Union City Indiana History
Union City Firsts
On the Indiana side the first store was that of Benjamin Hawkins. Jesse Paxon
who set up the first boot and shoe store in 1856 says that Mr. Hawkins hauled
his goods from Greenville and opened his store before the railroad reached
this place. . .
The first grain house was established by Hawkins and Searl in
1853 . . .
The first railroad agent was R. A. Willson, who opened the first
set of railroad books. . .
William Anderson set up the first blacksmith
shop in August, 1852 . . .
The first livery stable was owned by Alfred Lenox
in 1855 . . .
The Branham Hotel was built in 1855-56 and opened in 1856. It
was the first brick building in town. The Branham is in operation today and
is the oldest, continuous business in town. . .
The first school was taught
in the fall of 1853 by Miss Mary Ensminger in her father's house on North
Howard street, just south of the Star House. She had perhaps half a dozen
pupils. . .
The first public school was taught in 1853-1854, in a little
frame building on the site of Anderson's, 105 N. Columbia street. (Specifically-on
the site of the old Branham restaurant) . . .
The first public school
building was erected in 1858 on the site of the present school building. . .
The first preaching place was Henry Debolt's house. . .
The first church organization was the Methodist Episcopal in 1852. There were
four members, two on probation. . .
The first church building was the
Disciples of Christ, 1853-1858. . .
The first bank was the First National Bank,
Edward Starbuck, President, 1865 ..
