Monroe County, Ohio

History and Genealogy


Monroe County, Ohio

Monroe County was formed on January 28, 1813, from portions of Belmont, Guernsey and Washington counties. It was named after James Monroe, the U.S. Secretary of State when the county was formed, and later fifth President of the United States.[4] When organized, the county's eastern border was with the state of Virginia. This portion of the state seceded from Virginia during the American Civil War, being admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia. The largely rural county reached its peak of population in the 19th century, before urbanization drew people into and near cities for work and other opportunities. It is still a center of Amish population and farms.

In 1891, West Virginia's Sistersville Field was discovered to extend into Monroe County. By 1901, 300 wells near Woodsfield, Ohio, were producing 55,000 barrels of oil a month.[


Neighboring Counties

Adjacent Counties
Belmont County, Ohio Marshall County, West Virginia Wetzel County, West Virginia Tyler County, West Virginia Washington County, Ohio Noble County, Ohio
Belmont County, Ohio (north)
Noble County, Ohio (west)
Washington County, Ohio (south)
Tyler County, West Virginia (southeast)
Wetzel County, West Virginia (east)
Marshall County, West Virginia (northeast)
West Virginia State Page