Monroe, Washington

Monroe is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. As of the 2004 census, the city population was 15,178.

History

Although settlers had entered the region and established homesteads close to the banks of the Skykomish river as early as the 1860s, the city of Monroe, Washington was founded in the 1880s coinciding with arrival of the Great Northern Railroad which pushed over the Cascade Mountain Range at Stevens Pass and worked its way down the Skykomish River Valley.

Prior to that time the main settlement in the area had been located about one mile West of where the downtown eventually grew up and was known as Park Place. However, the city’s merchants relocated when the railroad survey was completed to have better access to the new transportation corridor. The new development was originally known as Tye City, but became Monroe when Park Place’s main store, the one containing the U.S. Post Office relocated and took up the name "Monroe at Park Place”in honor of the nation's fifth president. However, because the U.S. Postal Department would not allow any new post offices with double names the post office, and eventually the town, became known simply as“Monroe.”

By 1893 the city had become an important stop on the rail line and was best known for the GN Greenhouses which grew flowers for the passengers to purchase. That same year, Snohomish County built the County Poor Farm where today’s Evergreen State Fairgrounds are located and a the first hospital was built where Valley General Hospital stands today. 1894 saw the construction of the first high bridge over the Skykomish river and 1896 the construction of the first church. In 1899 the grammar school was relocated from its old site in Park Place to a new site in Monroe and the town’s newspaper, The Monroe Monitor, began publication on January 14 of the same year. On September 16, 1901 a fire destroyed the only complete block of business in the city.

The economic area of the city saw a series of development as well. While the city was still in its infancy, many sawmills were constructed to take advantage of the area’s old growth cedar and cedar shakes became the main product. However as the timber played out and the logging industry slowly moved away, agriculture became the area’s new industry and berry farms began to flourish. Because of the lush valley grasses, dairy farms too moved into the area and soon several creameries began production. Evidence of this industry can still be seen today as the giant smokestack of the Carnation (brand) Condensery, a factory which was destroyed by fire in the 1940s, still stands as a lone reminder of this forgotton industrial era in the middle of a grocery store parking lot at the intersection of Main Street and US Route 2. Despite its age, it remains much taller than any other structure in the city.

The City of Monroe officially voted to incorporated on December 20, 1902 and the new city counted 325 people in its population. In 1920, around the same time as the construction of the Carnation Condensery, Washington State chose Monroe as the site of the Washington State Reformatory and the prison soon came a employ a large number of locals. Today, the city is home to state three penal institutions including the Reformatory now known as Twin Rivers, a minimum security complex and a separate maximum security institution called the Special Offender Center.

The Great Depression struck Monroe as it did elsewhere in the nation and much of the towns industry closed down, As a result, the city fathers applied for national funds and established programs to help the town. The funds built a school, which can still be seen on Main Street as well as road improvements. In 1941, the first fair was held in Monroe, known as the Cavalcade of the Valleys, at the County Poor Farm. Although interrupted by World War II, the fair resumed in 1946 and remains an important part of the city’s culture today.

After the depression and war, industry did not return to the city and the town became ever more oriented towards agriculture. it continued to grow, albiet slowly, throughout much of the 1950s and 60s. In April 1965 a major earthquake struck Western Washington and the original Monroe High School and its annex were so severely damaged that they later had to be demolished. The new High School opened in 1968 and served the city until a new larger High School had to be built in 1999.

In the 1970s Monroe became the terminus for State Route 522 which offers a more direct connection to Interstate 405 and larger cities to the South. This has opened the city up and helped to establish it as a true bedroom community. The Highway meets up with State Route 2 in the town and the intersection is often filled with intrastate traffic.

The past decade has seen Monroe grow to unexpected new proportions as many large strip malls and major retailers have built new complexes along Highway 2. The city's residential areas have greatly expanded as well and the highway has become the scene of major gridlock, especially during summer months and holidays when people try to escape from the city into the mountains. At the time of this writing, a bypass is being considered but no firm plans have been agreed upon.

The new developments have added to the city and the influx of people into the surrounding area has changed, but not erased much of the city’s charm. The old part of town stands much as it always has, on Main Street away from the busy highway, and has managed to preserve much of its small town character. Trains still regularly pass through the town on their way across Steven’s Pass and the sound of their horns are a common feature of life in the city.

Monroe has also been host to a few Hollywood films, such as The Ring, The Ring Two, and The Butterfly Effect.

Once per year from 1995 until 2000, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held a race at the Evergreen Speedway located at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds.

Geography

Location of Monroe, Washington

Monroe is located at 47°51′28″N 121°59′18″W (47.857722, -121.988364)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.0 km² (5.8 mi²). 15.0 km² (5.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.52%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,795 people, 4,173 households, and 3,058 families residing in the city. The population density was 921.5/km² (2,388.4/mi²). There were 4,427 housing units at an average density of 295.7/km² (766.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.13% White, 3.15% African American, 1.32% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 4.01% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.66% of the population.

There were 4,173 households out of which 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 126.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,390, and the median income for a family was $55,793. Males had a median income of $39,847 versus $31,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,912. About 5.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• City of Monroe
• Monroe Historical Society