Revitalization has not only brought people to the River Raisin, it has also seen wildlife return, including several varieties of fish. (Photo provided)

The industrial revolution of Monroe

          Monroe was the home of the first vineyards planted in the state of Michigan for commercial wine production. Cochran said, “Agriculture drove the local economy through vineyards and orchards along the banks of the River Raisin for nearly 100 years.”

          In about 1834, several major paper factories were built in Monroe, operating there until the mid-1980s.

          But it wasn’t just paper that built the economy.

          “Monroe was the birthplace of the recliner when Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker founded La-Z-Boy Inc. in 1928,” Cochran said. The city is still home to the company, where its new world headquarters was constructed in 2015.

          Additionally, the steel industry and Ford Motor Company have played an important role in Monroe’s growth.

          “Today, DTE’s Monroe Power Plant that opened in 1971 is the largest coal-fired power plant in North American and the city’s largest taxpayer and employer,” Cochran added.

          All this industrialization of Monroe caused the city to turn its back on the river, which is now recognized as one of the city’s greatest assets, he continued.

          “Following the riverbanks, you can see the community took for granted this great natural asset other communities would love to have. Buildings have their backs facing the river, parking lots were installed along the shore.”

          Cochran said much of the city’s industry was built along the east side of the river at the Port of Monroe. In addition, dams that were built to support industry prevented fish from making their way upstream and waterway recreation ceased downstream.

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