The Town of Union is located along the northern bank of the Susquehanna River just west of the City of Binghamton and was established in 1791. The Town of Union includes Johnson City and Endicott, the two villages that are central to the industrial story of the region. When Broome County was formed, Union became known as the “mother town” of the county. During the Revolutionary War, Union was the location where patriot forces under Generals Sullivan and Clinton met in their campaign to remove the Iroquois presence in the region and prevent further raids upon patriot settlements. The Town derives its name from this meeting. Following the Revolution, Union was opened to settlement and experienced a period of growth between 1800 and 1850 with the development of grist mills along streams and an expanding lumber and timber industry.
The Town remained largely agricultural until the late 1800’s when the Lestershire Boot and Shoe Company came into the Town and brought with it many newcomers interested in related business opportunities. Through the early 1900’s the town continued to grow with factories and workers as the Endicott-Johnson company began to grow.