, ▁two ▁churches , ▁and ▁two ▁phys icians . ▁Union ' s ▁location ▁on ▁stage ▁coach ▁lines ▁which ▁carried ▁sett lers ▁across ▁the ▁Al leg hen y ▁Mountains ▁helped ▁to ▁fuel ▁the ▁region ' s ▁growth , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁several ▁min eral ▁spring ▁resort s ▁which ▁operated ▁in ▁Mon roe ▁County , ▁including ▁S weet ▁Spr ings , ▁Red ▁Sul ph ur ▁Spr ings , ▁and ▁Salt ▁Sul ph ur ▁Spr ings , ▁all ▁within ▁a ▁twenty - five ▁mile ▁radius ▁of ▁Union . ▁Little ▁activity ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁occurred ▁around ▁Union ▁other ▁than ▁tro op ▁movements , ▁especially ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁when ▁reg iments ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁under ▁General ▁Cro ok ▁enc amp ed ▁near ▁the ▁town . ▁Small ▁sk irm ishes ▁occurred ▁throughout ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Union ▁and ▁Mon roe ▁County . ▁A ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁Union ▁supported ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁and ▁opposed ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁West ▁Virginia ▁which ▁included ▁Mon roe ▁County . ▁Union ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁of ▁Union ▁retain s ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁historic ▁architecture , ▁with ▁many ▁structures ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ante bell um ▁period ▁when ▁the ▁local ▁economy ▁was ▁th riv ing ▁from ▁the ▁resort ▁industry . ▁The ▁present ▁Mon roe ▁County ▁Cour th ouse , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁displays ▁the ▁fashion able ▁Roman es que ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁late - 1 9 th ▁century