The area that is now Union Grove Township was a favorite spot with the Indians before early settlers.
Many Indian artifacts have been found in the area, especially a site near Jennings mill known as Indian Hill.

Several mills were built on the Hunting Creek in the south and Rocky Creek in the north, the two main streams in Union Grove Township.
The mills were used as both a grist mill and saw mill.
Mills in the area included the following:
Campbell Mill on Rocky Creek  built by Perciphull Campbell in 1820, see also Perciphull Campbell House, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Old Brothers Mill built before 1848, later the site of the Weisner mill;
Diffy Mill built before 1848, later the site of the Robertson mill.

Rev. Quentin Holten Mill built about 1850.
Jennings mill was built on the site of the Holten mill.
This mill, originally built by Sandy Hall and Sampson Ball, included a corn grist mill first, and later a sash mill was added.

About 1880, John R. Huey built a mill several miles down Rocky Creek from the Jennings mill to grind wheat and corn, as well to saw lumber.

Union Grove mill, an electric powered mill in Union Grove built in the 1900s
Severe flooding in the area in 1848 left only three mills in operation in North Iredell County, the Campbell mill on Rocky Creek, the Jennings mill, and the Diffy mill.

The community churches grew up around the mills, two towns, and concentration of inhabitants.
The following churches are within Union Grove township:
Barker's Grove Baptist Church
Cavalry Baptist Church
Friendship Baptist Church
Grassy Knob Baptist Church, founded in 1794, within New Hope Township, Union Grove Post Office
Macedonia United Methodist Church, in Williamsburg in 1829
Moss Chapel was named after Rev. William Moss, who died in 1826.
Rev. Moss was a Circuit Riding Methodist preacher from Brunswick County, Virginia, founded in 1799
New Friendship Church, Baptist, founded in 1896
Smith Chapel
Sweet Home Baptist Church, founded in 1886, located nearby in Osborneville in Wilkes County
Union Grove Christian Church
Union Grove United Methodist, founded on September 23, 1846, Tradition says that Union Grove referred to the church meeting place in the grove where the church members met.

Wesley Chapel, formerly Bush Hill Methodist Church, founded on August 8, 1868
Winthrop Friends Meeting, Quaker, established in the 1870s
Zion Baptist Church, founded on June 4, 1825, organized in the Douthit School House, which stood within 75 feet of the present Zion Church building—just north of the Campbell Mill site on Rocky Creek.
The Douthit School, established in the 1830s in a log cabin, was a subscription school.

The earliest known store in the area was operated on the John Howard farm, two miles north of Union Grove, by Jacob Fraley.
Prior to the Civil War, Mr Fraley moved his store to Union Grove.
Jesse E. Fraley and John A. Fraley operated a store in Union Grove around 1844.
Jacob Fraley was Postmaster of the Union Grove Post Office on December 21, 1857.

By the requirements of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, the county was divided into townships.
Previous to that time, the subdivisions were Captain's Districts.
While the Captain's Districts referred primarily to the militia, it served also for the election precinct, the tax listing and tax collecting district.
Union Grove Township was named after the Union Grove postoffice in the center of that township.
 Union Grove Township has been used since 1870 as a census district.

The longest operating commercial activity in the area is the Jenning store, which is located one and one-half miles south of Union Grove.
This store was originally operated by Rev. Quentin Holton about 1850.
In 1886, Mr. John Myers and the Rev. T.L. Jennings founded a mercantile business on this site.
Rev. Jennings son, J.T. Jennings, purchased the store from his father.

In the later 1800s or early 1900s, Union Grove citizens founded the Union Grove School.
The earliest records show that in 1905 the average attendance was 50.
There was only one teacher and the sala
The area that is now Union Grove Township was a favorite spot with the Indians before early settlers. Many Indian artifacts have been found in the area, especially a site near Jennings mill known as Indian Hill.
Several mills were built on the Hunting Creek in the south and Rocky Creek in the north, the two main streams in Union Grove Township. The mills were used as both a grist mill and saw mill. Mills in the area included the following:
Campbell Mill on Rocky Creek  built by Perciphull Campbell in 1820, see also Perciphull Campbell House, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Old Brothers Mill built before 1848, later the site of the Weisner mill;
Diffy Mill built before 1848, later the site of the Robertson mill.
Rev. Quentin Holten Mill built about 1850. Jennings mill was built on the site of the Holten mill. This mill, originally built by Sandy Hall and Sampson Ball, included a corn grist mill first, and later a sash mill was added.
About 1880, John R. Huey built a mill several miles down Rocky Creek from the Jennings mill to grind wheat and corn, as well to saw lumber.
Union Grove mill, an electric powered mill in Union Grove built in the 1900s
Severe flooding in the area in 1848 left only three mills in operation in North Iredell County, the Campbell mill on Rocky Creek, the Jennings mill, and the Diffy mill.
The community churches grew up around the mills, two towns, and concentration of inhabitants. The following churches are within Union Grove township:
Barker's Grove Baptist Church
Cavalry Baptist Church
Friendship Baptist Church
Grassy Knob Baptist Church, founded in 1794, within New Hope Township, Union Grove Post Office
Macedonia United Methodist Church, in Williamsburg in 1829
Moss Chapel was named after Rev. William Moss, who died in 1826. Rev. Moss was a Circuit Riding Methodist preacher from Brunswick County, Virginia, founded in 1799
New Friendship Church, Baptist, founded in 1896
Smith Chapel
Sweet Home Baptist Church, founded in 1886, located nearby in Osborneville in Wilkes County
Union Grove Christian Church
Union Grove United Methodist, founded on September 23, 1846, Tradition says that Union Grove referred to the church meeting place in the grove where the church members met.
Wesley Chapel, formerly Bush Hill Methodist Church, founded on August 8, 1868
Winthrop Friends Meeting, Quaker, established in the 1870s
Zion Baptist Church, founded on June 4, 1825, organized in the Douthit School House, which stood within 75 feet of the present Zion Church building—just north of the Campbell Mill site on Rocky Creek. The Douthit School, established in the 1830s in a log cabin, was a subscription school.
The earliest known store in the area was operated on the John Howard farm, two miles north of Union Grove, by Jacob Fraley. Prior to the Civil War, Mr Fraley moved his store to Union Grove. Jesse E. Fraley and John A. Fraley operated a store in Union Grove around 1844. Jacob Fraley was Postmaster of the Union Grove Post Office on December 21, 1857.
By the requirements of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, the county was divided into townships. Previous to that time, the subdivisions were Captain's Districts. While the Captain's Districts referred primarily to the militia, it served also for the election precinct, the tax listing and tax collecting district. Union Grove Township was named after the Union Grove postoffice in the center of that township.  Union Grove Township has been used since 1870 as a census district.
The longest operating commercial activity in the area is the Jenning store, which is located one and one-half miles south of Union Grove. This store was originally operated by Rev. Quentin Holton about 1850. In 1886, Mr. John Myers and the Rev. T.L. Jennings founded a mercantile business on this site. Rev. Jennings son, J.T. Jennings, purchased the store from his father.
In the later 1800s or early 1900s, Union Grove citizens founded the Union Grove School. The earliest records show that in 1905 the average attendance was 50. There was only one teacher and the sala
Union Grove Township, Iredell County, North Carolina