Monroes History On the Ouachita River, across from West Monroe, Monroe is the city seat since 1807 of Ouachita parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. As a tradeing post on property granted by King Charles X of Spain, Fort Miro was created in 1785 by a group of French settlers from southern Louisiana led by Don Juan (later John) Filhiol, a Frenchman serving in the Spanish military. It was renamed in 1819 to honor the arrival of the James Monroe, the first steamboat to ascend the river, and was formerly known as Prairie de Canots, or “Prairie of the Canoes.” The city saw two small-scale battles in August and September 1863, which took place during the American Civil War. |
| For the nearby rural parishes, where cattle rearing is the main industry, manufacturing and commerce are concentrated in Monroe and West Monroe. The city’s lumber sector is mostly focused on paper products, while the neighboring massive Monroe gas field—which was found in 1916—supports the chemical and carbon-black industries. The University of Louisiana at Monroe has its headquarters in this city (1931). There are other recreational places nearby, including Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area to the east and D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge to the northwest. Inc. 1820. Pop. 53,107 (2000); 170,053 (2010); 48,815; 176,441 Monroe Metro Area. |