The town of Monroe has no bonded indebtedness and the village none other than its water bonds, except that Union Free School District No. 1, which includes the village, has issued $4,375, on account of the purchase of a seven acre school site on a commanding height overlooking the village.
The Warwick, Monroe and Chester Building and Loan Association has been a potent factor in Monroe's development. It was organized in April, 1890.
Standard Lodge No. 711 F. & A. M., instituted at Chester, N. Y., June 30, 1871, was, with consent of the Grand Lodge, moved to Monroe in 1884, and has a membership of 180.
The Monroe National Bank, U. S. No. 7,563, although in its infancy, is a flourishing institution. It was chartered by the Treasury Department January 18th, 1905 and it was opened for business, March 1st, 1905.
Monroe has a very excellent fire department. The Mombasha Hose Company was organized July 24th, 1895, and the Mombasha Fire Company, April 5th, 1898.
The Orange and Rockland Electric Light and Power Company, which furnishes light and power to the villages and communities in the eastern end of the county, is located at Monroe and is now erecting a very large plant. The Newbury Foundry Company is also located here.
Monroe has a fine telephone system, an athletic association, and is now putting down cement walks in the village, and it is confidently predicted that it will be the leading center of the eastern end of the county within a short period.
A Methodist society existed in the neighborhood of Monroe prior to 1839, the M. E. Church at Oxford (near Quaker Hill) having been built some time before, but in the year above mentioned Matthew B. Sweezy deeded to the Trustees of the recently organized M. E. Church of Monroe the land upon which the church now stands. In the following year, 1840, the church was built. The first board of trustees was the following: Stephen Post, Isaac Compton, Jeremiah Knight, Thomas D. Tannery, John King, Samuel Smith and Peter Ball. Others who served the church in its early history as trustees were Jonathan Mapes, John S. Gregory, Matthew B. Sweezy, Solomon W. Esray, Townsend Mapes, Job Mapes, William Hudson, George K. Smith, William Johnston, Martin Konnight, Daniel Secord, Nathan Strong and Walter Roberts. John S. Gregory was elected trustee in 1843 and served in this capacity until his death in 1905, a period of sixty-two years.
The Rev. Mr. Bancroft is said to have been the first minister. Others who followed him were the Rev. William Van Duzen, Rev. A. C. Fields, Rev. Mr. Newmans, Rev. J. H. Hawkshurst, Rev. Mr. Blake, Rev. Mr. Croft, Rev. N. Messiter, Rev. D. D. Gillespie.
Matthew B. Sweezy was chorister for a time. There was no organ in the early days of the church, but the congregation was frequently led in singing by the violin and the violoncello, though there were some who objected to the use of so ungodly a thing as the "fiddle."