Jonesboro now is. They found game and water plentiful and got busy building cabins.

In the year 1809 in the south part of what is now Union County, three families named Lawrence and the William Clapp family settled on Mill Creek. In a short time after this, Stokes settlement was occupied by John Stokes, William Gwinn, George Evans and Thomas Standard.

The act creating Union County bears the date of January 2, 1818. It is entitled, "An act adding a part of Pope County to Johnson County, and forming a new county out of Johnson County."

The site where Jonesboro now stands was selected in the Spring of 1816 and so named for a Dr. Jones. Another site for a county seat was selected, but quite a contest sprung up and the Commissioners selected the site of John Grammer's farm.