Monroe City, Texas Explained

Official Name:Monroe City, Texas
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Texas#USA
Pushpin Label:Monroe City
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Texas
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Chambers
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:26
Coordinates:29.785°N -94.5853°W
Area Code:409
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1341804

Monroe City is an unincorporated community in Chambers County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 90 in 2000. It is located within the Greater Houston metro area.

History

The town was founded following the 1935 discovery of the Anahuac oilfield and was named for Monroe White, a well-known resident. Sun Oil and Gulf Oil were the next two companies with significant stakes in the Anahuac field, after the Humble Oil and Refining Company (now known as ExxonMobil). H. S. Sterling opened a store at the oilfield camp by the end of 1935, and the post office in Monroe City opened the following year. According to some accounts, the town had 300 residents by 1939. Monroe City included a camp for the Brown and Root firm, a lumberyard, a few stores, and housing for oilfield workers by 1940. The population fell to 90 by 1970 after the boom faded, from 120 in the late 1940s. It remained at 90 through 2000. It produced well over 270 million barrels of crude oil by 1985; a plaque from the Texas State Historical Association (later the Texas Historical Commission) commemorates the field. The population went down to 11 in 2010.

Geography

Monroe City is located at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1724 and Texas State Highway 124, 39miles southwest of Beaumont, 55miles east of Houston, and 6miles east of Anahuac in central Chambers County.[1]

Education

Anahuac Independent School District operates schools in the area.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Monroe City, Texas . Texas Escapes Online Magazine . 2024-03-28.