Monroe township is six miles square and was organized February 11, 1817. The surface is broken, but the land is generally fertile, productive of crops upon uplands and valleys. The township has abundant water supply, both of running streams and flowing springs. The Clearfork of Mohican flows across the southeast corner; the Blackfork across the northeast part; the Rockyfork though the norther part, and Switzer’s run diagonally through the southwest part of the township. Of the gushing springs, Schrack’s, on the northeast quarter of section 34, and Sheehy spring on the southeast quarter of section 22, have the greatest outputs. A few of those flow are: Switzer’s on the southeast quarter of section 34; Douglass’, at Green Gables, and the Kinments, on the southwest quarter of section 22.
The first settler was David Hill, who built the first cabin the the township. The site of this cabin is on the southwest quarter of section 9, where Silas Rummel now lives.
The following is a partial list of the early settlers,
- Doug Hill
- Frederick Bonenberg,
- John G Peterson
- John Lambright
- Mordecai Williams
- Abraham Baughman
- Adam Wolfe
- Frederick Switzer
- Robert Stewart & William Stewart
- William Ray
- William McLaughlin
- Thomas Rigdon
- William Ferguson
- Thomas McBride
- Jeremiah Smart
- Thomas Pope
- Daniel Balliett
- Andrew Richey
- Michael Huffman
- Ebenezer Smith
- John Iler
- Melzer Coulter
- David Schrack & Charles Schrack
- David Ellis
- Frederick Cromer
- Dabid Crawford
- Christian Good
- John Douglas
- Solomon Gladden
- William McDanal
The first election in the township was held in 1817, and resulted in the election of J.G. Peterson, William McLaughlin and David Ellis as trustees and Andrew Richey as Lister. Ten votes were cast.
The first grist mill was erected in 1820 by Peter Zerby. This was the Octorora mills, and was situated near where the Pennsylvania railroad crosses the Rockyfork.