When the first steamboat, the James Monroe, plied its way past the little settlement, the residents were fascinated with it. They decided to name their little town after the boat, the Monroe. The steamboat was named after President James Monroe, so indirectly the town was named after the president.

In 1880 when the railroad was expanding, a name was needed for a community located across the river from Monroe. They named it West Monroe.

During the years that followed, Monroe had its share of success as primarily an agricultural community. It had the first Coca Cola bottling operation in Louisiana. In 1914, Joseph Biedenharn the first Coca Cola bottler, relocated to Monroe and remained there until his death in 1952.

Monroe developed its first zoo in 1925 in present-day Forsyth Park. Today, it is located in a facility on the south end of town.

In 1925, Huff Daland Dusters began operation in Monroe. This was the world’s first aerial crop dusting company, but it didn’t last - it became Delta Airlines!

During World War Two, the largest flight navigator school was conducted at Selman Field in Monroe. Among the residents of Selman Field was General Claire Chennault, the commander of the famous Flying Tigers. Exhibits covering the history of aviation are on display at the Aviation and Military Museum of Louisiana, located in Monroe.