Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to a 2010 U.S. Census Bureau estimate the population is 152021.1 The largest city and county seat is Monroe.2 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 152949the 260th largest of the 363 metropolitan area in the United States.3 Monroe County is also officially part of the larger DetroitAnn ArborFlint 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.4 Contents 1 History 1.1 Border disputes 1.2 Economic history 2 Geography 2.1 Adjacent counties 2.2 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Municipalities 5 Education 5.1 Schools 6 Landmarks and attractions 7 Transportation 8 Notable residents 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links History See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County Michigan

Before the countys 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.5

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 1000 people. When the area became more populated the southern portion of Wayne County was broken off to form Monroe County with the settlement of Frenchtown was platted with the name "Monroe". The settlement also incorporated as a village in 18176 and became the county seat of Monroe County. The county and its county seat were named in honor of then-President James Monroe in anticipation for his upcoming visit to the area.4 Shortly after its formation Monroe Countys population was recorded at only 336 in the 1820 census.7 When the county was originally formed it stretched for 60 miles (97 km) inland (twice its current size) but the western half was split off to form Lenawee County in 1826.48

Monroe Countys most famous resident George Armstrong Custer (18391876) 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 (18421933) whom he met while previously living in Monroe. Much of Custers family resided in Monroe included Elizabeth Bacon Henry Armstrong Reed (18581876) and Boston Custer (18481876). Following their deaths in the Battle of the Little Bighorn Henry and Boston were interned and memorialized in Monroes historic Woodland Cemetery as are many members of Bacons 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.910 Border disputes See also: Toledo War When Toledo was incorporated in 1833 it belonged to Monroe County in the Michigan Territory which led to the Toledo War and subsequent state boundary alterations.

When the city of Toledo was incorporated in 1833 it was part of Monroe County instead of the state of Ohio.citation needed 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 states northern border claimed this important area even though the boundaries of the Michigan Territory when it was formally organized in 1805 also included this area. From 18331836 Toledo belonged to Monroe Countycitation needed 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. Masoncitation needed intervened on behalf of Ohio and gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for Michigan getting the Upper Peninsulathen considered a wastelandwhen it became a state on January 26 1837.11 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 4144 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 inadvertently cut off a small section of Monroe County creating an exclave known as the Lost Peninsula (414408.3N 832735.6W / 41.735639N 83.459889W / 41.735639; -83.459889). The few Michigan residents that live on the small peninsula must travel south into Washington Township 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.12

Monroe Countys boundary remained unchanged from 1837 to 1973 when one final unresolved dispute from the Toledo War was resolved136 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. 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 which divided the island between Monroe County and Lucas County. 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.1314 Economic history The Detroit Edison-owned Monroe Power Plant has the tallest structures in Monroe County.

Prior to the mid-20th century Monroe County remained largely agrarian and was well known for its numerous paper millsthe first of which was founded in 1834.15 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.15 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.16 Only their world headquarters are located in Monroe as their products are now manufactured in China.17

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 parent company 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 smokestackshorter and wider than the other twowas constructed as the plant is expanding its capacity.18 In 1929 Newton Steel opened a manufacturing plant on Lake Erie in Monroe and this plant would later be purchased by Alcoa in 1942 Kelsey-Hayes in 1947 the Ford Motor Company in 1949 and subsequently under their Visteon division in 2000 and later as the Automotive Components Holdings in 2005. 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 1200 employees.1719 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.20 The Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance was also founded in Dundee in 2002. Geography According to the 2000 census the county has a total area of 680.03 square miles (1761.3 km2) of which 551.10 square miles (1427.3 km2) (or 81.04%) is land and 128.93 square miles (333.9 km2) (or 18.96%) is water.21 Monroe is Michigans only county on Lake Erie. The River Raisin and Sandy Creek flow through the county. Sterling State Park is the countys only state park and the only of Michigans 98 state parks located on Lake Erie. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge extends south into Monroe County and includes part of the North Maumee Bay Archeological District.22 Monroe County sits at the lowest elevation in state of Michigan which is the shores of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 meters).23 Adjacent counties Wayne County (northeast) Washtenaw County (northwest) Essex County Ontario Canada (east) Lenawee County (west) Lucas County Ohio (south) Washtenaw County Washtenaw County / Wayne County Wayne County Lenawee County Lake Erie; Essex County Ontario    Monroe County     Lucas County (Ohio) Lucas County (Ohio) Lake Erie; Lucas County Climate Monroe County lies in the humid continental climate zone. The city of Monroe only receives an average of 28.5 inches (72.4 cm) of snow a yearthe lowest average snowfall for any large city in the state. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of 84 F (29 C) and January is the coldest month with an average low temperature of 16 F (-9 C). The county does not normally have extremely hot or cold temperatures. On average the temperature only drops below 0 F (-18 C) a couple of times during a winter season and it is even rarer for the temperature to rise above 100 F (38 C) during the summer. The coldest recorded temperature was -21 F (-29 C) on February 5 1918. The highest recorded temperature was 106 F (41 C) on July 24 1934 with another equal temperature recorded on one occasion many years earlier.24 Severe weather events are very rare. Monroe County has experienced a total approximately 30 tornadoes since 1950. Infrequent waterspouts can also be seen out on Lake Erie. Many tornadoes have been a part of major outbreaks and none have directly impacted the heavily populated areas. 13 people were killed by three different F4 tornadoes (on the Fujita scale) during the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak on April 11 1965. In the Super Outbreak on April 34 1974 two tornadoes (one F2 and one F3) caused five deaths. The most tornadoes from a single storm came on August 29 1979 when four tornadoes touched down in and near Monroe. However the tornadoes were weak (three F1 and one F0) and there were no deaths.25 The most recent tornado to touchdown and cause significant damage in the county struck Dundee Township in a minor outbreak that caused several tornadoes around the southern portion of Michigan on the morning of June 6 2010.26 Since Monroe is too far north and inland no hurricanes have obviously struck Monroe County directly. However some of the strongest hurricanes have had an impact on the county in the form of a few irregular inches of increased rainfall although by this point they have no more power than a depression. Tropical Storm Candy (1968) traveled unusually far inland and dropped 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) of rain. Other storms such as Hurricane Hugo (1989) and Hurricane Isabel (2003) also dropped trace amounts of rain with over 30 mph (50 km/h) windslong after they lost their hurricane status.27 Demographics Historical populations Census Pop. % 1900 32754 1910 32917 0.5% 1920 37115 12.8% 1930 52485 41.4% 1940 58620 11.7% 1950 75666 29.1% 1960 101120 33.6% 1970 118479 17.2% 1980 134659 13.7% 1990 133600 0.8% 2000 145945 9.2% Est. 2009 152721 4.6% As of the census28 of 2000 there were 145945 people 53772 households and 39952 families residing in the county. The population density was 265 people per square mile (102/km). There were 56471 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (40/km). 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 53772 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 $51743 and the median income for a family was $59659. Males had a median income of $46715 versus $27421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22458. 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 152949. 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.29 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%.30 Municipalities Labeled map of Monroe County  Milan1 Azalia Diann Milan Township London Township Maybee Exeter Township Carleton Newport Scofield Ash Township Berlin Charter Township Flat Rock2 South Rockwood Estral Beach Frenchtown Charter Township Stony Point Woodland Beach Detroit Beach Sterling State Park MONROE South Monroe West Monroe Monroe Charter Township Raisinville Township Dundee Township Ida Dundee Ida Township Bedford Township Lambertville Temperance La Salle Township Erie Township Luna Pier Erie Samaria Summerfield Township Whiteford Township Petersburg Ottawa Lake Steiner LAKE ERIE WASHTENAW LUCAS (OHIO) WAYNE L E N A W E E 1 Approximately 40% of Milan's area is in Monroe County. The other portion of the city is in Washtenaw County. 2 Only a very small portion of Flat Rock is in Monroe County. The majority of the city is in Wayne County. Cities: Flat Rock Luna Pier Milan Monroe Petersburg Villages: Carleton Dundee Estral Beach Maybee South Rockwood Unincorporated communities: Azalia Detroit Beach Diann Erie Ida Lambertville Newport Ottawa Lake St Anthony Samaria Scofield South Monroe Stony Point Temperance West Monroe Whiteford Center Woodland Beach Civil townships: Ash Bedford Dundee Erie Exeter Ida La Salle London Milan Raisinville Township Summerfield Whiteford Charter townships: Berlin Frenchtown Monroe Education Monroe County contains nine public school districts. There are approximately 23000 students in public schools in Monroe County.31 Public school district boundaries are not conterminous with the county boundary or any municipality boundaries within the county. Monroe County is a district of choice county and students have the option to attend any district in the county even if they do not live within a particular district. Students near the county line especially those in northern locations such as Milan Flat Rock Milan Township and London Township are assigned to districts in the neighboring counties of Wayne and Washtenaw. Located primarily in Monroe County Airport Community Schools and Whiteford Agricultural Schools have boundaries that extend into neighboring counties so a small number of out-of-county students attend schools in Monroe County.32 There are two charter schools in the county with a total of 750 students. There are also 15 parochial schools with approximately 2200 students enrolled in the private sector.31 The county is also served by one independent school district the Monroe County Intermediate School District which provides education services and staff support at all of the county's schools. Established in 1964 and first opened to students in 1967 Monroe County Community College is the only higher education institution in the county. 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 19181980. Students in the county may also be homeschooled. Schools Map of this section's coordinates from Google Map of this section's coordinates from Bing Export this section's coordinates as KML Export this section's coordinates as GeoRSS Map of all microformatted coordinates Place data as RDF Monroe County is served by nine public school districts. The largest of these is Monroe Public Schools which enrolls approximately 6450 students in the city of Monroe and outlying area of the city limits.31 With around 2100 students Monroe High School is one of the largest high schools in the state. The Monroe County Intermediate School District is an independent school district that provides services to both public and private schools in the county. 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. The district boundary map is provided by the Michigan Department of Information Technology.32 All district's athletic teams are governed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. A small number of schools have been closed down or reused for different purposes and some of the smaller districts consists of a single elementary school and a combined middle and high school. Public schools in Monroe County    Secondary school   Primary school   Alternative school   Specialized learning centers District School Location Airport Community Schools Airport Senior High School Ash Township 420224N 832235W / 42.04N 83.37639W / 42.04; -83.37639 (Airport Senior High School) Edith M. Wagar Middle School Ash Township 420218N 832244W / 42.03833N 83.37889W / 42.03833; -83.37889 (Edith M. Wagar Middle School) Fred W. Ritter Elementary School South Rockwood 420343N 831621W / 42.06194N 83.2725W / 42.06194; -83.2725 (Fred W. Ritter Elementary School) Joseph C. Sterling Elementary School Ash Township 420231N 832239W / 42.04194N 83.3775W / 42.04194; -83.3775 (Joseph C. Sterling Elementary School) Loren Eyler Elementary School Ash Township 420356N 832110W / 42.06556N 83.35278W / 42.06556; -83.35278 (Loren Eyler Elementary School) Niedermeier Elementary School Berlin Township 415957N 831836W / 41.99917N 83.31W / 41.99917; -83.31 (Niedermeier Elementary School) Bedford Public Schools Bedford Junior High School Temperance 414607N 833519W / 41.76861N 83.58861W / 41.76861; -83.58861 (Bedford Junior High School) Bedford Senior High School Temperance 414558N 833520W / 41.76611N 83.58889W / 41.76611; -83.58889 (Bedford Senior High School) Douglas Road Elementary School Lambertville 414426N 833626W / 41.74056N 83.60722W / 41.74056; -83.60722 (Douglas Road Elementary School) Jackman Road Elementary School Temperance 414541N 833510W / 41.76139N 83.58611W / 41.76139; -83.58611 (Jackman Road Elementary School) Monroe Road Elementary School Lambertville 414526N 833817W / 41.75722N 83.63806W / 41.75722; -83.63806 (Monroe Road Elementary School) Open Door Alternative High School Temperance 414458N 833501W / 41.74944N 83.58361W / 41.74944; -83.58361 (Open Door Alternative High School) Smith Road Elementary School Temperance 414406N 833414W / 41.735N 83.57056W / 41.735; -83.57056 (Smith Road Elementary School) Temperance Road Elementary School Temperance 414641N 833459W / 41.77806N 83.58306W / 41.77806; -83.58306 (Temperance Road Elementary School) Dundee Community Schools Dundee Alternative High School Dundee 415713N 833933W / 41.95361N 83.65917W / 41.95361; -83.65917 (Dundee Alternative High School) Dundee Elementary School Dundee 415737N 833928W / 41.96028N 83.65778W / 41.96028; -83.65778 (Dundee Elementary School) Dundee High School Dundee 415745N 833944W / 41.9625N 83.66222W / 41.9625; -83.66222 (Dundee High School) Dundee Middle School Dundee 415740N 833932W / 41.96111N 83.65889W / 41.96111; -83.65889 (Dundee Middle School) Ida Public Schools Ida Elementary School Ida Township 415427N 833404W / 41.9075N 83.56778W / 41.9075; -83.56778 (Ida Elementary School) Ida High School Ida Township 415423N 833411W / 41.90639N 83.56972W / 41.90639; -83.56972 (Ida High School) Ida Middle School Ida Township 415422N 833417W / 41.90611N 83.57139W / 41.90611; -83.57139 (Ida Middle School) Jefferson Schools Harold F. Sodt Elementary School Frenchtown Township 415645N 831914W / 41.94583N 83.32056W / 41.94583; -83.32056 (Harold F. Sodt Elementary School) Jefferson 5/6 Elementary School Frenchtown Township 415712N 831846W / 41.95333N 83.31278W / 41.95333; -83.31278 (Jefferson 5/6 Elementary School) Jefferson Early Childhood Center Frenchtown Township 415617N 832056W / 41.93806N 83.34889W / 41.93806; -83.34889 (Jefferson Early Childhood Center) Jefferson High School Frenchtown Township 415724N 831842W / 41.95667N 83.31167W / 41.95667; -83.31167 (Jefferson High School) Jefferson Middle School Frenchtown Township 415715N 831845W / 41.95417N 83.3125W / 41.95417; -83.3125 (Jefferson Middle School) North Elementary School Berlin Township 415955N 831643W / 41.99861N 83.27861W / 41.99861; -83.27861 (North Elementary School) Mason Consolidated Schools Mason Central Elementary School Erie Township 414838N 832927W / 41.81056N 83.49083W / 41.81056; -83.49083 (Mason Central Elementary School) Mason Middle School Erie Township 414838N 832936W / 41.81056N 83.49333W / 41.81056; -83.49333 (Ida High School) Mason Senior High School Erie Township 414848N 832929W / 41.81333N 83.49139W / 41.81333; -83.49139 (Mason Senior High School) Monroe Public Schools Custer #1 Elementary School South Monroe 415301N 832557W / 41.88361N 83.4325W / 41.88361; -83.4325 (Custer #1 Elementary School) Custer #2 Elementary School South Monroe 415258N 832604W / 41.88278N 83.43444W / 41.88278; -83.43444 (Custer #2 Elementary School) Cantrick Elementary School Monroe 415537N 832256W / 41.92694N 83.38222W / 41.92694; -83.38222 (Cantrick Elementary School) Hollywood Elementary School Monroe 415545N 832258W / 41.92917N 83.38278W / 41.92917; -83.38278 (Hollywood Elementary School) Knabusch Mathematics & Science Center Monroe Township 415230N 832327W / 41.875N 83.39083W / 41.875; -83.39083 (Knabusch Math & Science Center) Manor Elementary School Monroe 415556N 832505W / 41.93222N 83.41806W / 41.93222; -83.41806 (Manor Elementary School) Monroe High School West Monroe 415507N 832617W / 41.91861N 83.43806W / 41.91861; -83.43806 (Monroe High School) Monroe Middle School Monroe 415439N 832358W / 41.91083N 83.39944W / 41.91083; -83.39944 (Monroe Middle School) Orchard Center High School Monroe 415405N 832242W / 41.90139N 83.37833W / 41.90139; -83.37833 (Orchard Center High School) Raisinville Elementary School Raisinville Township 415814N 832647W / 41.97056N 83.44639W / 41.97056; -83.44639 (Raisinville Elementary School) Riverside Early Childhood Center Monroe 415521N 832431W / 41.9225N 83.40861W / 41.9225; -83.40861 (Riverside Early Childhood Center) Waterloo Elementary School West Monroe 415512N 832533W / 41.92N 83.42583W / 41.92; -83.42583 (Waterloo Elementary School) Summerfield Schools Summerfield Elementary School Petersburg 415359N 834232W / 41.89972N 83.70889W / 41.89972; -83.70889 (Summerfield Elementary School) Summerfield High School Petersburg 415418N 834207W / 41.905N 83.70194W / 41.905; -83.70194 (Summerfield High School) Summerfield Middle School Petersburg 415420N 834209W / 41.90556N 83.7025W / 41.90556; -83.7025 (Summerfield Middle School) Whiteford Agricultural Schools Whiteford Elementary School Whiteford Township 414558N 834215W / 41.76611N 83.70417W / 41.76611; -83.70417 (Summerfield Elementary School) Whiteford High School Whiteford Township 414605N 834208W / 41.76806N 83.70222W / 41.76806; -83.70222 (Whiteford High School) Whiteford Middle School Whiteford Township 414604N 834214W / 41.76778N 83.70389W / 41.76778; -83.70389 (Whiteford Middle School) Private schools in Monroe County    Public charter school   Parochial school School Location Grades Enrollment31 Holiness Christian School Petersburg 415401N 834218W / 41.90028N 83.705W / 41.90028; -83.705 (Holiness Christian School) 112 17 Holy Ghost Lutheran School Raisinville Township 415932N 832544W / 41.99222N 83.42889W / 41.99222; -83.42889 (Holy Ghost Lutheran School) Pre8 100 Lutheran High School South Berlin Township 415947N 832135W / 41.99639N 83.35972W / 41.99639; -83.35972 (Lutheran High School South) 912 56 Meadow Montessori School Raisinville Township 415450N 832839W / 41.91389N 83.4775W / 41.91389; -83.4775 (Meadow Montessori School) Pre12 180 New Bedford Academy Lambertville 414348N 833737W / 41.73N 83.62694W / 41.73; -83.62694 (New Bedford Academy) K8 150 St. Anthony School Whiteford Township 414756N 833918W / 41.79889N 83.655W / 41.79889; -83.655 (St. Anthony School) K8 33 St. Charles School Berlin Township 415943N 831718W / 41.99528N 83.28833W / 41.99528; -83.28833 (St. Charles School) Pre8 177 St. John School Monroe 415442N 832405W / 41.91167N 83.40139W / 41.91167; -83.40139 (St. John School) Pre8 225 St. Joseph School Erie Township 415442N 832405W / 41.91167N 83.40139W / 41.91167; -83.40139 (St. Joseph School) Pre8 110 St. Mary Catholic Central High School Monroe 415510N 832353W / 41.91944N 83.39806W / 41.91944; -83.39806 (St. Mary Catholic Central) 912 425 St. Mary Catholic Elementary School Monroe 415510N 832347W / 41.91944N 83.39639W / 41.91944; -83.39639 (St. Mary Catholic Elementary School) Pre8 197 St. Michael School Monroe 415506N 832419W / 41.91833N 83.40528W / 41.91833; -83.40528 (St. Michael School) K8 170 St. Patrick Catholic School Ash Township 420132N 832506W / 42.02556N 83.41833W / 42.02556; -83.41833 (St. Patrick Catholic School) K8 134 State Line Christian School Temperance 414403N 833359W / 41.73417N 83.56639W / 41.73417; -83.56639 (State Line Christian School) K8 134 Trinity Lutheran School Monroe 415442N 832346W / 41.91167N 83.39611W / 41.91167; -83.39611 (Trinity Lutheran School) Pre8 205 Triumph Academy Frenchtown Township 415713N 832143W / 41.95361N 83.36194W / 41.95361; -83.36194 (Triumph Academy) K8 600 Zion Lutheran School Frenchtown Township 415612N 832300W / 41.93667N 83.3833333W / 41.93667; -83.3833333 (Zion Lutheran School) Pre8 65 Other schools in Monroe County  School Location Classification Monroe County Community College Monroe Township 415501N 832808W / 41.91694N 83.46889W / 41.91694; -83.46889 (Monroe County Community College) Community college Monroe County Intermediate School District Monroe Township 415526N 832801W / 41.92389N 83.46694W / 41.92389; -83.46694 (Monroe County Intermediate School District) Intermediate school district Monroe County Youth Center Monroe Township 415555N 832732W / 41.93194N 83.45889W / 41.93194; -83.45889 (Monroe County Youth Center) Youth detention center Moreau Center Frenchtown Township 415745N 832201W / 41.9625N 83.36694W / 41.9625; -83.36694 (Moreau Center) Youth detention center Landmarks and attractions See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County Michigan Cabela's (Dundee) Custer Airport Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Detroit River Light Dundee Historic District Eby Log Cabin33 East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District Edward Loranger House Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument Governor Robert McClelland House Hall of the Divine Child now the Norman Towers residence hall Jefferson Avenue-Huron River Bridge La-Z-Boy world headquarters Martha Barker Country Store Museum34 Monroe County Fair35 Monroe County Historical Museum36 Monroe County Labor History Museum37 Monroe County Vietnam Veterans Historical Museum38 Monroe Multi-Sports Complex39 Monroe Power Plant Navarre-Anderson Trading Post North Maumee Bay Archeological District Old Mill Museum Old Village Historic District Pointe Mouillee State Game Area River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center40 River Raisin National Battlefield Park River Raisin Centre for the Arts41 Rudolph Nims House St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District Sawyer House Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Southern Michigan Timberwolves are based in Monroe. Sterling State Park The Mall of Monroe (formerly known as Frenchtown Square Mall) Weis Manufacturing Company Woodland Cemetery Transportation Portions of Monroe County are served by the Lake Erie Transit public transportation bus system. Established in 1975 Lake Erie Transit currently has a fleet of 31 buses and serves approximately 400000 riders every year. In 2008 the system logged 764000 miles.42 The system operates buses on eight fixed routes in and around the city of Monroe. It also serves several neighboring townships outside of its normal routes should a passenger call ahead for a ride. From Bedford Township its provides transportation to and from two shopping malls in Toledo Ohio. I-75 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. I-275 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. US-23 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. US-24 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 Telegraphdivided at the River Raisin. US-24 also connects to I-275 just north of Monroe. US-25 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. US-223 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. M-50 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. M-125 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. M-130 M-130 was a state highway existing from 19301955 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 (14 km). In 1955 control of the highway was transferred back to the county and is now called North Custer Road. M-151 M-151 was a state highway existing from 19351977. 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. Dixie 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. Custer 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.43 Toledo Suburban Airport 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.44 Notable residents Betty Whiting (19251967) All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Boston Custer (18481876) younger brother of George Custer lived in Monroe Bronco McKart (b. 1971) former World Boxing Organization champion Carl Ford (b. 1980) American football player Charles Blue Jacket (18171897) Shawnee chief who lived in northern Monroe County Christie Brinkley (b. 1954) model who was born in Monroe Elizabeth Bacon Custer (18421933) wife of General Custer was born in Monroe Elizabeth McWebb (19042004) author of the Little Brown Bear book series45 Elroy M. Avery (18441935) politician author and historian who was born in Erie Township Eric Wilson (b. 1978) Canadian football player for the Montreal Alouettes Ernest Ingersoll (18521946) environmentalist and naturalist George Armstrong Custer (18391876) Major General who lived much of his early life in Monroe George Spalding (18361915) former teacher and politician Harry L. Corl (19141942) Navy Cross recipient who lived in Lambertville Henry Armstrong Reed (18581876) nephew of George Custer lived in Monroe Isaac P. Christiancy (18121890) former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court J. Sterling Morton (18321902) prominent conservationist who lived in Monroe from 1834185446 Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (b. 1963) native from Monroe who was the 1988 Miss America winner Mary Harris Jones (18371930) union organizer who moved to Monroe from Ireland Megan Moulton-Levy (b. 1985) collegiate tennis player born in Monroe Oswald J. Gaynier (19151942) Navy Cross recipient who was born in Monroe Randy Richardville (b. 1959) current Michigan state senator lives in Monroe Rico Hoye (b. 1974) professional boxer Robert McCelland (18071880) prominent Michigan politician Ryan Sontag (b. 1985) current pitcher for the Boise Hawks minor league baseball team4748 Vern Sneider (19161981) American novelist who lived in Monroe Vic Braden (b. 1929) former tennis champion and coach References U.S. Census Bureau: Monroe County (MI) http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26115.html "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.  http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2008/CBSA-EST2008-01.csv July 2008 population estimates a b c http://www.michigan.gov/hal/016077-160-154812082620829-54126--00.html List of Michigan counties with creation date http://www.riverraisinbattlefield.org/thebattles.htm Battle of Frenchtown Romig Walter (1986) 1973. Michigan Place Names. Detroit Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.  http://members.tripod.com/tfred/1820mon.html Monroe County Michigan (1820 census) http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/micm.html Map of county formations http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdfr1&res9D0DE7DA1530E233A25756C1A9639C946196D6CF History of the Custer statue http://monroe.lib.mi.us/booksmoviesmusic/specialcollections/custerstatuemoved.htm Custer statue moved http://www.michigan.gov/dmva/016077-126-236030033009-16934--00.html Brief summary of the Toledo War Lost Peninsula Marina. "Lost Peninsula Marina". http://www.lostpeninsulamarina.com/. 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/AboutIndustry.cfm. Retrieved August 17 2009.  La-Z-Boy Incorporated (2009). "La-Z-Boy: Making history since 1927". http://www.la-z-boy.com/about/ourhistory.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.  "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2009). "Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge". http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfmid31521. 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://climate.geo.msu.edu/Stations/5558/NARRAT.txt Climate of Monroe http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/torstats/county.phpcomon Monroe County tornado statistics Detroit Free Press (2010). "Tornado Damage in Southeast Michigan". http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallerySiteC4&Date20100606&CategoryNEWS&ArtNo6060803&RefPH&Params. Retrieved July 20 2010.  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/stories/dtxcane.php Hurricanes in Michigan "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/articleAID/20090922/NEWS01/709229992. Retrieved September 22 2009.  U.S. Census Bureau (4 September 2009). "Monroe County Michigan County QuickFacts". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26115.html. Retrieved September 22 2009.  a b c d Monroe County Intermediate School District (2009). "Monroe County Educational Directory 200910". http://www.misd.k12.mi.us/downloads/generalisd/20092010educationaldirectorypdf2009100114001810.pdf. Retrieved February 27 2010.  a b Michigan Department of Information Technology (March 2008). "Monroe ISD public school boundaries". http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CGI-MonroeCISD678367.pdf. Retrieved February 23 2010.  http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspxpB12997 Eby Log Cabin http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspxpB4897 Martha Barker Country Store Museum http://www.monroecountyfair.com/ Monroe County Fair http://www.historicmonroe.org/museum/index.htm Monroe County Historical Museum http://www.monroelabor.org/ Monroe County Labor History Museum http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspxpB12813 Monroe County Vietnam Veterans Historical Museum http://www.monroeinfo.com/recreationmmsc.html Monroe Multi-Sports Complex http://www.riverraisinbattlefield.org/visitorscenter.htm River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center http://www.riverraisincentre.org/ River Raisin Centre for the Arts Michigan DOT: Lake Erie Transit http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/016077-151-962521607-164483--00.html http://mich.gov/documents/Ttf191177.pdf Custer Airport details http://mich.gov/documents/DUH184787.pdf Toledo Express Airport Smith David (20022005). "Elizabeth Upham McWebb". http://historicmonroe.org/little-brown-bear/index.htm. Retrieved August 17 2009.  Stiffler Ronda (2009). "Arbor Day founders roots trace back to Monroe Michigan". http://hometownhistorytours.com/2009/06/22/arbor-day-founders-roots-trace-to-monroe-mi/. Retrieved March 9 2010.  Minor League Baseball (2009). "Boise Hawks: Stats: Player". http://boise.hawks.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jspposP&sidt480&tppbp&pid543801. Retrieved August 17 2009.  CBS Interactive (2009). "Arizona State Sun Devils profile". http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/sontagryan00.html. Retrieved August 17 2009.  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 Metro Detroit portal Monroe County web site Monroe County Library System Clarke Historical Library Central Michigan University Bibliography on Monroe County v d eMunicipalities and communities of Monroe County Michigan County seat: Monroe Cities Flat Rock  Luna Pier  Milan  Monroe  Petersburg Villages Carleton  Dundee  Estral Beach  Maybee  South Rockwood Charter townships Berlin  Frenchtown  Monroe General law townships Ash  Bedford  Dundee  Erie  Exeter  Ida  La Salle  London  Milan  Raisinville  Summerfield  Whiteford Unincorporated communities Azalia  Detroit Beach  Diann  Erie  Ida  Lambertville  La Salle  Newport  Ottawa Lake  Samaria  Scofield  South Monroe  Stony Point  Temperance  West Monroe  Whiteford Center  Woodland Beach Footnotes This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties v d eMetro Detroit Topics Architecture  Culture  Detroit River  Economy  Freeways  History  Historic places  International Riverfront  Lake St. Clair  Media  Music  Parks and beaches  People  Skyscrapers  Sports  Theatre  Tourism Transportation Major city Detroit Municipalities over 80000 Canton Township  Clinton Township  Dearborn  Livonia  Sterling Heights  Troy  Warren  Westland Municipalities 50000 to 80000 Dearborn Heights  Farmington Hills  Grosse Pointe  Macomb Township  Novi  Pontiac  Redford Township  Rochester Hills  Royal Oak  Saint Clair Shores  Shelby Township  Southfield  Taylor  Waterford Township  West Bloomfield Township Satellite cities Ann Arbor  Brighton  Flint  Howell  Lapeer  Monroe  Port Huron  Toledo  Windsor  Ypsilanti Counties in MSA Lapeer  Livingston  Macomb  Oakland  St. Clair  Wayne Counties in CSA Genesee  Monroe   Washtenaw Regions Southeast Michigan  Great Lakes Outlying regions Central Michigan  Flint/Tri-Cities  Northwest Ohio  Southwestern Ontario  Michigan  United States v d e State of Michigan Lansing (capital) Topics Congressional delegation  Geography  Governors  History  Islands  Legislature  Lieutenant Governors  Lighthouses  Museums  National Historic Landmarks  National Register of Historic Places listings  People  State Historic Sites  State parks  Supreme Court  Tallest buildings  Timeline  Topics  Visitor attractions Regions Upper Peninsula Copper Country  Keweenaw Peninsula  Gogebic Range Lower Peninsula Central Michigan  Southern Michigan  Flint/Tri-Cities  The Thumb  The Greater Tri Cities  Michiana  Northern Michigan  Southeast Michigan  Metro Detroit  West Michigan Largest Municipalities Alpena  Ann Arbor  Battle Creek  Bay City  Bloomfield Township  Canton Township  Chesterfield Township  Clinton Township  Commerce Township  Dearborn  Dearborn Heights  Detroit  East Lansing  Eastpointe  Farmington Hills  Flint  Flint Township  Georgetown Township  Grand Rapids  Holland  Jackson  Kalamazoo  Kentwood  Lansing  Lincoln Park  Livonia  Macomb Township  Meridian Township  Midland  Muskegon  Novi  Pontiac  Portage  Redford  Rochester Hills  Roseville  Royal Oak  Saginaw  Saginaw Township  St. Clair Shores  Shelby Township  Southfield  Sterling Heights  Taylor  Troy  Warren  Waterford Township  West Bloomfield  Westland  Wyoming  Ypsilanti Township Counties Alcona  Alger  Allegan  Alpena  Antrim  Arenac  Baraga  Barry  Bay  Benzie  Berrien  Branch  Calhoun  Cass  Charlevoix  Cheboygan  Chippewa  Clare  Clinton  Crawford  Delta  Dickinson  Eaton  Emmet  Genesee  Gladwin  Gogebic  Grand Traverse  Gratiot  Hillsdale  Houghton  Huron  Ingham  Ionia  Iosco  Iron  Isabella  Jackson  Kalamazoo  Kalkaska  Kent  Keweenaw  Lake  Lapeer  Leelanau  Lenawee  Livingston  Luce  Mackinac  Macomb  Manistee  Marquette  Mason  Mecosta  Menominee  Midland  Missaukee  Monroe  Montcalm  Montmorency  Muskegon  Newaygo  Oakland  Oceana  Ogemaw  Ontonagon  Osceola  Oscoda  Otsego  Ottawa  Presque Isle  Roscommon  Saginaw  Sanilac  Schoolcraft  Shiawassee  St. Clair  St. Joseph  Tuscola  Van Buren  Washtenaw  Wayne  Wexford Coordinates: 4155N 8330W / 41.92N 83.50W / 41.92; -83.50