Columbia-Lycoming County PA Archives Biographies.....MONROE, Washington Madison 1838 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 1, 2005, 12:43 am Author: Biographical Publishing Co. WASHINGTON MADISON MONROE. This honored citizen of Rupert, Pa., is successfully engaged in the manufacture of powder kegs and is agent for the Dupont Powder Company. He was born in Muncy, Lycoming County, Pa., September 3, 1838 and is a son of Isaac S. and Elizabeth (Davis) Monroe, grandson of Bennett and Lucy (Sprague) Monroe, and great-grandson of Bennett Monroe. Bennett Monroe, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a native of Scotland and with his brothers, Joseph and Nathan, immigrated to this country. One brother located in the state of Virginia and among his descendants was President James Monroe; another settled in the state of Rhode Island; and Bennett settled near the village of Woodstock, Vt., where some of his descendants yet reside. Bennett Monroe, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Woodstock, Vt., and died at his home in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1845. His wife was Lucy Sprague, a member of the honored Sprague family, of which Gov. Sprague was a descendant. Isaac S. Monroe, the father of our subject, was born in Woodstock, Vt., in 1804. He possessed a good education and during his early life was engaged in contracting and public work; in 1833 he moved to Catawissa, Columbia County, where he built one and one-half miles of the Pennsylvania Canal. He took one of the first boats loaded with coal down the Schuylkill Canal from Pottsville to Philadelphia; he also took a boatload of pig iron from Catawissa to Harrisburg, Pa., over the Susquehanna River, which was probably the only successful trip ever made over that route. Later he engaged in the distilling business at Muncy, Lycoming County, and from there he moved to Columbia County where, from 1847 to I863, he was extensively engaged in the lumber business. In 1863 he erected a building at Rupert and began the manufacture of powder kegs, which business he followed until his death, on February 4, 1879. Mr. Monroe was internal revenue assessor of what was then the Thirteenth Congressional District but is now the Seventeenth Congressional District, from May, 1863, until November, 1865. From 1861 until his death he was general agent for the Dupont Powder Company, and the following seven counties were assigned as his territory: Columbia, Montour, Snyder, Lycoming, Sullivan, Northumberland and Schuylkill. On February 1, 1870, he was appointed by the governor as associate judge of Columbia County, and on November 9, 1870, he was elected to the same office for a term of five years. Politically Mr. Monroe was a stanch Democrat until the breaking out of the Rebellion when he joined the ranks of the Republican party. He was a member of Gov. Porter's staff with the rank of major. Socially our subject's father was a member of Catawissa Chapter, No. 178; past grand master of Catawissa Lodge, No. 349, F. & A. M.; and a member of Catawissa, now Danville, Commandery, No. 37. He was united in marriage to Elizabeth Davis, a daughter of John Davis who was formerly a farmer of Montgomery County, but later of Franklin township, Columbia County. Seven •children blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Monroe, three of whom died in their infancy. Those who grew to maturity were as follows: Sarah, deceased, who was the wife of Peter R. Baldy of Catawissa; Lucy S., died aged seventeen years; our subject; and Mary, deceased, who was the wife of Austin H. Church of Wyoming County, Pa. Washington M. Monroe, the only member of the family living, was educated in the public schools of Catawissa and in the Hill School of Pottstown, Pa. He was then employed by the Catawissa Railroad Company as operator and ticket-agent at Catawissa and after remaining in the road's employ three years, in 1865 became a partner with his father in the manufacture of powder kegs; upon his father's death our subject succeeded him in the business, and has since been agent for the Dupont Powder Company. The keg factory is a building 40 by 60 feet, has a capacity of 1,000 kegs per day and gives employment to fifteen men. In politics Mr. Monroe is an unwavering Republican and has contributed much toward the success of his party in his community; his first vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas. Religiously he and his family hold membership in the Episcopal Church; socially he is a member and past master of Catawissa Lodge, No. 349, F. & A. M.; Catawissa Chapter, No. 178; and Danville Commandery, No. 37. February 19, 1861, Mr. Monroe and Ellen B. Leonard, daughter of George T. Leonard of Amity township, Berks County, were united in marriage, and to this union the following children have been given: George T., who was drowned in the Pennsylvania Canal in his boyhood days; Elizabeth, who is the wife of H. H. Royce, a cotton broker of New York City, whose home is at Crawford, N. J.; Mary E., who wedded William E. Johnston a telegraph operator at Rupert; and Ellen and Irene, both of whom are at home. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb