40 UNION COUNTY PAST AND PRESENT
in the American Revolution. In payment for his military service,
. . the elder Long was given a grant of several thousand acres of
land in Union County, and on this tract the Long families made
their home.
_ One of the commissioners who located the county seat was
Hugh McElroy, who was born in Washington County, Kentucky, T
in 1795, and moved to Union in 1805. His wife was Barbara Guil-
key. The only child of this couple was Hiram S. McElroy, born
in 1800, a lawyer, who married Mary Clements. He died in 1877.
leaving ten children. There are numerous descendants now living
in Union County.
A family which contributed largely to the advancement of edu-
cational and cultural life in Union County was that of the
Martins. John Martin, a farmer of North Carolina, whose wife
was Harriett Hedden, came into the county about 1835, settling H
near Bordley. John Martin lived there until his death in 1876.
Three sons were born to the Martins.  
About the middle of the nineteenth century, William Muir, a  
farmer of Nelson County, and his wife, Mary, came to Union  
County. Mrs. Muir died in 1851 and Mr. Muir in 1864. Dr. Joseph i
V Wilson Muir, their son, was born in Nelson County in 1838, and p
attended the common schools of that county for about six years. P
l·le came to Union for a short period in 1852, left the county and ‘
did not return until 1861, just at the outbreak of the War be-
tween the States. He was arrested by the Federal military  
authorities and detained for some time, but took the oath of  
allegiance to the United States and was released. In 1864, he 2
married Pascal Sellers. Dr. Muir is said to have practiced medi- i
c'ne many years before entering a medical college. \/Vith this
background of medical learning and practice he attended one
term at the University of Louisiana and received the degree of
Doctor of Medicine without further professional training. Dr.  
Muir owned and operated a large farm seven miles south of  
Morganfield. ;
Another physician of Union County was Dr. Charles Owen, ,
korn in England in 1810, who came to Union County in 1830 and
settled at Bordley. He was the father of Glen, George Ann, ,
Eugene, and Ada Owen. Eugene Owen became a Methodist .
clergyman, but when h"s voice failed him he entered the United  
States Secret Service. There are many descendants of the Owen §
family in Union Counly. K