| Monroe County, Michigan | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Michigan |
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 Michigan's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | July 14, 1817 |
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| Seat | Monroe |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
680 sq mi (1,761 km²) 551 sq mi (1,427 km²) 129 sq mi (334 km²), 18.96% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
145,945 264/sq mi (102/km²) |
| Website: www.co.monroe.mi.us | |
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the population was 145,945. The largest city and county seat is Monroe.[1] The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area. In July 2008, the Census Bureau estimated the county metropolitan population at 152,949— the 260th largest of the 363 metropolitan area in the United States.[2] Monroe County is also officially part of the larger Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint CSA and sometimes unofficially included as a northerly extension of the Toledo Metropolitan Area. Monroe County was established as the second county (after Wayne County) in the Michigan Territory in 1817 and was named for then-President James Monroe.[3]
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History
Before the county’s formation, the primary settlement was Frenchtown, which was settled in as early as 1784 along the banks of the River Raisin. The small plot of land was given to the early French settlers by the Potawatomi Native Americans, and the area was claimed for New France. The settlement of Frenchtown and the slight northerly settlement of Sandy Creek drew in a total of about 100 inhabitants. During the War of 1812, the area was the site of the Battle of Frenchtown, which was the worst American defeat in the war and remains the deadliest conflict ever on Michigan soil. The site of the battle is now part of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.[4]
Monroe County was formed from the southern portion of Wayne County in 1817. At the time, the Michigan Territory, which had not yet received statehood, consisted of only Wayne County since Detroit was the only area with a population over 1,000 people. When the area became more populated, the southern portion of Wayne County was broken off to form Monroe County with Frenchtown being incorporated as the county seat of Monroe— the second incorporated city in the Michigan Territory. The newly formed county and its county seat were renamed in honor of then-President James Monroe in anticipation for his upcoming visit to the area.[3] Shortly after its formation, Monroe County’s population was recorded at only 336 in the 1820 census.[5] When the county was originally formed, it stretched for 60 miles inland (twice its current size), but the western half was split off to form Lenawee County in 1826.[3][6]
Monroe County’s most famous resident, George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876), moved to Monroe as a child and lived with his half-sister and brother-in-law. Although not born in Monroe, he attended school in Monroe and later moved away to attend the United States Military Academy. He returned to Monroe in 1864 during the Civil War to marry Elizabeth Bacon (1842–1933), whom he met while previously living in Monroe. Much of Custer’s family resided in Monroe, included Elizabeth Bacon, Henry Armstrong Reed (1858–1876), and Boston Custer (1848–1876). Following their deaths in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Henry and Boston were interned and memorialized in Monroe’s historic Woodland Cemetery, as are many members of Bacon’s family. Although dying in the same battle, George Custer was interned at West Point Cemetery, and Elizabeth Bacon was buried next to him when she died many decades later. In 1910, then-President William Howard Taft and the widowed Elizabeth Bacon unveiled an equestrian statue of Custer that now rests at the corner of Elm Street and Monroe Street in the heart of downtown Monroe.[7][8]
Border disputes
When the city of Toledo was incorporated in 1833, it was part of Monroe County instead of the state of Ohio. The small strip of land surrounding the mouth of the Maumee River was under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory, because the borders originally drawn up for the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set a territorial boundary as the southernmost edge of Lake Michigan. When Ohio became the first in the Northwest Territory to gain statehood in 1803, the state’s northern border did not include this important area, which was later given to the Michigan Territory when it was formally organized in 1805. From 1833–1836, Toledo belonged to Monroe County, and this led to the very heated Toledo War border dispute between the Michigan Territory and the state of Ohio for the area known as the Toledo Strip. In late-1836, President Andrew Jackson, who disliked the Michigan Territory’s “boy governor” Stevens T. Mason, intervened on behalf of Ohio and gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for Michigan getting the Upper Peninsula— then considered a wasteland— when it became a state on January 26, 1837.[9] For the time that Toledo was part of Monroe County, it surpassed Monroe in terms of size and population. In 1915, Michigan Governor Woodbridge Nathan Ferris and Ohio Governor Frank B. Willis called a ceremonial truce to the border conflict when new state line markers were erected.
The new state line at the end of the Toledo War was established at approximately the 41°44’ north latitude line just north of the mouth of the Maumee River. This gave the river and the city of Toledo to the state of Ohio, but it also created an unintended consequence for a specific area of Michigan. The state line also cut through the smaller Ottawa River and intentionally cut off a small section of Monroe County, creating an exclave known as the “Lost Peninsula” (41°44′08.3″N 83°27′35.6″W / 41.735639°N 83.459889°W). The few Michigan residents that live on the small peninsula must travel south into Ohio on a 10 minute drive before going north to get back to the rest of Michigan. The Lost Peninsula is administered by Erie Township and most of the peninsula contains a marina.[10]
Monroe County’s boundary remained unchanged from 1837–1973 when one final unresolved dispute from the Toledo War was resolved— 136 years after the conflict. Ownership over the very small, uninhabited Turtle Island in remote Lake Erie was disputed for decades after the island’s lighthouse was shut down. Interestingly, the island was long controlled by Michigan but still disputed by Ohio. On February 22, 1973, an agreement was met, and state lines were redrawn for the last time to cut exactly through the tiny island— dividing the island between Monroe County and Lucas County. The island serves no purpose, and ownership of the island is merely political. Erie Township has jurisdiction over the Michigan half of Turtle Island, while the city of Toledo controls the other half. What to do with the island remains a contentious issue since neither side can come to any agreement. Today, the island has several abandoned structures, and the recent building of new structures was halted by a court order.[11][12]
Economic history
Prior to the mid-20th century, Monroe County remained largely agrarian and was well known for its numerous paper mills— the first of which was founded in 1834.[13] In 1916, August Meyer founded Brisk Blast, which was a bicycle pump manufacturer that was later expanded to produce automotive shocks in 1919 as the Monroe Auto Equipment Company. In 1977, the company merged with the international Tenneco company. Today, their world headquarters are located in Monroe Charter Township and continue to manufacture Monroe Shocks and Struts.[13] In 1927, cousins Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker founded a small furniture making company in their garage. This would later evolved into the worldwide La-Z-Boy Incorporated, and their world headquarters are located on North Telegraph Road in Monroe.[14] Only their world headquarters are located in Monroe, as their products are now manufactured in China.[15]
In 1957, the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station first opened in Frenchtown Charter Township near Lake Erie. Today, the plant is operated by Detroit Edison but is entirely owned by DTE Energy. In 1974, the Monroe Power Plant, currently the fourth largest coal firing plant in North America, opened. At 805 feet (245 m) tall, the dual smokestacks are visible from over 25 miles (40 km) away and are among the tallest structures in the state. A third smokestack— shorter and wider than the other two— is currently being constructed as the plant is expanding its capacity.[16] In 1929, Newton Steel opened a manufacturing plant on Lake Erie in Monroe, and this plant would later be purchased by the Ford Motor Company in 1949 under their Visteon division and later as the Automotive Components Holdings. The plant, one of the most prominent manufacturing job in the county, produces various car parts for Ford. The plant itself is also well known for its high level of chemicals that once polluted Lake Erie and the River Raisin. Although threatened to close, the factory remains open with 1,200 employees.[15][17] Today, the Port of Monroe remains heavily industrialized, and various other industries have moved to Monroe County in recent years. In 2001, Cabela’s built a store in Dundee. As one of the largest stores of its kind, this location is a major tourist destination and has greatly improved the economy of Dundee.[18] The Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance was also founded in Dundee in 2002.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 680 square miles (1,761 km²), of which, 551 square miles (1,427 km²) of it is land and 129 square miles (334 km²) of it (18.96%) is water. Monroe is Michigan’s only county on Lake Erie. The River Raisin and Sandy Creek flow through the county. Sterling State Park is the county’s only state park and the only of Michigan’s 98 state parks located on Lake Erie. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge extends south into Monroe County and includes Sterling State Park.[19] Monroe County sits at the lowest elevation in state of Michigan, which is the shores of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 meters).[20]
Adjacent counties
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Washtenaw County | Washtenaw County / Wayne County | Wayne County | |
| Lenawee County |  |
Lake Erie; Essex County, Ontario | ||
 Monroe County  |
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| Lucas County (Ohio) | Lucas County (Ohio) | Lake Erie; Lucas County |
Demographics
As of the census[23] of 2000, there were 145,945 people, 53,772 households, and 39,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 265 people per square mile (102/km²). There were 56,471 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.42% White, 1.90% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 2.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.5% were of German, 8.9% American, 8.3% Polish, 8.2% French, 8.0% Irish, 7.5% English and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.4% spoke English and 1.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 53,772 households out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female household with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14. In the county the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $51,743, and the median income for a family was $59,659. Males had a median income of $46,715 versus $27,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,458. About 4.80% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.10% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.
In the 2008 census report, the county's population was estimated at 152,949. The leading nationality was German at 34.9%, with Irish at 15.2% and French at 11.1%. Other national origins include 10.5% Polish and 8.9% English. The smallest population of any large nationality in the United States is Danish with only 45 people of Danish descent in the county.[24] The highest ethnicity reported in the county in 2008 was white at 95.3%. Black people accounted for only 2.4%, while other ethnic groups include 0.7% Asian and 0.3% total for Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Hispanic and Latino Americans accounted for 2.7%.[25]
Cities and townships
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Education
Monroe County is served by nine public school districts. The largest of these is Monroe Public Schools (MPS), which enrolls approximately 6,700 students in the city of Monroe.[26] At around 2,100 students, Monroe High School is one of the largest high schools in the state. Students in Monroe County can choose to enroll in any public school district in the county, granted the district has available space. If a student attends a school outside of their normal district, the school will usually not provide transportation for the student. Monroe County is also served by the Monroe County Intermediate School District (ISD), which provides services to other schools in the form of special education services, support staff, substitute teachers, and educational technology (such as computers and distance learning). In Monroe County, all special education and substitute teachers and aides are technically employed through the ISD, even if they work entirely within another school district. The campus of the ISD has educational facilities handling self-contained special education classes for children with mental retardation.[27] Students in Monroe County may also attend one of two public charter schools, and there are also over a dozen various parochial schools in Monroe County. The largest of these schools is St. Mary Catholic Central, which enrolls over 400 students a year and has a full sports program that competes against the other public school districts. Students may also be homeschooled. Students who reside in some of the county’s northern cities, such as Milan, South Rockwood, and Flat Rock, may be assigned to a school district in either Washtenaw or Wayne counties.
Marygrove College, sponsored by the local Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), was founded in Monroe in 1905 as a Catholic, liberal arts college. The college then 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 1918–1980. Monroe County Community College (MCCC) was founded in 1964 as a community college just west of Monroe High School. MCCC, which enrolls approximately 4,500 students a year, traditionally offers liberal arts classes in preparation for transfer to a university. The highest degree that can be achieved through MCCC is an associate degree. However, in certain programs, such as nursing, one can achieve a bachelor’s degree, since MCCC offers extended four-year university classes on their campus for various nearby universities. The college also offers numerous vocational education courses for trade skill professions. Monroe County Community College is the only higher education school in Monroe County.[28]
Public school districts
- Airport Community School District (Carleton)
- Bedford Public Schools (Temperance)
- Dundee Community Schools (Dundee)
- Mason Consolidated Schools (Erie Township)
- Ida Public Schools (Ida Township)
- Jefferson Schools (Frenchtown Charter Township)
- Monroe Public Schools (Monroe)
- Summerfield School District (Petersburg)
- Whiteford Agricultural Schools (Whiteford Township)
Private schools
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‡ Denotes schools that are non-religious charter schools
Transportation
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Interstate 75 travels through the eastern portion of the county and provides access to Toledo to the south and Detroit to the north. I-75 provides an uninterrupted route as far south as South Florida and as far north as the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. |
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Interstate 275 has its southern terminus just north of Monroe in the northeast portion of the county. Splitting off from I-75, I-275 is a western bypass around Detroit but does not actually merge back with I-75. I-275 serves as a main route to the Metro Airport. |
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U.S. Route 23 runs along the western portion of the county, passing right through Dundee and proceeding north through Ann Arbor. US-23 is large enough to where it is a limited-access freeway with interchanges rather than intersections. |
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US-24 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 River Raisin. US-24 also connects to I-275 just north of Monroe. |
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U.S. Route 25 was the designated name for the portion of Dixie Highway north of Cincinnati, including the portion running through Monroe. Like Dixie Highway, US-25 was largely replaced, and the existing highway was truncated at Cincinnati. |
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U.S. Route 223 only runs a short distance through the southwestern corner of the county, where it connects Toledo to U.S. Route 127 in Michigan. In Monroe County, it is known as St. Anthony Road, and the US-223 designation continues on a 90° bend south with US-23. |
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The eastern terminus of M-50 is in Monroe at US-24 and provides a direct route from Monroe to Dundee and further into the state. In Monroe, M-50 is known locally as South Custer Road. In Dundee, it is referred to as East Monroe Street and, after the River Raisin, Tecumseh Road. |
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M-125 travels directly through downtown Monroe 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. |
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M-130 was a state highway existing from 1930–1955 and ran along the north banks of the River Raisin. M-130 had its eastern terminus at US-24 and ran for just over nine miles. In 1955, control of the highway was transferred back to the county and is now called North Custer Road. |
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M-151 was a state highway existing from 1935–1977. It ran through the southern portion of the county, connecting US-23 to the now-decommissioned US-25. Today, the road is called Samaria Road, with the eastern portion called Lakeside Road. |
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Highway |
The old Dixie Highway ran through Monroe County in as early as 1915. Originally one of the only ways to reach places like Florida, 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. |
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Airport |
Built in 1946, Custer Airport is located just west of downtown Monroe. 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 primarily used by small personal airplanes. There is also a small aviation school on the site.[29] |
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Not to be confused with the much larger Toledo Express Airport, this airport is located in the southwest portion of the county near Lambertville. Like the Custer Airport, there are no scheduled flights, and the airport is seldom used. With only one paved runway and seasonal operation, its primary function is as a fueling station, test center, and for flight instructions.[30] |
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2008/CBSA-EST2008-01.csv July 2008 population estimates
- ^ a b c http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_20826_20829-54126--,00.html List of Michigan counties with creation date
- ^ http://www.riverraisinbattlefield.org/the_battles.htm Battle of Frenchtown
- ^ http://members.tripod.com/~tfred/1820mon.html Monroe County, Michigan (1820 census)
- ^ http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/mi_cm.html Map of county formations
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D0DE7DA1530E233A25756C1A9639C946196D6CF History of the Custer statue
- ^ http://monroe.lib.mi.us/books_movies_music/special_collections/custer_statue_moved.htm Custer statue moved
- ^ http://www.michigan.gov/dmva/0,1607,7-126-2360_3003_3009-16934--,00.html Brief summary of the Toledo War
- ^ Lost Peninsula Marina. "The History of the Lost Peninsula". http://www.lostpeninsulamarina.com/Marina-History.html. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ http://www.captain-johns.com/Ohio/turtlehistory.pdf History of Turtle Island
- ^ http://www.aerialpics.com/I/turtleI.html Aerial photographs of Turtle Island
- ^ a b City of Monroe (2007). "City of Monroe – Industry". http://www.ci.monroe.mi.us/About_Industry.cfm. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
- ^ La-Z-Boy Incorporated (2009). "La-Z-Boy: Making history since 1927". http://www.la-z-boy.com/about/our_history.aspx. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ a b Bogle, Charles (18 September 2007). "Closing of Monroe, Michigan, factory marks the end of a way of life". http://xml.wsws.org/articles/2007/sep2007/monr-s18.shtml. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ The Center for Land Use Interpretation (2009). "Monroe Power Plant". http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/MI3133/. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ Kolak, Sheri (May 13, 1995). "Ford Motor Company, Monroe Stamping Plant". http://epa.gov/waste/hazard/correctiveaction/sbs2/pdfs/mi7005.pdf. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ Toledo Business Journal (1 March 2000). "Dundee site of $15m Cabela's project". http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-ohio-metro-areas-toledo/977545-1.html. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2009). "Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge". http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=31521. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey (2005). "USGS Elevations and Distances in the United States". http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
- ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&_county=Monroe+County&_cityTown=Monroe+County&_state=05000US26115
- ^ http://www.mapzones.org/Monroe_County_Michigan.html
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Associated Press (22 September 2009). "Merci or danke? What are we?". Monroe Evening News (Monroe, Michigan). http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090922/NEWS01/709229992. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau (04 September 2009). "Monroe County, Michigan County QuickFacts". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26115.html. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ http://www.greatschools.net/michigan/monroe/Monroe-Public-Schools/ Great Schools profile of Monroe Public Schools
- ^ http://www.misd.k12.mi.us/ Monroe County ISD homepage
- ^ http://www.monroeccc.edu/ MCCC homepage
- ^ http://mich.gov/documents/Ttf_19117_7.pdf Custer Airport details
- ^ http://mich.gov/documents/DUH_18478_7.pdf Toledo Express Airport
Further reading
- Nicholas, J.R., G.L. Rowe, and J.R. Brannen. (1996). Hydrology, water quality, and effects of drought in Monroe County, Michigan [Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4161]. Lansing, MI: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
External links
- Monroe County web site
- Monroe County Library System
- Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Monroe County
- Emonroe.com Monroe County Calendar, Community Information & Ticketing
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