Union City Indiana History
Founding Union City
In 1848 five railroads were planned to meet at the state line on the location where Union City now stands.
The New York Central was then known as the Bee Line. The direction it should take caused quite a discussion.
The question was settled at a meeting held in the woods where Union City was later built. After several speeches,
made from a box, the question was put to a vote. It was decided to run the new railroad from Indianapolis to
Bellefontaine. At the same meeting O. H. Smith was made president. Thus the Bee Line was born, and the grand system
of railroads for the Great Northwest was begun.
The Bee Line was to be built by two companies. One company was building from Indianapolis to this spot in the wilderness.
Another company was to build from Bellefontaine to this same place. The Pennsylvania railroad, under other names, was
being planned by two companies. One road was to come from Columbus, Ohio, and the other from Logansport to here.
There was a railroad from Dayton to Greenville; and when that company was assured of four railroads meeting twelve miles
west of Greenville, they decided to extend" their road to the same place.
It is difficult for us today to understand what an epoch-making event it was to bring five railroads to one focal
point. At that time, there was only one railroad in all of Indiana. It went from Indianapolis to Madison, on the Ohio
river; but it was isolated and comparatively unimportant.
It was necessary in those days to trans-ship all goods at the termination of a railroad. And so it seemed that this
place where five railroads were eventually to meet was an ideal place for a town.
Jeremiah Smith was one of the promoters of the Bee Line from Indianapolis to this spot in the woods. Accordingly,
on December 19, 1848, he bought 160 acres from Augustus Loveland for $1500. This tract was virgin forest, with the
exception of one small clearing, which is now 207 N. Howard street, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Glunt. In this
clearing stood the Loveland log cabin and log barn.
Until Howard Street was improved, a heap of cobble stones east of the house and near the sidewalk marked the site of the Loveland well.
Miss FIorella Roe, a descendant of original settlers, tells that when Jeremiah Smith planned his new town, there
were many who discouraged him, because, they said that Hillgrove was too good a town and too close to make another
settlement at the state line possible. But Mr. Smith was ready with an answer. "Well," he said, “l'll just tack a
meat rind on Hillgrove and let the dogs pull it over to our new town."
Mr. Smith planned his town and the plat was recorded December 17, 1849. This original plat contained 160 acres,
was half a mile square and was divided into 252 lots.
It was soon found that the plat needed changing, so it was corrected and enlarged. Lots were made smaller and more
numerous. There were 483 lots in this new plat which was recorded February 6, 1854. This plat with numerous additions
is still in use today.
The streets in this new town were to be eighty feet wide with the exception of Broadway and Smith streets which were
to be one hundred feet wide, and Division street and the state line, which were to be much narrower than eighty feet.
The alleys were to be thirty feet wide. Broadway was to extend from Pearl street south across the railroad tracks to
Chestnut street. Smith street went east and west and was to be the heart of the projected town, down the center of
which was to run the railroad. With the growth of the railroads, and the passing of the years, the railroads have
completely absorbed Smith street.
Mr. Smith gave the right of way to the Bee Line railroad company, and they in turn promised that all trains would always
stop in his town. That was true for many years; then well within the memory of many Union City adults, certain trains
failed to stop. Gradually more and more trains went thundering through, and today we are no different from other towns of equal size.
The document containing the promise of the railroad is still on file in the county courthouse, but it has been outlawed
because of the time element.
