Monroe Historical Society

08/20/2026

Ross Lumber & Monroe Lumber (part 3 of 3)

Before Ross Lumber there was another lumber company called Monroe, Lumber and Building Supply, dating back to the 1900 and passed down through generation of family members. The last person Thomas (Tom) Brown took it over in the late 1970s until the 1980s when he sold the business to Spear Bros in Washingtonville, NY.
The company it was a big red building with a sign that said “Monroe Lumber Co” was located behind the Highland Telephone Co. on Elm Street. Tom passed away in 2006.

Ross Lumber was a family-owned downtown fixture in Monroe, New York, it was established in 1952 by Bernard "Bernie" Ross operating for 50 years on Mill Pond Parkway before closing its lumber yard and hardware store in November 2003 due to heavy competition from the big-box retailers. Ross Lumber wasn’t a true meaning of a hardware store like Smith & Strebel it was more of a lumber and hardware store. Bernie Ross passed away in August 2002. Mr. Ross was very active in our community, he sponsored the Monroe-Washingtonian girl softball teams.

In doing the stories on our local hardware store is that we not only lost the business. We lost the personal touch that they brought to our community. The hellos, the greeting from everyone that worked in these stores. We have lost that human connection.
Our main street in our Villages, the small business that still operate in our villages still carry the heart of days gone by.
When walking down main street look at the buildings and you still see a hint of our history that is still there.

Still doing research on other business of old Monroe. What you you like to see?

07/31/2026

This is our next event: Please mark your calendars for our event on august 8th, 2006. at 11:00 a.m. located at 150 Franklin Ave. Monroe, NY. Speaker Paul Ellis-Graham will discuss the Military Engagements and Strategies of the Revolutionary War from 1775-1781.

07/27/2026

Smith & Strebel Hardware: (Part 2 of 3)

Smith & Strebel, Co-owned and operated by Coe Smith and George Strebel during the early-to-mid 20th century was a historic family-owned hardware store in Monroe, New York, it was established around the 1800s operating on Lake Street. The hardware store opened in 1926 across the street in a building now occupied by the now Plum House, a Japanese restaurant.
The current building opened in 1928, known for its creaky wood floors that served generations of local residents selling tools, nails, and supplies operating as a hardware, plumbing, and heating store, over the years, the owners tried new things to sustain the business. They sold gas from a pump in front of the store. Later they sold guns and Frigidaire appliances. As time passed the building would later see a new life as part of the downtown revitalization efforts on Lake street.
They opened on Lake Street in 1926 and permanently closed in December 2002 after 102 years in business. Driven by competition from big-box stores like Home Depot and post-9/11 economic had shifted and the store closed. Progress as we call has away of distorting thing that can never be replaced and Mom & Pop shops are one of those things. We loss that personal connection and we never get it back. The family dedicated their lives to serving Monroe..
Stanley Douglas Strebel Jr. (known as Doug Jr.), age 70, of Monroe, New York, passed away on Sunday, June 16, 2002, in Valhalla, New York. He was the longtime owner of the historic local hardware business Smith & Strebel in Monroe, which had been a community fixture for over a century. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951 during the Korean War.
Smith & Strebel is one of four downtown businesses that families have run for decades, passing from one generation to another. The others are Ross Lumber, Monroe Jewelers and Jules' Menswear.

07/23/2026

Monroe Hardware Stores: Part 1 of 3

Has anyone every though of the old hardware stores Monroe, New York and their history. We can’t live without a hardware store they are the foundation of what built America. This is the story of three hardware store. That helped build Monroe. The Town of Monroe was incorporated in 1799 and the Village of Monroe was incorporated on July 31, 1894 these dates are important to setting the foundation of the times and location of these stores. All three store were located on Lake Street in Monroe.

In 1897 Clarence Knight ran his hardware store for many years, the store was moved around the corner to Lake Street. On March 15, 1939 Clarence S. Knight transferred is holdings in the Clarence S. Knight Company, Inc. to George C. Rogers. In the early 1940’s, the building also housed a Chinese laundry, it burned down consuming the upstairs apartments in the blaze. In 1953, a brick building was built on the same location which would be the new home of the Monroe Post Office. The hardware store was only one facet of Knight’s prominence in Monroe.

This is part his obituary: MONROE, N. Y., Oct. 30 1944—Clarence S. Knight, president of the Citizens Bank of Monroe since it was organized in 1915, died today in Tuxedo Hospital after a brief illness. He was born seventy-six years ago in New Brunswick, N. J. Long active in Monroe town and village affairs, Mr. Knight served seven terms as Supervisor of the town from 1907 to 1923 and was President of the village from 1902 to 1904. He was Water Commissioner of the village from 1904 until 1941 and was a charter stockholder of the Citizens Bank. He retired from the plumbing business in 1938. Mr. Knight was a member of the Elks and of the Order of Odd Fellows.
There is so much to write about Mr. Knight what a amazing life.

07/22/2026

This is our latest video that can be found on our Monroe historical Society YouTube channel. This was our latest event that we held on the lawn of 150 Franklin avenue in Monroe. Speaker Paul Ellis Graham talked about the American Revolution. The first in a series of new lectures that will be presented as the months go by. In order to see the video you have to tap on video link that's on the picture.

07/07/2026

Join the Monroe Historical Society for an engaging present...

07/03/2026

From 1776 to this very day America has fought for our independence.
God bless America and a very happy 4th of July to one and all.🇺🇸

07/01/2026

Monroe And The Hudson valley: Crossroads Of The Revolution" has been posted on our YouTube channel!!

06/29/2026

Good afternoon Facebook followers, I've been trying for weeks to try to show a video from YouTube about the Monroe Historical Society.. I'm hoping this will work but I seem to get the whole YouTube experience. I just wanted to share this with everyone. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job at it. Thank you!! If you turn your phone sideways you'll only see the video about Monroe.

Welcome to the very first episode of our animated history series ex...

06/24/2026

Please mark your calendars for our event on July 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. located at 150 Franklin Ave, Monroe, NY, where Speaker Paul Ellis-Graham will discuss Reflections on America's Greatest Promise, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Paul Ellis-Graham