On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Monroe Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #127 of 593 in Indiana. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Monroe Township’s overall grade.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Monroe Township’s 75.3 sits above most of its state (79% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 26 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Monroe Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Monroe Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Monroe Township is one of eleven townships in Randolph County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,459 (down from 3,711 at 2010) and it contained 1,577 housing units. Monroe Township was established before 1851.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 3,711 to 3,459 (-7%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Monroe Township in 1882
Passages that mention Monroe Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Randolph County Indiana1882 · page 496Read the page →
Read the text
A large part of these entries had been made in advance of settlement in Monroe Township. Only eight entries or 440 acres had been made, as stated inthe history of Monroe Township, up to June, 1835, while forty-four entries to 2,560 acres had been effected in Green Township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Randolph County Indiana1882 · page 41Read the page →
Read the text
The first settler in Green Township may have been Martin Boots. His entry was made August 18, 1832, six entries being The first settler in Monroe Township was perhaps John Rody. At least, he entered the first land April 10, 1833, one mile south of Morristown.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Monroe Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952Farmland sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Monroe Township.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 26 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
26
each building in a district counts
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Monroe Township
Nobody well known was born in Monroe Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Monroe Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #127 of 593 in Indiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Monroe Township?
25% of Monroe Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1967.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
