History of Monroe County
Monroe county was organized on January 6, 1831, from Ralls County. Named for James Monroe. The county seat is Paris.
MONROE, a county in the N. E. part of Missouri, has an area of about 620 square [p.731] miles. It is intersected by Salt river, and also drained by the Middle fork, South fork, Elk fork, and Long branch, affluents of the first named river, and by Crooked, Otter, and Indian creeks. The surface is undulating, and consists partly of prairies; the soil is very productive.  Indian corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, hemp, and pork are the staples. In 1850 the county produced 793,145 bushels of corn;  43,669 of wheat; 130,412 of oats, and 629,412 pounds of tobacco. It contained 25 churches, 1 newspaper office, and  1954 pupils attending public schools. Stone coal abounds in several places; the rocks which underlie the county are  limestone and freestone. Many of the streams furnish motive-power for mills. Organized in 1830. Capital, Paris. Population, 10,541, of whom 8493 were free, and 2048, slaves. 
1854  United States Gazetteer

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