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A History of Livingston County, Missouri
Published by The Livingston County Centennial Committee |
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Monroe Township, so called in honor of James Monroe, until 1839 was a part of Shoal Creek Township. Here "the night the stars fell" the first settlement was made by those mentioned earlier in this summary. Here the soil was rich, the water pure, and the woods full of bees. What more could a pioneer ask? From this township of Monroe, May, 1839, Green Township was formed. In 1843, Blue Mound Township was organized. The majority of the settlers of Monroe Township sympathized with the North during the Civil War and entered Federal service. Monroe is still as it has been, a prosperous farming district.
The thriving town of Ludlow, with a population of 300, lies almost in the center of the township. It came into being when the Milwaukee Railroad was built through the county in 1887. Early settlers there were Sanford Smith, Alonzo Wells, and Thomas Bryan. Although Ludlow is among the youngest of our family of towns, it has eighteen businesses, enterprising and prosperous. Farm-to-market road "D" gives the people another means of communication with their neighbors. In 1892, the Farmers National Bank was organized, and in 1930 was reorganized as the Ludlow National Bank.
Five chapters of secret orders are active in Ludlow; community and 4-H clubs do beneficial work; the Boy Scouts have a strong organization, and there is a fine school hand. In this neighborhood parents find it possible to give their children all the advantages usually found in larger places.
Ludlow has its own ice plant and its own park, where every summer families gather to celebrate the holidays. The quarry, now under a WPA project, furnishes gravel for the country roads. Soon all the roads of Livingston County will be graveled - no more staying at home because of Missouri Mud!
The first automobile in the township was a Model T Ford, owned by Doctor Murray. Now almost every family has a car. In Ludlow, as in nearly every community, interest centers about the school house, where an invitation to the public never goes unanswered.