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Monroe

William N.

Birthdate:

4 Jun 1841

Birthplace:

Flat Creek, Scott, Indiana

Date of Death:

26 Dec 1935

Place of Death:

Monrovia, Los Angeles, California

Occupation:

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Properties Owned:

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William Newton Monroe was born to Sanderson (aka Sanders) and Catherine Monroe  (nee Monroe.  Sanders and Catherine were first cousins. Catheren's father, Felix was Sanders' brother).  Though at least one source on the Internet indicates William's parent came from Virginia, census and voter lists indicate both were born in Indiana (1) (2).


On 24 December 1863 in Fort Kearny, Nebraska, William married Mary Jane Hall whose father was a railroad contractor.  Monroe had registered for the draft the previous July 

William N. Monroe was a Civil War veteran who joined his father-in-law in contracting work from the railroads to lay track. He eventually went to work on his own and directed track laying in Texas and California. Because of his employment, he was able to make contacts with some very influential people such as Collis Huntington and Joseph Crocker. Additionally, Monroe became familiar with the area around Los Angeles and certainly knew of the planned railway from Los Angeles.

He, his wife, and five children moved to Los Angeles. His friend, the powerful financier and railroad mogul, told him about a hotel built by the train station in Los Angeles that needed a manager. While Monroe and his wife Mary Jane ran the hotel but took time to wander around the San Gabriel Valley where the planned railroad would be built.


  1. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited ), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1880; Census Place: Keokuk, Wapello, Iowa.

  2. Ancestry.com, California, Voter Registers, 1866-1898 (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Great Registers, 1866–1898. Microfilm, 185 rolls. California State Library, Sacramento, California..Original data: Great Registers, 1866–1898. Microfilm, 185 rolls. Ca), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Birth date: abt 1814
    Birth place:
    Residence date: 1890
    Residence place: Monrovia.

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