Monroe is the largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Monroe had a population of 20,462 in the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Monroe is the core city in the Monroe metropolitan statistical area, which is coterminous with Monroe County and had a population of 154,809 in 2020. Located on the western shores of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also h ...

approximately north of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

and south of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, the city is part of the Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint combined statistical area. The Monroe area was the scene of several military conflicts during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

against the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and is known for the

Battle of Frenchtown The Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre, were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. It was fought between the ...

. In 1817, portions of the Frenchtown settlement along the

River Raisin The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States, that flows through Ice age, glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agriculture, agricultural and Industrial sector, industrial center of Michigan. The river flo ...

were

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted and renamed Monroe after then-president

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

. When Michigan became a state in 1837, Monroe was incorporated as a city. Monroe is known as the childhood residence of

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

and other members of his family, including his brother

Boston Custer Boston Custer (October 31, 1848 – June 25, 1876) was the youngest brother of U.S. Army Lt Colonel George Armstrong Custer and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Captain Thomas Custer. He was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn alo ...

and wife Elizabeth Bacon. Several structures are named after Custer, including

Custer Airport Custer Airport , sometimes referred to as Monroe Custer Airport, is a city-owned public airport located in the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan. The airport opened in November 1946 and was named for George Armstrong Custer, who spent much ...

. Founded in 1928, the

La-Z-Boy La-Z-Boy Inc. (pronounced "lazy boy") is an American furniture manufacturer based in Monroe, Michigan, United States, that makes home furniture, including upholstered recliners, sofas, stationary chairs, lift chairs and sleeper sofas. The compa ...

world headquarters are located in Monroe.

History

Long occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, the area around the

was settled by the historic Potawatomi hundreds of years before French explorers and colonists reached it in the late seventeenth century. Robert de LaSalle claimed the area for

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

after his 1679 expedition on the '' Griffon''. In 1784, after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Francis Navarre of Canada was given a portion of land south of the

by the Potawatomi. Colonists settled Frenchtown shortly thereafter as the third European community in what in the early 19th century became the state of Michigan. Around the same time, the Sandy Creek Settlement was established just north of Frenchtown by French-Canadian Joseph Porlier Benec. Because of its proximity to Detroit, the area was of strategic importance during the

between the United States and Great Britain, especially after

Fort Detroit Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Detroit (1701–1796) was a fort established on the north bank of the Detroit River by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and the Italian Alphonse de Tonty in 1701. In the 18th century, Fre ...

surrendered to the British in August 1812. American forces en route to retake Detroit had camped in the area of the River Raisin in the winter of 1812–13. A force of 200 Native Americans and 63 Canadian militia were forced to retreat north away from the River Raisin by 600 Kentucky militiamen and 100 French, under the command of James Winchester, on January 18, 1813. This skirmish was later dubbed the 'First Battle of the River Raisin'. But, on January 22, 1813, a force of 800 Native Americans and 597 British, under Henry Proctor, surprised the force of 1,000 Americans and captured Frenchtown. Many of the American militia were inexperienced, ill-trained, and badly equipped. They suffered 397 killed and 547 captured. The British and their allies had only slight losses. When the British departed with their captives to Detroit, they left those Americans too wounded to walk in the homes of Frenchtown inhabitants under the guard of a small British detachment and Native American allies, including Potawatomi. The morning after the battle, other Native Americans returned to Frenchtown. They plundered and burned homes, and killed and ritually scalped many of the remaining American captives, taking others as slaves. The official U.S. estimate of casualties in this aftermath include a dozen named individuals killed and up to 30 more who were likely killed. The British estimated six Americans were killed. This event became known throughout the United States as the "River Raisin Massacre". This was also known as the

(or the Second Battle of the River Raisin). Today, the site of the battle is preserved as the

River Raisin National Battlefield Park The River Raisin National Battlefield Park preserves the site of the Battle of Frenchtown as the only national battlefield marking a site of the War of 1812. It was established as the 393rd unit of the United States National Park Service under ...

, authorized in 2009. It is the first and so far the only national battlefield established for a War of 1812 site. It has a small visitor center. Custerstatue

The area of Frenchtown was renamed after the War of 1812 and incorporated as the village of Monroe in honor of President

. He visited the Michigan Territory in 1817. In the same year, the city of Monroe was named as the

of the newly created

. Monroe was re-incorporated as a city in 1837. Settled mostly by American migrants from New York and New England, Monroe later became associated with events in the West in the later 19th century, particularly the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

. It is known as the childhood home of

(1839–1876), who had a military career in which he reached the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. His family moved here when he was young, and he lived in Monroe for much of his childhood. Here he later met and in 1864 married Elizabeth Bacon (1842–1933), during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. In the later 19th century, he led troops in the Indian Wars and died at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

, in which his forces were killed by the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

. They call it the Battle of the Greasy Grass. In 1910, President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

and the widow Elizabeth Bacon Custer unveiled an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

of Custer, which now stands at the corner of Elm Avenue and Monroe Street. Custer is also honored in street names, various

historic marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

s, buildings, schools, and the regional

. City limit signs for Monroe describe the city as "the home of General Custer." The

furniture company, which became known for its reclining easy chairs, was founded in Monroe in 1927. Their world headquarters are located in Monroe, south of the intersection of La-Z-Boy Blvd and Stewart Road. This new facility is roughly 1/2 a mile east of the original location on Telegraph Road; the old building was demolished in 2021 and the site is being redeveloped. In 1974, the

Monroe Power Plant The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Monroe, Michigan, on the western shore of Lake Erie. It is owned by the DTE Energy Electric Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and bega ...

opened. It is the third largest coal fired plant in the United States, with a capacity of 3,280 megawatts. At 805 feet (245 m) tall, the dual smokestacks are visible from more than away and are among the tallest structures in the state. In December 1989, a combination of

Zebra Mussels The zebra mussel (''Dreissena polymorpha'') is a small freshwater mussel. The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, but has been accidentally Introduced species, introduced to numerous other areas and has become an inv ...

and ice clogged the sole intake pipe of the Monroe water treatment plant, forcing a two-day shutdown of the city's schools, industries, and businesses.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (9.92%) is water. Monroe sits at the lowest elevation in state of Michigan, which is the shores of

at 571 feet (174 meters). The average elevation of the city of Monroe is 594 feet (182 meters). The Port of Monroe is the only Michigan port on Lake Erie, and

Sterling State Park William C. Sterling State Park is a public recreation area located in Frenchtown Charter Township with a small portion lying within the city limits of Monroe, Michigan. It is the only Michigan state park located on Lake Erie. The park encomp ...

is the only of Michigan's 103 state parks located on or near Lake Erie. The

and Sandy Creek travel through Monroe; they are non-navigable because of the several dams and other obstructions.

Climate

Monroe lies in the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

zone. Monroe receives an average of 28.5 inches (72.4 cm) of snow a year — the lowest average snowfall for any large city in the state. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of 84 °F (29 °C), and January is the coldest month with an average low temperature of 16 °F (−9 °C). Monroe does not normally have extremely hot or cold temperatures, as its climate is moderated by the lake. On average, the temperature only drops below 0 °F (−18 °C) a couple of times during a winter season, and it is even rarer for the temperature to rise above 100 °F (38 °C) during the summer. The coldest recorded temperature was −21 °F (−29 °C) on February 5, 1918. The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 24, 1934, with another equal temperature recorded on one occasion many years earlier.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 20,733 people, 8,238 households, and 5,277 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,158 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 6.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 8,238 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

2000 census

In the census of 2000, there were 22,076 people, 8,594 households, and 5,586 families in the city. The population density was 2,440.9 per square mile (942.9/km²). There were 9,107 housing units at an average density of 1,007.0 per square mile (389.0/km²). The racial makeup was 90.87%

, 5.07%

, 0.24% Native American, 0.84%

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.90% from

, and 2.06% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.76% of the population. There were 8,594 households, of which 33.6% had children under 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size 3.10. In the city, the population was 26.9% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,810, and the median income for a family $51,442. Males had a median income of $42,881 versus $25,816 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,948. 9.0% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under 18 and 16.1% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Sports

Monroe is the hometown of the Southern Michigan Timberwolves, a semi-professional football team that competes in the Great Lakes Football League. The Timberwolves have won their league championship four times, three in the Mid-Continental Football League (1996, 97 & 99) and the Minor League Football Alliance championship in 2016.

Education

The city of Monroe is served by one

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

district, Monroe Public Schools (MPS), which enrolls approximately 6,700 students. MPS operates five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, one

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

high school, and two specialized education centers. At around 2,100 students, Monroe High School is one of the largest high schools in the state. Monroe is also served by the

Monroe County Intermediate School District The Monroe County Intermediate School District (commonly abbreviated as the Monroe County ISD or MCISD) is an intermediate school district that provides educational services throughout Monroe County, Michigan. The ISD provides numerous service ...

, which provides services to other schools in the form of

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

services, support staff, substitute teachers, and educational technology (such as computers and

distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

). Students in Monroe may also attend one of two public charter schools. More than a dozen various parochial schools operate in and around Monroe. In 2012, the three largest parochial elementary schools (St. Michael the Archangel, St. Mary, and St. John the Baptist) merged to form Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools, serving infants through 8th grade. The St. Michael Campus serves infants through 1st grade, while St. John serves 2nd through 4th grade, and St. Mary functions as the Middle School for grades 5 through 8. The largest of the parochial schools is

St. Mary Catholic Central High School St. Mary Catholic Central High School, known colloquially as SMCC, is a Catholic, co-educational, parochial, secondary school located at 108 West Elm Avenue in Monroe, Michigan, Monroe, Michigan. SMCC is sponsored by the Catholic parishes of the ...

, which enrolls more than 400 students annually. It has a full sports program that competes against the other public school districts. Zion Lutheran School is a grade school (Pre-K-8) of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauke ...

in Monroe. Parents may also

homeschool Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...

their children.

Marygrove College Marygrove College was a private Roman Catholic graduate college in Detroit, Michigan, affiliated with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It announced its closure on December 17, 2019, at end of the fall semester. History T ...

, sponsored by the local

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (I.H.M.) is a Catholic religious institute of sisters, founded by Fr Louis Florent Gillet, CSsR, and a co-founder of the Oblate Sister of Providence, Mother Theresa Maxis Duchemin, in 1845. ...

(IHM), was founded in Monroe in 1905 as a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

college. The college moved to its current location in Detroit in 1927. The IHM also operated a boarding school, the Hall of the Divine Child, in Monroe from 1918 to 1980.

Monroe County Community College Monroe County Community College (MCCC) is a public community college in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The main campus is located in Monroe Charter Township with a smaller off-campus location further south in Temperance. MCCC w ...

was founded in 1964 just west of Monroe. It is the only higher education facility in Monroe County.

Media

The Monroe News Gannett Company owns over 100 daily newspapers, and nearly 1,000 weekly newspapers. These operations are in 44 U.S. states, one U.S. territory, and six countries. Newspapers United States *''USA Today'' ( Tyson's Corner, Virginia) **''USA Today ...

'' is the daily newspaper in Monroe, reporting on all of Monroe County. The newspaper was founded in 1825 and for many years known as The Monroe Evening News. It was purchased by GateHouse Media in fall 2015, prior to which time The Monroe News had about 20 years of employee ownership. Nielsen puts Monroe in the Detroit DMA but stations from Toledo also cover Monroe County and consider it as a part of their coverage area of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. ''Only in Monroe'' is a monthly public-access television program covering news on the Monroe area. It is hosted by Kaye Lani Rae Rafko and

Michelle Bowman Michelle White "Miki" Bowman (born May 25, 1971) is an American attorney who served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since 2018. She is the first person to fill the community bank seat on the board, a seat created by a 2015 ...

. Comedian and nationally known talk show host

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...

was a guest host of the show on July 1, 2015. Colbert interviewed musician

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

. "Only in Monroe" and other public access programming can be found on Monroe Public Access Cable Television. Rewind 94.3 WERW is the low-power educational FM frequency in Monroe, the station at one time belonged to Monroe Public Schools and is currently run by Monroe Public Access Cable Television. Monroe County Radio is an Internet radio station founded in fall 2012, the studio is in Monroe with news and sports coverage focusing on Monroe County. Nash Icon WMIM 98.3 is the Cumulus radio station in the area, the studio is in downtown Monroe. The current music format is country. Prior to Cumulus owning the station, it was locally owned. Radio stations from Detroit and Toledo are also receivable.

Transportation

Highway and bus

The city of Monroe is served by the Lake Erie Transit public transportation bus system. Established in 1975, Lake Erie Transit currently has a fleet of 31 buses and serves approximately 400,000 riders every year. In 2008, the system logged 764,000 miles. The system operates buses on eight fixed routes in and around the city of Monroe. It also serves several neighboring townships outside of its normal routes should a passenger call ahead for a ride. From Bedford Township, its provides transportation to and from two shopping malls in

. * travels through Monroe and provides access to Toledo and Detroit. There are five interchanges in and near Monroe: LaPlaisance Road (exit 11), Front Street (exit 13), Elm Street (exit 14), North Dixie Highway (exit 15), and Nadeau Road (exit 18). * has its southern terminus just north of Monroe. Splitting off from I-75, I-275 is a western bypass around Detroit but does not actually merge back with I-75. Aside from I-75, the highway can be accessed near Monroe by US 24 (Telegraph Road) via exit 2. * terminates in Monroe at US 24 and provides a direct route to

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, and further. In Monroe, M-50 is known locally as South Custer Road. Its former terminus used to be I-75 at exit 15. * travels through Monroe and provides access to Toledo and western portions of Detroit. The road is known locally as North Telegraph and South Telegraph — divided at the

. US 24 also connects to I-275 just north of Monroe. * travels directly through the downtown area before merging into US 24 north of Monroe. South of downtown after Jones Avenue, it is called South Dixie Highway. In the downtown area, it is South Monroe Street. North of the River Raisin, it is North Monroe Street. * was a state highway existing from 1930 until 1955 and ran along the northern banks of the River Raisin. M-130 had its eastern terminus at US 24 and ran for just over nine miles (14 km). In 1955, control of the highway was transferred back to the county. Today, it is called North Custer Road. * Dixie Highway marker

Dixie Highway Dixie Highway was a United States auto trail first planned in 1914 to connect the Midwest with the South. It was part of a system and was expanded from an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final system is better understood as a network of ...

ran through Monroe in as early as 1915. It was originally one of the few ways to reach places like Florida, but the highway was largely replaced by I-75 beginning in the 1960s. Today, the namesake of the highway is used for two non-connecting highways (one being M-125), although the same route and remnants of the original highway are long gone. * was the designated name for the portion of Dixie Highway north of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, including the portion running through Monroe. Like Dixie Highway, US 25 was largely replaced, and the existing highway was truncated at Cincinnati. * Airport Sign

was built in 1946 and is located on the former M-130. It is a very small and seldom used airport. There are no commercial or passenger flights departing from or arriving at Custer Airport. There is one paved runway used by small personal airplanes. There is also a small aviation school on the site. All air services in the area are primarily through the Metro Airport in Wayne County.

Railroads

Present day freight hauling railroads operating through and around Monroe are the Norfolk Southern, CSX, and the Canadian National. Historic railroads operating until the 1950s–60s were the Pere Marquette, Ann Arbor, Wabash, Grand Trunk Western, and the Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton. The Baltimore and Ohio had trackage rights with the PM and the Wabash upon which to operate its Detroit to Toledo passenger trains such as the Ambassador which after Toledo continued to Washington, D.C. and from there northward to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Interurbans

From 1900 to the 1930s, the electric Detroit United Railway (eventually becoming the Eastern Michigan Ry) operated hourly interurban passenger service between Detroit and Toledo through Monroe. The DU/EM provided valuable and frequent passenger transportation plus carryed freight at a time of unpaved and unreliable roads. The gradual business lost as Michigan and Ohio and their towns paved highways in the 1920s and resulting growing truck and automobile use, plus the 1930–32 dramatic loss of business caused by the economic impact of the Great Depression shut the interurban down in 1932. The Eastern Michigan had carried considerable freight and passengers from Detroit to Cleveland exchanged with the Lake Shore Electric interurban at Toledo. Similarly, it had carried freight and passengers from Detroit to Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati exchanged with the Cincinnati and Lake Erie interurban at Toledo.

Notable people

Rance Allen The Rance Allen Group was a gospel music group formed in Monroe, Michigan, and based in Toledo, Ohio, named after its lead vocalist, Bishop Rance Allen. The group was formed by vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter Rance Allen (b. Monro ...

(1948-2020), Bishop, songwriter, gospel singer * Alfred E. Bates, U.S. Army major general *

Frankie Biggz Francisco Andres Lucio (born January 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Frankie Biggz, is an American record producer, musician, singer, songwriter, and DJ. Frankie Biggz's first credit production work was in 1990 on ''Miguel Tomas'' (War ...

(b. Francisco Andres Lucio, 1973), record producer, singer-songwriter, musician, and DJ *

Vic Braden Victor Kenneth Braden Jr. (August 2, 1929 – October 6, 2014) was an American tennis player, instructor and television broadcaster for the sport. He earned a PhD in psychology and was married twice. He had 2 children, 1 grandchild and 3 st ...

(1929–2014), tennis champion and coach *

Christie Brinkley Christie Lee Brinkley (née Hudson; born February 2, 1954) is an American model, actress, and entrepreneur. Brinkley gained worldwide fame with her appearances in ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues'', ultimately appearing on an unprecedented ...

(b. 1954), model, born in Monroe * Robert K. Brown (b. 1932), combat correspondent, investigative journalist, and founder, editor, publisher of

Soldier of Fortune magazine ''Soldier of Fortune'' (''SOF''), subtitled ''The Journal of Professional Adventurers'', is a daily web magazine published by Susan Katz Keating. It began as a monthly U.S. periodical published from 1975 to 2016 as a magazine devoted to worldwide ...

Horace Thompson Carpenter Horace Thompson Carpenter (1857 in Monroe, Michigan – 1947 in Bala (now part of Bala Cynwyd), Montgomery County, Pennsylvania), was an illustrator, artist and art writer of the late 19th and early 20th century United States. Education Carp ...

(1857–1947), artist and art critic, historian * Isaac P. Christiancy (1812–1890), Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court *

Ken W. Clawson Ken Wade Clawson (August 16, 1936 – December 17, 1999) was an American journalist, best known as a spokesman for U.S. President Richard Nixon at the time of the Watergate scandal. He was promoted from Nixon's deputy director of communications to ...

(1936–1999), Deputy Director of Communications for President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

during Watergate scandal *

Audie Cole Audie Raymond Cole (born June 1, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Early years Cole played as a quarterb ...

(b. 1989), football player for

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

* Oliver H. P. Cowdery (1806–1850), important figure in founding of

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

, lived in Monroe *

(1848–1876), younger brother of General George Custer, lived in Monroe, killed at

Battle of Little Big Horn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

Elizabeth Bacon Custer Elizabeth Bacon Custer (née Bacon; April 8, 1842 – April 4, 1933) was an American author and public speaker, and the wife of Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custer, United States Army. She spent most of their marriage in relative proxi ...

(1842–1933), wife of General Custer, born in Monroe *

(1839–1876), iconic 19th Century soldier, lived much of his early life in Monroe * Eric Daman (b. 1970), fashion designer * Robert S. Duncanson (1821–1872), first professional African-American artist *

Elisha Peyre Ferry Elisha Peyre Ferry (August 9, 1825October 14, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first governor of Washington from 1889 to 1893. Ferry was a Republican who had twice been Governor of Washington Territory, the only o ...

(1825–1895), first governor of state of Washington * Carl Ford (b. 1980), football player * Don Gonyea (b. 1956), White House correspondent for

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

* John James Hattstaedt, musician, founder and president of

American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservator ...

in Chicago (1886–1991), was born and grew up in Monroe *

Valerie Harper Valerie Kathryn Harper (August 22, 1939 – August 30, 2019) was an American actress. She began her career as a dancer on Broadway, making her debut as a replacement in the musical ''Li'l Abner''. She is best remembered for her role as Rho ...

(1939–2019), actress, star of sitcoms ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...

'', '' Rhoda'' and ''

Valerie Valerie may refer to: People *Saint Valerie (disambiguation), a number of saints went by the name Valerie *Valerie (given name), a feminine given name Songs *"Valerie", a 1981 song by Quarterflash, from ''Quarterflash'' *"Valerie", a 1982 son ...

'', grew up in Monroe *

Ernest Ingersoll Ernest Ingersoll (March 13, 1852 – November 13, 1946) was an American naturalist, writer and explorer. Biography A native of Monroe, Michigan, Ingersoll studied for a time at Oberlin College and afterward at Harvard University, where he was a ...

(1852–1946), environmentalist and writer. * Mary Harris "Mother" Jones (1837–1930), union organizer, lived in Monroe * Ken Kelley (1949–2008), journalist, editor, and publisher * Ernst G. W. Keyl (1804–1872), Lutheran clergyman, died in Monroe * Tonya Kinzinger, actress, born in Monroe *

Karen Koch Karen Koch ronounced "Cook"(born 1951) is an American former ice hockey goaltender. She played for the Marquette Iron Rangers in the United States Hockey League during the 1969–70 season.Leonard "Oakie" Brumm "First Female Hockey Player Made ...

(b. 1951), world's first professional female ice hockey player *

Charles Lanman Charles Lanman (June 14, 1819 - March 4, 1895) was an American author, government official, artist, librarian, and explorer. Biography Charles Lanman was born in Monroe, Michigan, on June 14, 1819, the son of Charles James Lanman, and the gr ...

(1819–1895), author, artist and US government official * Robert McClelland (1807–1880), prominent Michigan politician *

Bronco McKart Bronco Banyon McKart (born March 20, 1971) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2014 and held the WBO light middleweight title in 1996. McKart is best known for his trilogy of fights against Winky Wright. Professi ...

(b. 1971), prizefighter, World Boxing Organization champion * J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902), prominent conservationist, lived in Monroe from 1834 to 1854 *

Fannie Ellsworth Newberry Fannie Ellsworth Stone Newberry (1848–1942) wrote a long series of books, many of them stories for girls, of which the best seller was ''The Wrestler of Philippi''. Newberry was born in Monroe, Michigan, on May 7, 1848, the daughter of Hiram ...

(1848–1942), writer of girls' stories, born in Monroe * Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (b. 1963),

Miss America 1988 Miss America 1988, the 61st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 19, 1987, on NBC Network. Pageant winner Kaye Lani Rae Rafko of Michigan became a registered nurse, and has done many ...

Henry Armstrong Reed Henry Armstrong Reed (April 27, 1858 – June 25, 1876) was the nephew of George Armstrong Custer, Thomas Custer, and Boston Custer. Although not an official soldier, he was killed along with them at the Battle of the Little Bighorn at the age of ...

(1858–1876), nephew of George Custer, lived in Monroe, killed at Little Big Horn * James A. Roy, 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force *

Paul W. Smith Paul William Smith (born 1953) is an American talk radio host and columnist. He currently hosts the morning show on WJR radio in Detroit, Michigan and co-hosts the weekly show ''Opportunity Detroit''. Smith's shows typically feature in-depth in ...

, WJR radio personality *

Vern Sneider Vernon J. Sneider (6 October 1916 – 1 May 1981) was an American novelist. His 1951 novel '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' was later adapted for a Broadway play in 1953, a motion picture in 1956, and the Broadway musical '' Lovely Ladie ...

(1916–1981), novelist who wrote '' Teahouse of the August Moon'' *

George Spalding George Spalding (November 12, 1836 – September 13, 1915) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Spalding was born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland and immigrated to the United States in 1843 with his parents. The sett ...

, U.S. Congressman *

Matt Urban Matt Louis Urban (August 25, 1919 – March 4, 1995) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. Urban performed valiantly in combat on many occasions despite being wounded in ...

(1919–1995), most decorated combat soldier of WWII *

Frankie E. Harris Wassom Frankie E. Harris Wassom (1850-1933) was an American writer and educator. Early life Frankie Emma Harris was born in Monroe, Michigan and raised in Oberlin, Ohio, the daughter of Beverly Harris and Rebecca E. West Harris. Her parents were involv ...

(1850–1933), educator and poet * Todd Williams (b. 1969), two-time U.S. Olympian at 10,000m (1992, 1996) * Eric Wilson (b. 1978), football player * Warner Wing (1805–1876), Michigan jurist and legislator

Sister cities

Monroe, Michigan has only one official

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

: * Hofu, Japan, since 1993

References

External links

City of Monroe official website''The Monroe News''
* * {{Authority control Cities in Monroe County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Erie Metro Detroit Michigan in the War of 1812 1817 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1817