Monroe, New York - Wikipedia

Town in Orange County, New York, US Not to be confused with Monroe County, New York or Monroe (village), New York. Town in New York, United States

Monroe, New York
Town
Town of Monroe
Town hall
Location in Orange County and the state of New York; map shown does not reflect separation of Palm Tree from Monroe.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Orange
Named after	James Monroe
Area[1]
• Total	21.3 sq mi (55.1 km2)
• Land	20.1 sq mi (52.0 km2)
• Water	1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
Elevation	554 ft (169 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	21,387
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10950[2]
Area code	845
Website	monroeny.org

Monroe is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 21,387 at the 2020 census,[3] compared to 39,912 at the 2010 census; the significant fall in census population was due to the secession of the town of Palm Tree in 2019. The town is named after President James Monroe.

History

[edit]

The first settlers to this land were American Indians from the Leni-Lenape Indian nation. The Leni-Lenape nation consisted of three tribes: the Unulactus, the turkey tribe; Minsis, the wolf tribe; and the Unamis, the turtle tribe. As white settlers started to move north, the Leni-Lenape were forced to move west, out of New York and New Jersey into Pennsylvania and later into central North America, under the treaty of Easton, a colonial agreement signed in October 1758. The British colonial government of the province of Pennsylvania and the Native American tribes in the Ohio country signed this document stating they would be allies in the French and Indian War.

In the early 1700s the lower Hudson Valley region was being mapped out to be divided up under the crown. On March 25, 1707, the "Chessecocks Patent was granted by Queen Anne".[4] The patent confirmed deeds that had been previously acquired by purchase directly from the Leni-Lenape nation. The patent was given to seven people, six men and one woman. Cheesecocks as a precinct included all of present-day Monroe, Palm Tree, Woodbury, Tuxedo, and Stony Point. Many of the patentees never saw the land they bought or were given.[4] Many of the new settlers to come with the Cheesecocks patent were Dutch and English. Both groups of settlers came from Long Island for the rich natural resources.

The original name for the area on the Ramapo River, surveyed by General Washington's geographer and surveyor Robert Erskine, was Smith's Mill, described by Erskine as being "on a sudden bend of the Ramapo." This site still contains the ruins of the grist mill built in 1741 by David Smith, the first settler (Map of Orange and Rockland Counties Area laid down by R. Erskine 1778–1779). The Clove Road, which led from Haverstraw, home of Sir William Smith, up through Tuxedo and the rocky defile known by the Dutch word "kloof", for Clove, was vital to the American cause during the Revolutionary War. It was unknown to the British patrolling the Hudson and gave Washington his escape route from New York to his New Windsor headquarters. Created on March 23, 1799 The town was first named Cheescock's (from the Algonquin words chis, meaning “up,” and kauk, meaning “land,” together signifying “upland”),[5] it was renamed Southfields in 1802, and on April 6, 1808, it took its present name of Monroe (originally spelled Munroe, popularized as Monroe, c1818).[6][7]

Quoting from Gen George Washington's daily journal:

July 15, [1777]. To Sovereign (Suffern's or Suffren's) Tavern, near the entrance to Smith's Clove. On Sunday, July 20, 1777, Washington has moved on northward into the Ramapo Valley and to the place then known as Galloway's, which is now the village of Southfields (Belcher, p. 81).

David Smith, a prosperous miller of Smithtown, Long Island, bought land from one of the original patentees, Philip Livingston. Smith "purchased lot 43, consisting of 276 acres. He built the first home." Smith built a dam and a grist mill on the Ramapo River, which created the Mill Pond of today, as well as homes for himself and his four sons.

In 1889, a further division of the town resulted in a loss of territory to the towns of Woodbury and Tuxedo. In 1894, the community of Monroe set itself apart from the town by incorporating as a village.

The explosive growth of the Hasidic Jewish village of Kiryas Joel from its establishment in the 1970s, which led to a majority of the town's population being in the village by 2017, resulting in political conflicts, mostly over zoning. Negotiations led to an agreement that Kiryas Joel would split from Monroe and become its own town, subject to voter approval in a November 2017 referendum. With the initiative receiving overwhelming approval, Kiryas Joel became the new town of Palm Tree. The new town was originally set to be created in 2020,[8] but a bill was passed by the New York state legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo that officially established Palm Tree on January 1, 2019.[9]

Seven Springs proposal

[edit]

About 600 Hasidic landowners and residents left outside Palm Tree's boundaries by the compromise accepted in the 2017 referendum proposed the following year to create another village, Seven Springs, on 2 square miles (5.2 km2) in the town between Palm Tree and the village of Monroe. Other residents were opposed to the plan, as well as the government of Palm Tree, which filed its own annexation petition for some of the same land along Route 17. The Seven Springs incorporation petition was also rejected by the town. A county Supreme Court judge ruled in 2019 that the Seven Springs petition had preceded the Palm Tree one; a year later she further held that Monroe had improperly rejected it. Both decisions were upheld in 2023.[10]

At the end of 2023 Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill written by state senator James Skoufis, formerly a town councilman in neighboring Woodbury, who had been active in that town's incorporation as a village to prevent any annexations by Kiryas Joel. The new law tripled the state's requirements for incorporating villages from 500 potential residents to 1,500, and required a study to be done on the financial and governmental impacts of creating a village on the surrounding town, provisions that were seen as fatal to Seven Springs. The attorney for the residents seeking to create the village said he would challenge the new law in court as a violation of the federal and state constitutions.[10]

Cheeses

[edit]

The town is the birthplace of Velveeta and Liederkranz cheese. Each year, a cheese festival is held to honor the former and the noble history (and unfortunate death) of the latter.[11][non-primary source needed] It also was the original home of the Orange and Rockland Electric Company, founded by Roscoe W. Smith, a descendant of David Smith.

Fire of 1895

[edit]

On the night of March 17, 1895, the village of Monroe had one of the most disastrous fires in its history, in which the center of the village was nearly wiped out. "The total losses of real estate were three large business places, three barns, a storehouse, several sheds and smaller buildings valued altogether at $25,000. Personal property, goods-in stock and furniture destroyed were valued at $15,000".[12] It was said that people from all over took the Erie Railroad to come see the remains of the "Big Fire". A short time after the fire the Village decided to install a water works system which would be owned by the Village. "On July 24, 1895 the Mombasha Fire Company was organized. The Hook and Ladder Company was organized on October 4, 1895. In 1898 the two Companies consolidated as the Mombasha Fire Company".[12]

Harness racing

[edit]

In the early 1900s the Monroe Race Track was established to "increase the towns popularity as both local residents and visitors flocked to the track to watch the horse races and place bets on the trotters". The first race was held on August 8, 1908, there was 22,000 people estimated at the race.[13] The track became a part of the Orange County Harness Racing Circuit which included Endicott, Middletown, Goshen, and Monroe. "The first grandstand was located on the long side of the track, while the second grandstand wasn't completed until 1910. It was seventy-five feet long and could hold one thousand people."[13] The track was in operation 19 years. "On August 13, 1913 the race track record was set with a time of 2:04¼ minutes for the mile pace on a half mile track. At this time this was also a world record for a pacer."[13] In 1927 Monroe was dropped by the circuit and was replaced by one in Elmira, New York, where construction of a new 5,000 seat grandstand had been completed.[13] The last purse offered at Monroe Track in 1927 was for $31,000. In 1964 the grandstands of the track were torn down.

Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55 km2), of which 20.1 square miles (52 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (5.55%) is water.

The town is located in the southern region of the county, bordered on the northwest by the town of Chester, on the north by the town of Blooming Grove, on the northeast by the town of Palm Tree, on the east by the town of Woodbury, on the south by the town of Tuxedo, and on the southwest by the town of Warwick.

NY-17 (future I-86), combined with U.S. Highway 6 NY-17M, passes through Monroe village.

Lakes

• Mombasha Lake – a lake by the southern town line.
• Round Lake – a lake in the western part of Monroe, southwest of Monroe village.
• Walton Lake – a lake in the western part of Monroe, south of Round Lake.

Communities

Communities within the town of Monroe:

• Harriman – the village of Harriman is partly in the town.
• Marycrest – community bordering the southern part of Monroe village.
• Monroe – the village of Monroe is located south of NY-17 on highway NY-17M.
• Mountain House – a location by the northern town line.
• Newburgh Junction – a hamlet south of Harriman on NY-17.
• Walton Park – part of the hamlet of Walton Park.

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	2,969	—
1830	3,671	23.6%
1840	3,914	6.6%
1850	4,280	9.4%
1860	3,975	−7.1%
1870	4,666	17.4%
1880	5,096	9.2%
1890	1,694	−66.8%
1900	1,784	5.3%
1910	2,285	28.1%
1920	2,630	15.1%
1930	3,000	14.1%
1940	3,302	10.1%
1950	3,714	12.5%
1960	5,965	60.6%
1970	9,169	53.7%
1980	14,948	63.0%
1990	23,035	54.1%
2000	31,411	36.4%
2010	39,912	27.1%
2020	21,387	−46.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[14][15]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 31,407 people, 8,228 households, and 6,878 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,563.5 people per square mile (603.7 people/km2). There were 8,517 housing units at an average density of 424.0 per square mile (163.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.91% white, 1.22% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 1.15% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.91% of the population. 12.6% were of Italian, 12.4% Irish, 9.2% Hungarian, 6.0% American and 5.6% German ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 8,228 households, out of which 53.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.72 and the average family size was 4.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 41.5% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,889, and the median income for a family was $54,315. Males had a median income of $51,125 versus $34,547 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,569. About 22.3% of families and 29.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

[edit]

• David Bernsley (born 1969), American-Israeli basketball player
• Malcolm Bricklin (born 1939), American businessman[17]
• Chloe Chambers (born 2004), Chinese-born racing driver

References

[edit]

1. ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
2. ^ "Monroe ZIP Code". ZipDataMaps. 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
3. ^ "QuickFacts - Monroe town, Orange County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau. July 1, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
4. ^ a b The Village of Monroe, pg13
5. ^ Freeland, Daniel Niles (1898). Chronicles of Monroe in the olden time: town and village, Orange County, New York. New York: The De Vinne press. p. 2.
6. ^ "Town of Monroe Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
7. ^ Eager, Samuel W. (1846). An outline history of Orange County: with an enumeration of the names of its towns, villages, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, mountains, hills and other known localities and their etymologies or historical reasons therefor; together with local traditions and short biographical sketches of early settlers, etc. Newburgh: S.T. Callahan. p. 30.
8. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (November 19, 2017). "Call It Splitsville, N.Y.: Hasidic Enclave to Get Its Own Town". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
9. ^ McKenna, Chris (July 2, 2018). "Cuomo signs bill to start Town of Palm Tree in 2019". Times Herald-Record. Middletown, NY. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
10. ^ a b Bellamy, Lara (December 29, 2023). "Seven Springs petitioner to challenge state's new village formation laws". Albany Times Union. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
11. ^ "Monroe Cheese Festival". monroecheesefestival.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017.
12. ^ a b Armstrong, Harry, Monroe New York: Bicentennial Showcase 1775–1976, Monroe: 1976.
13. ^ a b c d Carnelia Bush, Paul Ellis-Graham, James A Nelson, Charles King, The Village of Monroe: the Celebration of a Century, Unionville, NY: Royal Fireworks Press, 1994.
14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
15. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Monroe town, Orange County, New York". www.census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
17. ^ "Malcolm Bricklin's next bright idea". AutoNews.com. May 12, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2021.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monroe, New York.

• Official site
• The Photo News, community newspaper

v t e Municipalities and communities of Orange County, New York, United States
County seat: Goshen
Cities	Middletown Newburgh Port Jervis
Towns	Blooming Grove Chester Cornwall Crawford Deerpark Goshen Greenville Hamptonburgh Highlands Minisink Monroe Montgomery Mount Hope New Windsor Newburgh Palm Tree Tuxedo Wallkill Warwick Wawayanda Woodbury
Villages	Chester Cornwall-on-Hudson Florida Goshen Greenwood Lake Harriman Highland Falls Kiryas Joel Maybrook Monroe Montgomery Otisville South Blooming Grove Tuxedo Tuxedo Park Unionville Walden Warwick Washingtonville Woodbury
CDPs	Balmville Beaver Dam Lake Central Valley Firthcliffe Fort Montgomery Gardnertown Highland Mills Mechanicstown Mountain Lodge Park New Windsor Orange Lake Pine Bush Salisbury Mills Scotchtown Sparrow Bush Vails Gate Walton Park Washington Heights West Point
Otherhamlets	Amity Arden Bellvale Bullville Carpenter's Point Circleville Coldenham Cuddebackville Huguenot Johnson Little Britain Michigan Corners Mountainville New Hampton New Vernon Pine Island Port Orange Ridgebury Saint Andrew Scotts Corner Slate Hill South Centerville Sugar Loaf Thompson Ridge Westbrookville Westtown
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Tributaries	Batavia Kill Batten Kill Birch Creek Black Meadow Creek Boreas River Bowery Creek Bowmans Creek Breakneck Brook Brimstone Creek Canajoharie Creek Caroga Creek Casperkill Catskill Creek Cayadutta Creek Cedar River Claverack Creek Clove Brook Cobleskill Creek Coeymans Creek Coxsackie Creek Cross River Croton River East Branch Croton River East Branch Sacandaga River East Canada Creek East Kill Eightmile Creek Esopus Creek Fall Kill Fishkill Creek Fonteyn Kill Fulmer Creek Hannacrois Creek Honnedaga Brook Hoosic River Indian River Jackson Creek Jan De Bakkers Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kayaderosseras Kinderhook Creek Kisco River Lake Creek Little Shawangunk Kill Maritje Kill Miami River Mill Creek Mohawk River Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Moyer Creek Muddy Kill Neepaulakating Creek Normans Kill Nowadaga Creek Ohisa Creek Onesquethaw Creek Opalescent River Oriskany Creek Otsquago Creek Otter Kill Papakating Creek Peekskill Hollow Creek Plattekill Creek Platter Kill Pocantico River Pochuck Creek Poesten Kill Potic Creek Quassaick Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Sacandaga River Sauquoit Creek Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sawyer Kill Schoharie Creek Schroon River Shawangunk Kill Sparkill Creek Sprout Creek Steele Creek Stockport Creek Stony Clove Creek Taghkanic Creek Tenmile Creek Tin Brook Titicus River Trout Brook Verkeerder Kill Vloman Kill Wallkill River Walloomsac River Wappinger Creek Wawayanda Creek West Branch Papakating Creek West Branch Sacandaga River West Canada Creek West Kill Wynants Kill
Lakes	Alcove Reservoir Ashokan Reservoir Basic Creek Reservoir Beacon Reservoir Bog Brook Reservoir Cedar Lake Chadwick Lake Chub Lake Cross River Reservoir Croton Falls Reservoir Dyken Pond East Branch Reservoir East Caroga Lake Fall Lake Franklinton Vlaie Garnet Lake Glenmere Lake Great Sacandaga Lake Great Vlaie Henderson Lake Honnedaga Lake Indian Lake Lizard Pond Lake Maratanza Muscoot Reservoir Lake Neepaulin New Croton Reservoir Notch Lake Piseco Lake Lake Pleasant Queechy Lake Rondout Reservoir Sacandaga Lake Saratoga Lake Sturgeon Pool Surprise Lake Sylvan Lake Lake Tear of the Clouds Thompson Pond Titicus Reservoir Trout Lake West Caroga Lake Whaley Lake Winnisook Lake
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Landmarks	Adirondack Mountains Adirondack Park Ashokan Bridge Blenheim Bridge Buskirk Bridge Catskill Mountains Champlain Canal Cohoes Falls Copeland Bridge Delaware and Hudson Canal Eagleville Bridge East River Erie Canal George Washington Bridge Harlem River Helderberg Escarpment Holland Tunnel Hudson Highlands State Park Kaaterskill Clove Kaaterskill Falls Kill Van Kull Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge Lincoln Tunnel Mid-Hudson Bridge Newburgh–Beacon Bridge Tappan Zee Bridge (2017–present) The Palisades Perrine's Bridge Plotter Kill Preserve Pollepel Island Popolopen Rexleigh Bridge Rip Van Winkle Bridge Salisbury Center Bridge Schoharie Bridge Shushan Bridge Statue of Liberty Taconic Mountains Verkeerder Kill Falls Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge Walkway over the Hudson Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge West Canada Lake Wilderness Area

v t e James Monroe
5th President of the United States (1817–1825) 5th United States Secretary of State (1811–1817) United States Secretary of War (1814–1815) 12th and 16th Governor of Virginia (1799–1802, 1811) U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom (1803–1808) U.S. Minister to France (1794–1796) U.S. Senator from Virginia (1790–1794) Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1786)
Founding events	Virginia Ratifying Convention Founding Fathers
Presidency	First inauguration Second inauguration Florida Treaty Treaty of 1818 Treaty of Tuscaloosa Panic of 1819 Era of Good Feelings Missouri Compromise Seminole Wars Monroe Doctrine Tariff of 1824 State of the Union Address, 1824 Cabinet Federal judiciary appointments
Other notedaccomplisments	Negotiated the Louisiana Purchase Monroe–Pinkney Treaty War of 1812
Life	Early life and career Birthplace and boyhood home Revolutionary War service Battle of Trenton Monroe Hill home and office James Monroe Law Office, Museum, and Memorial Library Highland Oak Hill James Monroe Tomb
Elections	1789 Virginia's 5th congressional district election 1790 and 1791 U.S. Senate elections 1792 Governor of Virginia election, 1799 U.S. presidential election, 1808 1816 1820
Legacy andpopular culture	Bibliography Memorials Monrovia, capital of Liberia Fort Monroe Monroe, Michigan Monroe, New York Monroe, Georgia Monroe County, Kentucky Monroe County, New York Monroe Township, (Northern) New Jersey Monroe Township, (Southern) New Jersey Mount Monroe Monroe Park The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776 (painting) Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851 paintings) Monroe Hill (2015 film) U.S. postage stamps Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar USS President Monroe USS James Monroe
Related	Monroe on slavery American Colonization Society Virginia dynasty Limestone plantation Rhea letter
Family	Elizabeth Kortright (wife) George Hay (son-in-law) Samuel L. Gouverneur (son-in-law)
← James Madison John Quincy Adams → Category

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Cities and townsover 25,000	Bayonne Bergenfield Bernards Branford Brick Bridgewater Carmel Cheshire Clifton Cortlandt Danbury Eastchester East Brunswick East Haven East Orange East Windsor Englewood Ewing Fairfield Fair Lawn Fort Lee Franklin Township Freehold Township Great Neck Garden City Garfield Greenburgh Greenwich Hackensack Hamden Hamilton Hillsborough Hoboken Howell Jackson Kearny Lawrence Livingston Long Beach Long Branch Mahwah Mamaroneck Manalapan Maplewood Marlboro Meriden Middletown, NJ Middletown, NY Milford Monroe Montclair Mount Olive Mount Vernon Naugatuck New Brunswick New Milford New Rochelle Newburgh Newtown North Brunswick Norwalk Old Bridge Orange, NJ Ossining Palm Tree Paramus Parsippany–Troy Hills Passaic Perth Amboy Piscataway Plainfield Poughkeepsie Princeton Rahway Randolph Riverhead Rockaway Township Rye (town) Sayreville Shelton South Brunswick Stratford Teaneck Toms River Torrington Trenton Trumbull Union City Union Township Wall Township Wallingford Wayne West Haven West Orange West Windsor Westfield Westport White Plains Yorktown
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See also	Northeast megalopolis

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41°19′26″N 74°11′13″W / 41.324°N 74.187°W / 41.324; -74.187