#tbt - Monroe, Ohio History: The Day The School Steeple Toppled

It’s ThrowBack Thursday, when we look back in time at the places we call home! 

Today’s TBT recalls the history of Monroe, Ohio, schools. 

Thanks to the quick reflexes of a 20th century photographer (name unknown), we are able to share three deftly-timed photos of the demolition of the old Monroe Consolidated School building in 1912. (*) 

Built in 1872, “It was made up of five schools in the area: Red Buck, Reed, Mulford, Oak Hill and Monroe. The children only went to school for a half year, as the school only received a half year’s tax...” (**) 

The photos appear in sequence: 

The first shows the old building with its steeple... 

The second was taken as its cracked steeple topples, and finally... 

Two workmen aloft where the steeple once stood. They’re waving to two children below. 

In ensuing years, Monroe students attended classes at other buildings.  

Today they are educated at an expansive state-of-the-art complex -- minus the steeple -- shown here in a photo from Google Images.   

 

(*) Enjoy these old photos and many more from the Marion G. Warner Glass Plate Negative Collection” on our “Digital Archives,” available at 

www.midpointelibrary.org > Digital Archives  

Then continue your historical journey at any MidPointe location: Monroe, Middletown, Trenton, West Chester, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center) and onboard our “Library On Wheels,” formerly known as the Bookmobile. 

Of special interest to history buffs is the “Local History and Genealogy Gallery” at our Middletown location with its vast collection of items about Southwest Ohio and beyond. They can be checked out on a free MidPointe Library card.  

There you’ll find books like (**) “Monroe,” an “Images of America” publication written by Marcia McCartt, a source for this blog.  

A highly detailed history of Monroe titled “Monroe, A Developing City,” by the late Historian George Crout, is also available in the “Gallery.”  

A few steps away from the Gallery is the “Ohio Room” which houses thousands of local and state historical items. These items do not circulate but can be enjoyed onsite.  

History buffs can also research previous copies of the Middletown Journal and the old Middletown News Signal on microfilm at the Middletown location. 

At MidPointe Library, every day is  “Throwback Day” for history lovers! 

Note : The photo of the new Monroe Schools complex is from Google Images.