Biography - N. S. MONROE
N. S. Monroe, of Arthur, and the well-known road-machine manufacturer,
is a native of Shelby county, Indiana, having been born eight miles from
Shelbyville, the county seat, January 8, 1851. His parents were Andrew J.
and Julia Ann (Huffman) Monroe, who were also natives of Shelby county,
Indiana. His father was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1856 and settled in
Richland county, thence in 1866 to Coles county, and three years ago moved
to Arcola, where he is living a retired life. N. S. Monroe's grandfathers,
Samuel Monroe and Jacob Huffman, were both Virginians by birth and were
pioneer settlers in Shelby county, Indiana. His grandfather Monroe resided
in Shelbyville sixty years. John Raynes (maternal great-grandfather) was
born in Maine. John Monroe (paternal great-grandfather) was born in Virginia
and was engaged in the Methodist ministry for about sixty years, living to
be ninety-six years old; he also had several brothers who were preachers in
the Methodist church. N. S. Monroe grew upon the farm and received only a
common-school education. He removed to Douglas county and in 1876 he located
on a farm in Bourbon township, where he continued to farm up till 1896. The
farm upon which he resided he still owns; it contains three hundred and
seventeen acres.
In 1876 Mr. Monroe was married to Miss Martha A. Leggett, who was born in
Terre Haute. Seven children have blessed their union: Charles W., Andrew J.,
Margaret M., George W., Julia E., Ora B. and Alice J. He is a member of the
Methodist church and the Masonic fraternity. In 1894 he founded his present
road-machine manufactory at Arthur, and it promises to be one of the leading
industries of its kind in the country. His building is 132x35 feet in size.
The advantages of the Monroe road-machine when working on a pike are that
you do not have to put one horse in the ditch while cutting off a shoulder,
as the bars extend out so that the team and machine can travel on the road.
The fact that the Monroe road-machine will do so much more work than other
machines with the same power lies simply in the construction of the machine.
The bars acting against each other there is no wide draft and no power lost,
and the machine will not slide into the ditch. The bars work independently
of the upward and downward action of the frame caused by the unevenness of
the road.
Under date of February 23, 1900, the Arthur Graphic copies from the Southern
Review of Commerce, of Louisville, Kentucky, dated February 7, 1900, the
following: "As a result we find that 'The Monroe Road Machine,' a product of
N. S. Monroe, Arthur, Illinois, who is the patentee and manufacturer of this
machine, is the best on the market. In an editorial like this it is
impossible to give all the details of our recent investigation of this
subject, but we wish to state that the above named machine is vastly
superior to all other makes because it is made of the best material
regardless of cost; it is constructed strictly on scientific and mechanical
principles; is strong and durable and every machine sold by Mr. Monroe is
fully guaranteed.
"This machine scrapes ten to twenty feet at a time, leaving a perfectly
smooth road and one free from all ridges. It is a practical road machine for
successful work on either dirt or gravel roads, and those who have used it
pronounce 'The Monroe Road Machine' the finest that is on the market, while
practical mechanics say it is the acme of perfection in this line of
invention, and that any man of ordinary judgment can operate it with ease
and safety and perform perfect work with it. Its efficiency, durability,
simplicity and the cheap price at which it is put on the market certainly
recommend this machine to all who desire to secure perfect roads.
"We advise our inquirers, or all interested readers, to write Mr. Monroe
direct for further and detailed information. He is a gentleman well known
for his business tact and enterprise, his commercial rating is of the
highest order and all parties dealing with him can rest assured that he will
make good every representation that he may make.
"This unsolicited editorial endorsement is made in strict accordance with
the policy of the Review, which is to give credit where credit is due in
every investigation that we make for our readers, whose interests alone we
seek to serve. The Monroe system of road work should be given careful
investigation as it should be adopted to obtain the best results when the
machine is used."
Extracted 03 Apr 2020 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 278-279.
