It started with the railroad

By JOHN IWASAKI
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Today Monroe lies at the junction of three regional highways. But it was the railroad, not a roadway, that led to the city's founding. The area was settled by loggers, fur traders and farmers in the last half of the 19th century.

The Great Northern Railroad connected the area with Puget Sound in 1892, leading to an influx of railroad workers and merchants. In 1902, Monroe -- named for President James Monroe -- was incorporated with 325 citizens.

By 1910, two new major employers -- a condensed milk company and the state reformatory -- were open for business. The population remained steady until about 1980.