Monroe, Louisiana

Monroe, Louisiana Monroe de Louisiane
City
City of Monroe
Francis Tower
Seal
Nickname(s): Twin Cities of Northeast Louisiana
Motto: "One City, One Future"
Location of Louisiana in USA
Monroe, Louisiana Location of Monroe in Louisiana
Coordinates: 32°30′34″N 92°07′06″W / 32.50944°N 92.11833°W / 32.50944; -92.11833Coordinates: 32°30′34″N 92°07′06″W / 32.50944°N 92.11833°W / 32.50944; -92.11833
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Ouachita
Incorporated (town)	1845
Incorporated (city)	1906
Named for	James Monroe
Government
• Mayor	Jamie Mayo (Democrat)
• City Council	Members List President of the Council: Vice President: Clerk: Dist 1: Dr. Raymond Armstrong Dist 2: Gretchen Ezernack Dist 3: Betty Blakes Dist 4:Kenneth Wilson Dist 5: Eddie Clark City Attorney:
Elevation	72 ft (22 m)
Population (2010)
• Estimate (2014)	51,236
• Urban	62,238
• Metro	170,053
	Urban area includes Monroe-West Monroe
Demonym(s)	Monroeian
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CST (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	71201, 71202, 71203, 71207, 71208, 71209, 71210, 71211, 71212, 71213
Area Code	318
Website	ci.monroe.la.us

Monroe (historically French: Poste-du-Ouachita^[1]) is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. it is the parish seat of Ouachita Parish. In the official 2010 census, Monroe had a population of 48,815. The municipal population declined by 8.1 percent over the past decade; it was 53,107 in the 2000 census.^[2] After a recheck in 2012, the Census Bureau changed the 2010 population from 48,815 to 49,147. Mayor Jamie Mayo, however, maintains that the Monroe population is more than 50,000 and indicated that he will pursue a continued challenge to the count.^[3]

Monroe is the principal city of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the parishes of Ouachita and Union. The two-parish area had a total population of 170,053 in 2000 and an estimated population of 172,275 as of July 1, 2007.^[4] The larger Monroe-Bastrop Combined Statistical Area is composed of both the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Bastrop Micropolitan Statistical Area. The CSA had a population of 201,074 in 2000.

Monroe and the neighboring city of West Monroe (pop. 13,250), which sits just across the Ouachita River, are often referred to as the Twin Cities of northeast Louisiana.

History

Monroe Convention Hall across from City Hall; designed by Hugh G. Parker, Jr., of Bastrop, Louisiana

St. Matthews Catholic Church in downtown Monroe

The settlement formerly known as Fort Miro adopted the name Monroe, during the first half of the 19th century, in recognition of the steam-powered paddle-wheeler James Monroe.^[5] The arrival of the ship had a profound effect on the settlers; it was the single event, in the minds of local residents, that transformed the outpost into a town. The ship is depicted in a mural at the main branch of the Monroe Library on North 18th Street. Therefore, credit is indirectly given to James Monroe of Virginia, the fifth President of the United States, for whom the ship was named.

During the American Civil War, Monroe and Opelousas, the seat of St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana, had Confederate training camps. They were established after the fall of New Orleans to the Union in 1862. Conscripts were soon sent to both camps.^[6]

In 1862, Monroe and Delhi in Richland Parish became overcrowded with unwelcome refugees from rural areas to the east. They had fled the forces of Union General U.S. Grant, who moved into northeastern Louisiana and spent the winter of 1862–1863 at Winter Quarters south of Newellton in Tensas Parish. He was preparing for the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, not completed until July 4, 1863. Historian John D. Winters reported "strong Union sympathy" in both Delhi and Monroe. As the refugees moved farther west toward Minden in Webster Parish, many of the existing inhabitants, themselves very poor, refused to sell them food or shelter and treated them with contempt.^[7]

Union boats came up the Ouachita River to Monroe to trade coffee, liquor, dry goods, and money for cotton. "Confederate officers were accused by a citizen of encouraging the trade and of fraternizing with the enemy, eating their oysters, and drinking their liquor."^[8] As the war continued, deserters and stragglers about Monroe became "so plentiful that the Union Army sent a special detachment" from Alexandria to apprehend them.^[9]

In 1913, Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. His home and gardens at 2006 Riverside Drive in Monroe now operates as the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens.^[10] Until Biedenharn's breakthrough, Coca-Cola had been available only when individually mixed at the soda fountain. Biedenharn and his son, Malcolm Biedenharn, were among the founders of Delta Air Lines, originally Delta Dusters.

Collett E. Woolman, the Ouachita Parish agent originally from Indiana, pioneered crop dusting to eradicate the boll weevil, which destroyed cotton in the Mississippi River delta country in the early 20th century. Woolman originated the first crop-dusting service in the world.^[11] The collapse of cotton production contributed to the Great Migration of the early 20th century, when hundreds of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for jobs in northern and midwestern cities.

Geography

First Baptist Church in downtown Monroe

Frank "Buddy" Flowers Chapel at Louisiana Baptist Children's Home in Monroe

Washington Plaza in downtown Monroe

Monroe has an elevation of 72 feet (21.9 m).^[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (83.9 km²), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.3 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 11.46% water.

Regional cities and their distance from Monroe include:

Climate

Monroe has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). Rainfall is abundant, with the normal annual precipitation averaging over 51 inches (1.3 m), with monthly averages ranging from less than 3 inches (76 mm) in August to more than 5 inches (130 mm) in June. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and tornadoes occur in the area during the spring and summer months. The winter months are normally mild, with an average of 35 days of freezing or below-freezing temperatures per year, with ice and sleet storms possible. Summer months are hot and humid, with maximum temperatures exceeding 90 degrees an average of 91 days per year, with high to very high relative average humidity, sometimes exceeding the 90 percent level.

Neighborhoods

Southern Monroe (south of U.S. Highway 80) This area contains the Pecanland Mall and the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo.

North and East Monroe Metro Area (north of U.S. Highway 80) The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the headquarters for CenturyLink can be found in this area. This list includes communities located outside Monroe City limits.

Demographics

St. Francis North Hospital is located off U.S. Highway 165 in north Monroe.

As of the census^[17] of 2000, there were 53,107 people, 19,421 households, and 12,157 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,851.8 people per square mile (714.9/km²). There were 21,278 housing units at an average density of 741.9 per square mile (286.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city in 2000 was 61.13% Black (63.9 percent black in 2010), 36.78% White (33.4 percent in 2010), 0.13% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 19,421 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city, the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 15.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,864, and the median income for a family was $33,263. Males had a median income of $31,840 versus $22,352 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,933. About 26.3% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.3% of those under the age of 18 and 21.6% of those 65 and older.

Economics

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[18] the top employers in the metropolitan area are:

Transportation

Monroe was the headquarters of Delta Air Lines during the second half of the 1920s. As it expanded, it moved. Monroe Regional Airport serves the city. The airport has three main runways and is served by American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Greyhound Bus Lines provides transportation from Monroe to many cities across the nation. The city of Monroe has the oldest municipally owned transit system in the nation. Created in 1906 as a four-line street railroad, the Monroe Transit System now provides 13 fixed bus routes covering most areas of the city, and 3 demand-response buses serving the disabled.^[19] Monroe can be accessed from I-20, U.S. Highway 165, Louisiana Highway 15, U.S. Highway 80,and I-420 (proposed). Main Railroads: Kansas City Southern (kcs), Union Pacific BNSF and Norfolk Southern (NS)

Entertainment

The Monroe Civic Center has multiple facilities. The main complex is the Civic Center Arena. This arena provides 44,000 square feet (4,100 m²) of exhibit space along with 5,600 seats. The arena may have larger capacities up to 7,200 seats. The arena houses events such as banquets, circuses, and rodeos. The civic center also has the B. D. Robinson conference hall, Monroe Convention Center, equestrian pavilion, and the 2,200-seat W. L. Jack Howard Theatre, named for W. L. "Jack" Howard, the Union Parish native who served as the mayor of Monroe from 1956 to 1972 and again from 1976 to 1978.

During the last week of June, Monroe hosts the annual Miss Louisiana pageant. In the fiftieth competition, a winner was crowned on June 29, 2013, at the W. L. Jack Howard Theatre.^[20]

Monroe is the home of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which collectively maintains over 500 animals. The zoo also offers boat rides and a catwalk, in addition to other seasonal activities.

The Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in Monroe

The Monroe area is home to several museums, including the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Chennault Aviation & Military Museum, the Masur Museum of Arts, and the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum, one of the twenty-six sites recently identified for the state's African American Heritage Trail.

Bayou Desiard flows though parts of Monroe.

Golf

• Bayou Desiard Country Club
• Chennault Golf Course
• Frenchman's Bend Country Club
• The Links at Muny, Forsythe Park

Shopping

• Pecanland Mall has major anchor stores: Belk, Dillard's, JC Penney, Sears, and Burlington Coat Factory. The largest mall in North Louisiana, it has more than 100 other specialty stores.^[21]

National Guard

Monroe is home to the 528th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana at Camp Beauregard.

Education

Colleges and universities in the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area Region

• Grambling State University
• Louisiana Tech University
• Northeast Louisiana Technical College
• UniTech Training Academy
• Career Technical College
• University of Louisiana at Monroe
• Louisiana Delta Community College

The City of Monroe has its own department of education that is set off from the larger Ouachita Parish School System. It is known as the Monroe City School System. The department consists of three high schools, three junior high schools, and 18 elementary schools.^[22]

Media

Monroe is served by a Gannett newspaper, the Monroe News Star, formerly an afternoon daily owned and operated by the father-son team of publishers, Robert Wilson Ewing, I, and John D. Ewing. When the Ewing's Monroe Morning World ceased publication, the sister publication, the News Star, became the city's morning-only newspaper.

Monroe is also served by two African-American weekly newspapers: The Monroe Free Press and the Monroe Dispatch. The Free Press was founded in 1969 by Roosevelt Wright, Jr., and The Dispatch was founded in 1975 by Irma and Frank Detiege.

The Ouachita Citizen is a locally owned and operated weekly newspaper that was founded in 1924. It has all-local coverage of events in Ouachita Parish, including Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington and Richwood.

Emergency alert stations:

Notable people

References

External links

• Official website
•  "Monroe, La.". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 
•  "Monroe, a city of Louisiana". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. 

Articles Relating to Monroe, Louisiana Municipalities and communities of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States Parish seat: Monroe Cities Monroe West Monroe Towns Richwood Sterlington CDPs Bawcomville Brownsville Calhoun Claiborne Lakeshore Swartz Unincorporated communities Bosco Fairbanks Pine Grove City of Monroe & Monroe-Bastrop Metro Highways I-20 US 80 US 165 LA 2 LA 15 LA 34 History Geography Politics Economy Education Culture Media Transportation Monroeians Monroe Neighborhoods Downtown Riverfront District Highlands Shreve City Anderson Island Garden District Shreve Island Southern Hills Jewella-South Park Cross Lake LSUS-University Area Richwood Swartz Texas Border The Ark-La-Miss Monroe West Monroe Farmerville Ruston Bastrop Oak Grove Rayville Delhi Columbia Chatham Television stations in North Louisiana and South Arkansas, including Monroe, Louisiana and El Dorado, Arkansas Local stations KCIB-LD 5 (FN/Worship, analog) KNOE (8.1 CBS, 8.2 ABC, 8.3 CW) KTVE (10.1 NBC) KMLU (11.1 Me-TV) KETZ (12.1 PBS/AETN) KLTM (13.1 PBS/LPB) KARD (14.1 Fox, 14.2 Bounce) KWMS-LP (18.1 H&I) KMCT (39.1 MyNetworkTV, 39.2 Religious Ind., 39.3 SBN, 39.4 SSN) K45IM-D (45.1 Punch TV) Adjacent locals Alexandria KALB-TV (5.1 NBC, 5.2 CBS; Alexandria) KLAX-TV (31.1 ABC, 31.2 Me-TV; Alexandria) WNTZ-TV (48.1 Fox/MNTV; Natchez, MS) Jackson, MS WJTV (12.1 CBS, 12.2 The CW 12.3 Antenna TV; Jackson, MS) Little Rock KMYA-DT (49.1 Me-TV, 49.2 SSN; Camden) Cable channel TechTV (Louisiana Tech) Defunct or silent KLSE 13 (educ.) KYAY 39 (unknown) KFAZ 43 (ABC) KEJB (43.1 A1/UPN/MNTV) See also Shreveport-Texarkana TV Little Rock TV Parish seats of Louisiana A Abbeville Alexandria Amite Arcadia B Bastrop Baton Rouge Benton C Cameron Chalmette Clinton Colfax Columbia Convent Coushatta Covington Crowley D DeRidder Donaldsonville E Edgard F Farmerville Franklin Franklinton G Greensburg Gretna H Hahnville Harrisonburg Homer Houma J Jena Jennings Jonesboro L Lafayette Lake Charles Lake Providence Leesville Livingston M Mansfield Many Marksville Minden Monroe N Napoleonville Natchitoches New Iberia New Orleans New Roads O Oak Grove Oberlin Opelousas P Plaquemine Pointe à la Hache Port Allen R Rayville Ruston S St. Joseph St. Martinville Shreveport St. Francisville T Tallulah Thibodaux V Vidalia Ville Platte W Winnfield Winnsboro Radio stations in the Monroe, Louisiana market By AM frequency 540 1230 1310 1490 1680 By FM frequency 88.7 89.5 90.3 91.1 91.9 92.3 92.7 93.1 93.9 94.9 95.9 96.3 97.3 97.7 98.3 98.9 99.3 100.1 100.9 101.9 102.7 103.1 104.1 105.3 106.1 107.5 NOAA Weather Radio frequency 162.55 Digital Radio 93.1-1 93.1-2 93.1-3 By callsign K255BT KAXV KBMQ KBYO-FM KCRJ-LP KEDM KGGM KHLL KJLO-FM KJMG KLIC KLIP KMAR KMBS KMLB KMVX KMYY KNBB KNNW KOUS-LP KPCH KQID-FM KRJO KRUS KRVV KXKZ KXRR KXUL KYFL KZRZ WXJ96 Defunct KBYO (1360 AM) Notes Stations in Italic text are out of market stations whose signals also cover the Monroe-West Monroe area Nearby radio markets Alexandria El Dorado Greenville-Greenwood Natchitoches Natchez Ruston Shreveport Vicksburg See also List of radio stations in Louisiana  State of Louisiana Baton Rouge (capital) Topics Index History Music Louisianians Constitution Governors Lieutenant Governors Secretaries of State Attorneys General Legislature Supreme Court Congressional districts Symbols Visitor attractions Society Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Politics Radio Stations Regions Acadiana Ark-La-Tex Central Louisiana Florida Parishes Greater New Orleans Northwest Louisiana North Louisiana Southwest Louisiana Cities Alexandria Baton Rouge Bossier City Hammond Houma Kenner Lafayette Lake Charles Monroe Natchitoches New Iberia New Orleans Opelousas Ponchatoula Ruston Shreveport Slidell Sulphur CDPs Chalmette Harvey LaPlace Marrero Metairie Moss Bluff Terrytown Metros Alexandria Baton Rouge Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Lafayette Lake Charles Monroe New Orleans Shreveport‑Bossier City Parishes See: List of parishes in Louisiana