Union

Formed March 13, 1839 (36^th parish)

Union Parish (21,106), Farmerville (3,367)

At Main and Bayou streets in Farmerville is the dark red brick and concrete Modern courthouse.  The building was constructed in 1960 using a design of Neild-Sondal-Smitherman & Associates.  The building was renovated in 1983.  The surrounding brick sidewalk gives uniqueness to the design.  Louisiana State Highways 2 and 15 pass in front and south of the facility.  Farmerville has been the only seat in the parish.  Courthouses have been built in 1842, 1879, and 1904.  On March 13, 1839 Union Parish was created from Ouachita County as the 36^th parish.  The parish seat was named for W. W. Farmer, who later became Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana.  The parish was named for the union of the states. 

Union Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 9 Police Jury Members (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges serve Union and Lincoln parishes and Three Justice Court Judges serve Union Parish (judicial.) Union Parish is on the north border with Arkansas.  Union Parish was the birthplace of 2 Louisiana Governors, William W. Heard and Ruffin G. Pleasant.  The parish center is 1.9 miles Northeast of Farmerville.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Arkansas and Morehouse, Ouachita, Lincoln, and Claiborne parishes. 

The area of the parish is 905 square miles.  It is 18 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 42 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 23.3 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 64 in the state.  Union Parish has 28.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 167 enters from the northwest, Claiborne Parish, and goes to the south, Lincoln Parish.  Monroe, Louisiana is southeast of the parish and El Dorado, Arkansas is across the border to the north.  The stair steps on the west border and the bayou on the east border give the parish an overall bowl shape.  Farmerville is slightly west and south of the center.  Farmerville is the parish seat and the largest city.  It is 16.0% of the parish population.  This parish is in the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Junction City