Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-06-06
M @ n r @ E CIT Y.
A History of Monroe City-An
Essay by Miss Virginia
Nolen, High School
Valedictorion.
Valedictorion.


roe county which is the north
eastern township and one of the
finest in the country is its me-
tropolis and railroad center, the
city Of Monroe. This, the most
enterprising city in Monroe coun-
ty is located ON the Hannibal
and st. Joseph and Missouri,
Kansas and Texas Railroads. The
The city itself is situated in
the center of an extensive pla-
teau comprising Monroe, Shelby
and Rails counties, approaching
the ravines of the Mississippi and
Salt Rivers, about thirty miles
from Hannibal and Quincy and a.
bout one hundred and fifty miles
from St. Louis. Monroe City is
divided east and west by a broad
avenue known as Main Street and
along which are located most of
its business houses. The Hanni-
bal and st. Joseph Railroad di-
videS it almost centrally north
and south, its depot being in
close proximity to its business
portions. Its main thoroughfares
are macadamized and are well
shaded by majestic NAPLES, elms,
and by many other ornamental
trees. The city has also five
beautiful parks and five useful
public wells.
Before the days of settlement
the spot upon which Monroe City
now stands was nothing but a
painless sea Of grass. In 1S41
there were a few small farms in
the edges Of the timber but no
other improvements were visible
in any direction. Some of the
landmarks familiar to the old set
tier We're "The Mound" upon
which the Seminary was built,
"The Round Grove" and "The
Lone Elm" by which travellers
were guided in traversing the
lonely prairie.
1t was not until about ten years
later that farms began to en-
croach upon the great body of
land lying between North River
and Salt River. In 1852 the first
accurate surveys for the Hanni-
bal and ST. Joseph railroad were
commenced; these were cOmplet-
ed the following year; and fifty
miles of railroad extending from
Hannibal to the head of Crook
ed Creek, were put under con-
tract. After that date there was
a steady increase of immigration
to this vicinity, with a CORES
ponding extension of old farms
and the opening of new ones.
The work on the railroad pro-
crossed slowly so that it was not
until 1857 that the track was laid
in Monroe county. Z. B. Talcott,
at that time one of the partners
in the contract for building the
road, purchased the east half of
section thirteen (13), township
fifty-six 1867, range eight 49,,
and laid it off into a town site.
He also erected the first hotel.
On the fourth of July of the
same year an old-fashioned bar
becue was held and a public
sale of lots took place. Several
of the purchasers Immediately
commenced the erection of bus
mess houses and dwellings and
by the close of the year the
place began to assume village
like appearance.
A charter for a seminary was
obtained by Mr.. Talcott, the pro-
prietor of the town, and build
ings were erected in the summer
of 1860. During the Civil War
the Seminary building was tax
en- possession of and occupied by
the limited States troops and the
town was the scene of one of
the most satisfactory battles
fought during the entire cam
paign-most satisfactory because
not a drop of human blood was
shed ON either side. The effect
of the Civil War was not only to
check all improvements but, in
fact it diminished the population
of the town. But Immediately up
on the restoration of peace bus