Monroe, Ohio Historical Society

08/24/2026

Discover the Secrets of Monroe and Lemon Township

The Monroe Historical Society invites you to discover the secrets of Lemon Township and the City of Monroe at one of several upcoming open houses.

The next opportunity will be available on Saturday, September 5, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 10 E. Elm Street. Both the main museum and the 1910 Building will be open for self-guided and guided tours, offering a preview of ongoing renovations.

On Thursday, September 17, the Historic Cabin at Community Park will be open for visitors from 5-8 p.m. during the Monroe Food Truck Festival.

The Elm Street museums will also be open for a special Monroe Schools Homecoming Parade Open House on Thursday, October 8 from 4-7 p.m.

Thanks to a grant from the W.E. Smith Family Charitable Trust fund, visitors can get a sneak-peek at our newly restored 45-star U.S. flag last flown between 1896 and 1908 located in the Military Room. The flag was saved from an estate on Rt. 4 and restored by Valley Framing in Springboro.

The Monroe/Lemon Township Art Gallery has been expanded to include a Junior Art Gallery, showcasing the talents of residents under 18 years of age. The collection features artwork created over the years by Monroe and Lemon Township residents, highlighting local landmarks—both those that still stand and those that now exist only in memory.

Guests can also explore the Bob & Anna Hale Media Room, featuring historical media artifacts, including a 1949 television, musical instruments from Lemon-Monroe High School, vintage sheet music, a stereoscope, and a tribute to radio and television host Ruth Lyons, who made regular stops to the 1910 Building when it was a general store to get her favorite ice cream.

Other exhibits include:
• LeSourdsville Lake/Americana Amusement Park and Fantasy Farm Park
• Monroe’s first fire truck that went into commission in 1924
• Monroe National Bank/First Financial Bank
• Monroe Schools
• Monroe Churches
• The only U.S. exhibit dedicated to author Merle Constiner
• Lemon Township/Monroe First Responders
• Genealogy Center
• Historic Map Center
• 1969 Tornado
• Quilts & Crafts
• 1910 General Store

Uncle Freddy’s Den, the museum store, offers Monroe High School yearbooks, miniature Monroe buildings, and Monroe-related books. Young and old kids are invited to take their picture with Uncle Freddy in the LeSourdsville Lake/Fantasy Farm room or with Lucky the Dog located in the 1910 Building.

For further information, visit http://www.MonroeOhHistoricalSociety.org or email [email protected].

08/17/2026

Monroe Historical Society to Host Fun Bunch Open House on Wednesday, August 19

The kids are in school and you need some quiet time. Come on over to the house you have always wondered about on Elm Street.

The Monroe Historical Society will present a Fun Bunch Open House on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the main museum, 10 E. Elm Street, downtown Monroe. Admission is complimentary and the event is open to the public. This weekday open house is offered as a gesture of appreciation to the community and provides an opportunity to view the museum outside its regular schedule, which is the first Saturday of each month (April–November).

The Fun Bunch Open House is well suited for local employees seeking a brief cultural break and for students or families looking for an engaging activity before the start of the school year.

Featured Exhibits
• The only exhibits in the United States dedicated to LeSourdsville Lake/Americana Amusement Park and Fantasy Farm Park
• Monroe’s original 1924 fire truck
• An early 1900s general store vignette
• An exhibit celebrating Monroe’s schools, including musical memorabilia, historical clothing, and the history of the Hornet as the official MHS mascot
• The MHS Art Gallery, highlighting artists from Lemon Township and Monroe
• The sole U.S. exhibit devoted to Monroe native and author Merle Constiner
Recent Expansions
• An expanded military exhibit honoring local veterans
• The First Responders Gallery features artifacts from the former Monroe Life Squad, the LeSourdsville Fire Department, the South Middletown Fire Department, the Monroe Fire Department, the Lemon Township Police Department, and the Monroe Police Department
• New farming exhibits highlighting antique equipment, tools, and photographs
• The Hale Media Room features vintage record players, corded telephones, early mobile phones, clock radios, vintage televisions, and Monroe Schools Music Department artifacts

Uncle Freddy’s Den Gift Shop

Uncle Freddy’s Den offers Monroe-themed merchandise, including Monroe High School yearbooks ($10 each), a collection of miniature buildings, apparel, local history titles, and books on LeSourdsville Lake/Americana and Fantasy Farm Amusement Park. Proceeds from the amusement park books support a special fund dedicated to establishing historical displays at the Monroe Bicentennial Commons Park.

08/04/2026

That elusive historic cabin at Community Park will be open this week!

We will be hosting an open house at the Cabin on Thursday, August 6 AND Friday, August 7 from 5-8pm. Discover who was born in that cabin, see if you can find the dishwasher, or just imagine yourself living with this unique floor plan that you won't find anywhere else in town!

07/29/2026

Step Into America’s 250th Anniversary with the Monroe Historical Society August 1

Step into Monroe’s past and celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the Monroe Historical Society and visit the historic Log Cabin at Community Park and explore the downtown Monroe museums free of charge.

The Monroe Historical Society will host open houses at their main museum and the 1910 Building located at 10 E. Elm Street on Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with both self-guided and guided tours available. The historic Log Cabin located at Community Park will be open on Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The cabin features how life was in the early 1800’s when this cabin was originally constructed.

Other exhibits include:
· LeSourdsville Lake/Americana Amusement Park and Fantasy Farm Park
· Monroe’s first fire truck that went into commission in 1924
· 45-star U.S. flag last flown between 1896 and 1908
· Military Room honoring those residents that served our country
· Monroe National Bank/First Financial Bank
· Lemon Township/Monroe Schools
· Bob & Anna Hale Media Room
· Monroe Churches
· Butler County Canning Company
· The only U.S. exhibit dedicated to author Merle Constiner
· Lemon Township/Monroe First Responders
· Current and former clubs and civic organizations
· Genealogy Center
· Musgrove Beekeeping exhibit
· Historic Map Center
· Monroe/Lemon Township Local Artists Gallery
· 1969 Tornado
· Quilts & Crafts
· 1910 General Store

Uncle Freddy’s Den offers Monroe High School yearbooks, miniature Monroe buildings, and Monroe-related books, including the former LeSourdsville Lake/Americana and Fantasy Farm amusement parks. Young and old kids are invited to take their picture with Americana’s Uncle Freddy in the LeSourdsville Lake/Fantasy Farm room or with Lucky the Dog located in the 1910 Building.

For more information, visit http://www.MonroeOhHistoricalSociety.org, follow the MHS page, or email [email protected]

The Monroe Historical Society is an all-Volunteer Non-Profit 501©3 Organization and is headquartered at 12 Elm Street, Monroe, Ohio 45050.  The purpose of The Society is to discover, collect, preserve, and interpret for public education and enjoyment of historical information and artifacts conc...

07/07/2026

Roger Miller’s Contributions to Local History Will Be Missed

Roger Miller, a former Monroe Historical Society board member, died on July 5, 2026, at the age of 87. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Roger's family and friends.

Roger made local history at age 17 when he became the youngest person to obtain his pilot’s license while working at the Middletown Regional Airport (then Queen City Flying Service). Roger was featured in “The Middletonian”, the student newspaper at Middletown High School, describing his historic moment. The article recounted Roger flying a Cessna 140 that belonged to the flying club for his first solo flight as a pilot with the goal of going to Lexington and Louisville with Columbus, Indiana, as his destination. Unfortunately, he ended up in Bedford, Indiana, due to an incorrect compass heading and strong winds that blew the plane off course.
But Roger was undaunted and decided to fly to Interstate 70 because, he explains, “by going east I would come to places that I knew. It was not hard to find Middletown. Armco put out a nice red cloud of smoke that could be seen for miles.”

He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1957-1962 before starting a 30-year career at ARMCO that ended in retirement in 1995.
Roger became a well-known local historian and wrote three books for Arcadia Publishing. He co-authored “Images of America: Middletown, Ohio” with George Crout, a book that features more than 200 historic photos of the city and “Middletown; The Steel City”. He also authored “Middletown; Postcard and History Series.” For years, Miller was a long-time columnist for the Middletown Journal, where he penned numerous articles recounting the heritage of the Monroe and Butler County region. He also shared local history on WPFB-AM radio.

Roger was honored for his dedication in history preservation by the Butler County Historical Society and the Middletown Historical Society in 2015.

At the MidPointe Library in Middletown, Roger helped organize the George Crout collection. Roger has donated extensive collections of historic photographs, slides, and negatives that are now preserved in the MidPointe Digital Archives for public access. He belonged to several local historical societies and served on the boards of the Middletown and Monroe Historical Societies, contributing research, curation, and institutional knowledge.

Roger is survived by his wife of 37 years, Penny Miller; his children Lee (Patty) Miller and Jennifer McCray; stepdaughter Kelly (Scott) Williams; seven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and other family and friends. He will be entombed at Woodside Cemetery. In his honor, the Monroe Historical Society contributed to Ohio Living Village Hospice.

07/03/2026

Don't forget to visit one of our favorite business members this weekend for some great corn on the cob; Garver Family Farm Market.

07/03/2026

Here is a little gem to share over the holiday!