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Join us for our Fall Program coming up soon! Mark your calendars for October 27, when local historian Connie Goss explores the Wagner family and its lasting impact on the community. George and Anna Wagner and their children, Charles, Frank and Rose arrived in Monroe in 1906. George and Charles were the primary owners and operators of one of the largest lumber mills in the state, located a few miles north of town. In addition to Wagner Mill, which closed in 1936, the family was also known for their large stately home on W. Main St. and their generosity to the community, which included funding to build schools and Wagner Auditorium. The two hour program begins at 1:00pm at the Monroe Library, located at 1070 Village Way, Monroe. Light refreshments will be available. Hope to see you there!

The 2018 Historic Homes Tour will take place this summer to allow home owners to share their beautiful gardens and plantings with visitors, as well as their homes. So mark your calendars for Saturday, July 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are now on sale online and at the Monroe Historical Museum on Main Street. Tickets are $15 and serve as a donation to the Monroe Historical Society as well as admission to seven beautiful homes and the 1908 City Hall Building. Spend a Saturday touring some of Monroe’s beautiful old homes and meet some of the dedicated owners who are committed to restoring and preserving them. Online tickets available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3440385

Wednesday, March 14 is the date for this year’s (2018) annual membership meeting, followed by a wonderful historical program. Mario Vega, Monroe High and WSU graduate, will be presenting on Monroe WWII hero, Tom Haji. Mario has done extensive research and writing on Tom Haji’s life and family who, as Japanese-Americans, were interned during the War. The short business portion of the evening starts at 6:00pm, followed immediately by the program. Location, as usual, is at the Monroe Library meeting room, 1070 Village Way, Monroe.

The Monroe Historical Society wishes to invite members and the public to our annual holiday open house. The event takes place at the Museum, 207 E. Main St., Saturday December 9, from noon to 3:00pm. Enjoy visiting, refreshments and holiday music. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to the wonderful owners of six beautiful old homes in Monroe and all the amazing volunteers, this year’s historic homes tour was another success. Despite the cold damp November weather, about 150 people came out to do the self-guided tour. The additional fundraiser organized by Valeria Rae, selling vintage recipe cookies, was also a great success. Looks like we may have to keep this going as a tradition!

 

Congratulations to our 2017 Haji Family Scholarship recipient, Molly Thompson. The Monroe Historical Society is proud to offer this annual scholarship to a graduating Monroe High School senior each year, thanks to a generous endowment from 1940 Monroe High School valedictorian Hiroko Haji. Society president, Tami Kinney, on right, presented this year’s award to Molly, who plans to attend the University of Washington in the fall.

The Monroe Historical Society will hold its annual membership meeting and election of officers on Saturday, March 18 at 1:00 pm at the Monroe Public Library. The short meeting will be followed by a slide show and journey back when, not too long ago, Monroe was a small town of 2,700 and one recognized most  other locals. It was a time when one could do all their shopping and banking on Main Street, when loggers in suspenders and caulk boots were a common site and crossing the highway usually meant just looking both ways and moseying across. Join us for this presentation and, if you have them, share your memories of this period before Monroe became a busier sprawling suburban entity.

Holiday Open House! Join us at the Monroe Historical Museum, Saturday December 3, from noon to 3:00, for our annual holiday open house. The event coincides with the downtown Monroe holiday festivities. So come on down to Main Street for a friendly visit, enjoy some refreshments and enjoy some festive tunes on the historic theater piano (when we can get Tami to sit down and play). It’s a great excuse to see what’s at the museum too, if you haven’t been in a while. Hope to see you there!

Monroe’s Historic Homes Tour is only weeks away. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are now on sale online and at the Monroe Historical Museum on Main Street. Tickets are $10 and serve as a donation to the Monroe Historical Society as well as admission to six beautiful homes, two historic churches and the 1908 City Hall Building. Spend a Saturday touring some of Monroe’s beautiful old homes and meet some of the dedicated owners who are committed to restoring and preserving them. Online tickets available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2676625

 

The Monroe Historical Society will present a program open to the public at 6:30, Thursday, June 23 at the Monroe Library. Howard M. Voland will discuss the history of the newspaper, with an emphasis on his family’s involvement from 1951 to 1990. Howard M. moved to Monroe in 1951 at the age of two when his father, Howard W. Voland, was hired as editor. Howard M. began hanging around and working on the newspaper from an early age and continued to do so through high school and afterward, when he was on leave from the army. After his father’s death in 1978, Howard M. became editor and in 1982 owner of the Monitor. In 1990, he sold the paper to Ken and Debbie Robinson. Chris Hendrickson, current reporter for the Monitor, will touch briefly on current doings at the paper. One of the oldest newspapers in the state, The Monitor has been continuously published since January of 1899. Digitized copies of the paper are available for viewing through the Resources tab above. The Monroe Library is located at 1070 Village Way. All are very welcome. Admission is free; donations very much appreciated.