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Journey back in time to Monroe, Michigan, USA

Visit Monroe, Michigan, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and ancestry.

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Monroe, Michigan, USA - L. S. & M. S. Ry, Station, Monroe, Mich.

Monroe, Monroe, MI

Settled by European Americans in 1784 shortly after the American Revolutionary War, Monroe was platted in 1817. It was named after President James Monroe. Today, the city is committed to historic preservation of resources; it is remembered for the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812, as well as being the childhood residence of George Armstrong Custer.

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There is MUCH more to discover about Monroe, Michigan, USA. Read on!

Monroe Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards


Monroe, Michigan, USA

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L. S. & M. S. Ry, Station, Monroe, Mich.

Monroe, Michigan, USA

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Washington Street, Monroe, Mich.

Monroe, Michigan, USA

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St. Mary's Academy, New Building, Monroe, Mich.

Discover Monroe: History, News, Travel, and Stories

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  • The area of Frenchtown was renamed after the War of 1812 and incorporated as the village of Monroe in honor of President James Monroe, who visited the Michigan Territory in 1817.

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  • 1854 - Monroe
    Monroe, a nourishing town, capital of Monroe county, Michigan, is pleasantly situated on both sides of the Raisin river, 2 miles from its entrance into Lake Erie, and at the E. terminus of the Michigan Southern railroad, 40 miles S. W. from Detroit. It is connected with the lake by a ship-canal, and is the terminus of two plank-roads. The court-house, which is built of hewn stone, cost $35,000. The town contains 6 churches, several of which are handsome buildings, a female seminary, and 3 newspaper offices. The valley of Raisin river is said to be equal in fertility to any part of the state. Monroe is the principal market* for the wheat produced in several adjoining counties. It contains manufactories of wool, flour, lumber, and leather. The reported value of imports and exports in 1851 was $4,863,023. This place was settled by the French, about 1776, but the present town has been mostly built since 1835. Population in 1850, 2813; in 1853, about 3500.
    A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
  • News  1871 - Near Monroe, Mich., the other night, a crowd, of young men assembled to charivari a newly married couple at the residence of Mr. Mordecai Kelley.
    Mr. Kelley, hearing the noise, arouse, and, taking an old, unused gun, snapped it at the crowd, when it went off, instantly killing a brother of the bride, named Garton, and seriously wounding two others. Mr. Kelley did not discover what he had done until the next morning, as the boys carried away their comrades. He surrendered himself to the Sheriff claiming that he thought the gun was not loaded, and that he only intended to frighten the boys.
    St Joseph Herald
    Saint Joseph, Michigan
    March 4, 1871
  • News  1880 - Fourteen years ago J. M. Sterling, of Monroe Mich., placed two gateposts of white oak in front of his residence.
    When they were set, he bored into the top of each, with an inch and a half auger, a hole three inches deep, filled it with common salt, tightly plugged it, and capped the posts. A recent examination of the posts proved that they were as sound from top to bottom as when they were placed in position.
    St Joseph Herald
    Saint Joseph, Michigan
    September 11, 1880
  • News  1888 - Charles Wingard and Annie Fox, his niece, who eloped from Monroe, Mich., and were captured an taken to Alliance O., committed suicide with pistols on the 22d.

    St Joseph Herald
    Saint Joseph, Michigan
    February 25, 1888
  • 1895 - Monroe
    Monroe, a city, the capital of Monroe co., Mich., is situated on the Raisin River, 2 miles from its entrance into Lake Erie, 35 miles S.S.W. of Detroit, 20 miles N.N.E. of Toledo, and 31 miles E. of Adrian. It is connected with the lake by a ship-canal, is on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, and is the S. terminus of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad. The Toledo, Canada Southern & Detroit Railroad connects it with Detroit and Toledo. It contains a stone court-house, several handsome residences, 1 or 2 national banks, 2 private banks, 2 newspaper offices, a young ladies' collegiate institute, 9 churches, 5 flouring mills, 2 foundries, 2 tanneries, a woollen-mill, a brewery, a stave-factory, 2 large nurseries, and manufactories of sash and blinds, lumber, tobacco, and wine. Pop. (1890) 5258.
    Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
  • 1906
    Monroe, a city, the capital of Monroe co., Mich., is situated on the Raisin River, 2 miles from its entrance into Lake Erie and 31 miles E. of Adrian, on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern and other railroads. It contains the St. Mary's Academy and the mother-house of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and has flouring- and woollen-mills, foundries, large nurseries, and manufactories of sash and blinds, paper, tile, lumber, tobacco, and wine. Pop. in 1900, 5043.
    Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
  • News  1955 - EIGHT OF RAIL CREW KILLED.
    Monroe, Mich. - (UP) - Eight members of a railroad section crew were killed Friday when a New York Central passenger train demolished their work truck at a crossing seven miles north of Monroe.
    Monroe County sheriff's deputies said it was possible a ninth workman died when the engine slammed broadside into the truck, which had just pulled onto the tracks.
    Mutilated bodies were scattered three-fourths of a mile along the right-of-way.
    Sheriff's deputies identified five of the dead as:
    ROYAL GREEN, 41.
    HOBERT CHURCHILL, 52.
    CARL WOOLFIELD, 40.
    EARL SWEAT, 31.
    PAT PATTERFRITZ, all of Monroe.
    The other three dead were tentatively identified as:
    ROBERT CLINE.
    JOSEPH ELLISON.
    EUGENE DUTY, all of Monroe.
    Clovis News-Journal
    New Mexico
    November 18, 1955

Discover Your Roots: Monroe Ancestry

Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Monroe, Michigan, USA

We currently have information about ancestors who were born or died in Monroe.

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female ancestorMarie Susanne RICHARD (12 January 1717, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul) - 13 January 1800, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
female ancestorMarie-Marguerite BOTQUIN dite ST-ANDRÉ (29 October 1778, L'Assomption, Québec, Canada (St-Pierre-du-Portage) - 8 April 1860, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
male ancestorErastus MONROE (1804, , New York, USA - 30 November 1872, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
photo of Charles Nash MATTOONCharles Nash MATTOON (9 February 1812, Lenox, Massachusetts, USA - 26 May 1886, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
female ancestorAngeline Theresa MARTINDALE (18 March 1814, Dorset, Vermont, USA - 18 November 1886, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
female ancestorMaria BIENEALL (1827, , Ohio, USA - 15 June 1875, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
female ancestorCornelia BEMENT (1836, , Michigan, USA - 1 November 1878, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
female ancestorVictoria GANARD (21 July 1842, Monroe, Michigan, USA - 21 July 1914, Monroe, Michigan, USA)
male ancestorEli COOLEY (21 March 1844, Monroe, Michigan, USA - 1 January 1898, Monroe, Michigan, USA)

Ancestors Who Were Married in Monroe, Michigan, USA

We currently have information about ancestors who were married in Monroe.

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male ancestorJames Burnham SMITH (July 1840 - April 1904) and female ancestorA Olivia LITTLE (June 1844 - bef. 1930?) married 18 June 1867
photo of Bernard STURN Bernard STURN (25 September 1845 - 4 July 1927) and photo of Matilda HOFFMAN Matilda HOFFMAN (18 February 1850 - 30 December 1928) married 11 April 1872
male ancestorJames HANLON (12 August 1850 - 14 November 1925) and female ancestorElizabeth A JACOBS (January 1857 - 1 April 1918) married 19 June 1874
male ancestorSamuel GAYNIER (9 February 1860 - 20 September 1939) and photo of Elizabeth POUPARD Elizabeth POUPARD (10 May 1861 - 24 September 1943) married 20 October 1885
male ancestorPeter COOLEY (6 December 1872 - 25 June 1950) and female ancestorJosephine "Josie" DUVALL (25 December 1880 - 23 September 1939) married 31 October 1900
photo of William Edward STURN William Edward STURN (16 March 1879 - 26 March 1948) and photo of Julia F LAVOY Julia F LAVOY (11 January 1883 - 25 February 1964) married 19 September 1905
photo of John William BURNS John William BURNS (22 August 1887 - 29 April 1969) and photo of Constance Lauryne HILL Constance Lauryne HILL (24 February 1904 - 23 April 1995) married 16 August 1920
male ancestorGeorge GROSS (May 17, 1904 - July 17, 1967) and female ancestorMary ROWE (October 22, 1905 - April 13, 1993) married 5 November 1923
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Updated: 5/8/2023 12:19:35 PM

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