Our History
MONROE CITY, MISSOURI
Monroe City, located where the three counties of Monroe, Marion and Ralls intersect, was layed out in 1875 by Mr. E.B. Talicott. Talicott had earlier been in a partnership with a Mr. John Duff concerning the building of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. This knowledge allowed him to ascertain where stations would be needed along the railroad. One of these stations was called Monroe Station, later Monroe City. On July 4, 1857 at a public barbecue, a public sale of lots took place. Almost immediately houses and businesses began to be built and by the close of that year a small town was beginning to emerge.
TRAVERSING THE PRARIE
The following history of Monroe City, was taken from the News, in its issue of July, 1876: -‘The first time the writer saw the place where Monroe City now stands, was in the early summer of 1841 or 1842. This whole prairie was then a pathless sea of grass: there were a few small farms in the edges of the timber, but from the spot on which the seminary now stands, no improvement whatever was visible in any direction. The place last named was called “The Mound,” and one of the land-marks along with “’The Round Grove,” “ The Lone Elm “ and some others, by which travelers were guided in traversing the lonely prairie. It was not until some ten years later that the farms began to encroach much upon the great body of open land lying between North and Salt rivers.
In 1852, the first accurate surveys for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad were commenced; these were completed in the following year, and 50 miles of the road, extending from Hannibal to the head of Crooked creek, were put under contract. After that date there was a steady increase of immigration to this vicinity, with a corresponding extension of old farms and opening of new ones. The work on the railroad progressed slowly, so that it was not until 1857 the track was laid in Monroe county.
Mr. E. B. Talcott was at that time partner of Mr. John Duff in the contract for building the road. This placed him in a position to know where stations would be needed and using that knowledge with the business energy and judgment for which he was conspicuous, he purchased the east half of section 13, township 56, range 8, and laid off the north half of it into what is now known as the “ Old Town of Monroe City.” This was in the spring of 1857. He also immediately commencedthe erection of the hotel now known as the Livingston house. The present proprietor of this hotel and Mr. J. M. Preston made the first improvements; the former having made a contract on the 1st of March with S. F. Hawkins for the erection of a store house, in which, on the 1st of April following, he opened the first stock of goods offered for sale in the town. On the 4th of July the same year, an old-fashioned barbecue was held and a public sale of lots took place.
Several of the purchasers immediately commenced the erection of 2 stores and dwellings, and by the close of the year, the place began to assume quite a village-like appearance. The proprietor of the town, Mr. Talcott, having offered to give the outlot upon which the seminary now stands for the site of such an institution, a charter for such a purpose was secured from the Legislature. The stock was mostly taken by the farmers in the neighborhood, and the buildings were erected in the summer of 1860; and in the autumn of the same year by the Messrs. Comings, who, have had the control of it uninterruptedly ever since. During the war this building was taken possession of and occupied by the United States troops in 1861, and the town was the scene of one of the most satisfactory battles fought throughout the entire campaign 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 improvement, but in fact to diminish the population of the town. But immediately on the restoration of peace business was resumed and business revived. The original town plat embraced only the north-east quarter of section thirteen. An addition on the east was made by T. W. Davis, the plat recorded February 7, 1867, and another by Dr. E. Bailey on the south, the plat recorded March 4, 1872. The first church building erected was St. Jude’s, which was begun in 1866, and first occupied for worship about July 4, 1867. This was followed by the Christian Church in 1869; the Baptist in 1870; the Presbyterian in 1871; the Methodist South is now in process of erection. A building which had been used for a private school-room by Mr. J. M. Mc Murry, was purchased for public school purposes in 1867, and has been used for such purpose until the close of the past scholastic year. One which it is hoped will do more credit to the town and afford better facilities to both teachers and pupils is now under contract to be finished in time for the fall opening at the usual time.
The incorporation of the town was effected in 1869, trustees being Messrs. H. Cary (who was elected chairman), W. P. Bush, T. M. Hubbard, S. E. Coming s and F. B. Sheetz. The town owes its existence to the construction of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad and its prosperity has been furthered and its facilities increased by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, which commenced operation in 1871.
MONROE CITY BANK
Talicott shortly thereafter severed his ties with Monroe Station when he made a deed of trust to John L. Lathrop giving him the power to make deeds and convey all of the land which could be sold in the town. One of the earlier deeds was made by Lathrop to the Monroe Institution for a plot of ground on which was built the Monroe Institute. The school was opened in 1860. As the dark clouds of the Civil War approached and began to envelop the nation, it also had a profound effect on the small town of Monroe Station. It was centered around the Monroe Institute and it was the only battle in Monroe County in which cannons were used. A young Colonel in the Union Army also had an indirect part. His name was Ulysses Grant. The engagement was a union victory. As the war moved on and eventually ended, the small town of Monroe Station evolved into Monroe City in 1869. Early expansions to the town were the Piersol and Bailey’s additions. Dr. Elijah Bailey, who came to Monroe Station in 1852, was responsible for the MK&T Railroad to run through Monroe. The Monroe City Bank and many other businesses began to locate and prosper here. Bailey was also the first Mayor of Monroe City.
HANNIBAL & CENTRAL MO RAILROADS
In 1876 the town had a population of about one thousand. It had thirty two stores and schools. In 1871, the Hannibal and Central Missouri Railroads were completed between Hannibal and Monroe, Missouri. This line was leased to the Toledo, Wasbash and Western Railway Company. The two railroads enabled farmers and merchants to acquire and ship products to all parts of the country.
In 1898 Henderson Produce Company was formed. This business played a pivotal role in the growth of the town and a vital role in World War II when its poultry products were shipped all over the world. Monroe City continued to grow with the help of additional businesses.
DIE-CASTING
The two most important enterprises that led to growth and prosperity were Monroe City Diecasting known as Kuhlman Diecasting owned by L.O. Kuhlman. By 1951, the company employed 125 people. By 1957 much of their defense work ended and the workforce was cut in half. As the company changed, the workforce expanded the economic impact on Monroe City was greatly enhanced. Kuhlman Diecasting continued until Pace Industries leased the factory in 1990. In 1996 Pace Industries was acquired by Leggett and Platt. Recently Pace reacquired the factory from Leggett and Pace Aluminum Group.
A second major diecasting and diecasting factory was founded in 1960 by Don Westhoff, Albert Spalding and George Spalding. Its original purpose was to establish a tool and die shop to assist diecasting enterprises in the mid west. In 1973, the City issued bonds for the construction of a facility located on 9 acres of land at 801 Second Street. In 1990, Diemakers was sold to Kanematsu, USA. There were 650 people in its workforce. By 1998, their employment reached 1,185 people located in Monroe City, Palmyra, and Hannibal. This factory has also suffered from economic downturns and has since been sold. It now operates as Continental Casting and today is a major employer in Monroe City.
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Monroe City Democrat 1888-1919
The Monroe City Democrat was established in 1888 by the Democrat Printing Company in Monroe City, Missouri. Published on Thursdays through October 1916, the eight-page newspaper was dedicated to the interests of citizens in Marion, Monroe, and Ralls counties in Northeastern Missouri. From November 2, 1916, until March 31, 1917, the Democrat appeared every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday as a four-page paper, but in April 1917, the Democrat returned to an eight-page format and was published on Friday.
William J. Rouse was editor and publisher for over 22 years, from 1894 until December 1916. In the November 30, 1916 issue of the paper, Rouse wrote his farewell, stating: “At this time we desire to thank the citizens of Monroe City and vicinity for their liberal patronage of the Democrat. The more they have done for us, the more we have been able to do for the community. We believe that if the people were brought to realize how much good a newspaper does for a community, they would give a greater patronage, because there is no agency that can or will do as much for any community as a prosperous newspaper.” After his departure, Herman W. Bell became editor and publisher.
The Democrat celebrated the holiday season each year by issuing elaborate “Christmas Numbers” which featured beautifully illustrated cover pages, and in 1913, it published the December 25 issue “a day early in order that the force can take Christmas day like other people.”
Unfortunately, the Democrat’s publishing pride was abruptly halted a few years later. During World War I, a newsprint shortage forced many smaller newspapers to abandon publishing, and the Monroe City Democrat was one of the casualties. The shortage was the byproduct of a coal shortage which was affecting paper mills across the United States. The paper mills could not operate without coal to power them. Thus, many were shuttered, causing newsprint prices to skyrocket to “considerably more than 100 per cent above the 1914 and 1915 price.” Larger and more powerful newspapers could obtain the necessary paper, but many of the smaller county newspapers across the nation were forced to close. In its final issue on November 28, 1919, the Democrat stated that it is “forced to discontinue publication until the paper situation is cleared up and it is possible to get print paper.”
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