Monroe Township 1870

This snapshot of Monroe Township was attributed to a writer identified only as ADZ.

Daily Evening Courier Friday Jan. 28, 1870

Hoping the following statistics of Monroe Township may produce some from other townships, Ithem

Monroe Township consists of Con. Town 5 N of Range 10 E 36 sq. miles. It contains two grist mills, five saw mills, two grocery and liquor and one grocery store; four blacksmith shops, two wagon maker’s shops; and four coopershops; six sorghum manufactories, four hay presses, seven churches (three Methodist, two Presbyterian, one Baptist, and only one Christian;) ten schoolhouses, three frame and seven stone; being the eleventh of all the stone schoolhouse in the State. Nine of the schoolhouses are supplied with teachers residents of the township; one of these has taught the township 32 years and another 30 years. Two other resident teachers are employed out of the township—one in Shelby and one in Jennings county One doctor said he would have starved (such is the salubriety of the climate) only for his being employed outside of our limits.

There are a little over three hundred registered voters. There are 539 children enrolled. No. of days taught in 1869 were ninety. Five male and five female teachers. All pure Saxon white, no black, red nor yellow. ADZ