Monroe County Labor History Museum - Monroe

It is the mission of the Monroe County Labor Museum to provide a facility open to the public for the purpose of the following:
1. Preservation and display of local, regional and national labor history for present and future generations to view.
2. Provide a venue for a youth outreach program that educates our youth about labor's past history and present cause.
3. Provide an area for organized labor and the public to gather which will be immersed with labor history.

The museum is currently undergoing renovation, but still has a exhibit on the first floor covering many labor events in Michigan in the last century.

McGeady's Town Pub in Monroe

McGeady's has been around so long that even General Custer frequented the place! We were told he had his last drink here before heading out to his infamous last stand. We thoroughly enjoyed the rustic Irish surroundings and the friendly waitstaff and yes!--they serve Michigan local brews. Located on Monroe Street, they offer three levels for gatherings, parties and a dance floor as well as homemade soups, hamburgers and sandwiches, steaks and pasta, too. The hand-painted mural up above highlights the historical buildings downtown and of course, the statue of Custer, which we've mentioned before here.

Sterling State Park

Sterling is the only Michigan State Park on Lake Erie. Located in Monroe, the views on the 1300 acres are beautiful year round. They have 200+ camping sights and nature trails. We saw some hardy men fishing on the ice. Can you imagine picnicking here in the summer? How about joining the muskrat run tomorrow?

Custer's Centennial in Monroe

Monroe is celebrating the 100th birthday of the unveiling of their General George A. Custer statue this year! We were able to stand and admire him under sunny blue skies this past weekend. Monroe is a beautiful old-timey town with the Raisin River flowing through it and pedestrian bridges to meander over. They also have lots of quaint shops and an Irish pub called McGeady's where supposedly George had his last drink before heading out to the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Monroe's Vietnam War Memorial

This stark living memorial is dedicated to the men and women of Monroe County who served in the Vietnam War. The pink and black granite marker honors all 55 men killed in action and the one still MIA from this area. The park is named for Captain Norman (Rusty) W. Heck, Jr. who was the first to be killed in the war on Dec 8, 1964. The Huey helicopter was added later, serving multiple missions in Vietnam where it received 6 bullet holes that were repaired while it was there.

Blue Nuns Go Green

The IHM Motherhouse was built in 1932 in Monroe. The initials refer to the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The building's renovation in 2006 earned the coveted LEED Certification. We had a fabulous tour this month where we learned about the order, the campus, geo-thermal heating and cooling, organic gardening, native woodland, green burials, the labyrinth, water conservation and more. Many thanks to our wonderful docent Sr. Suzanne Sattler. The nuns here used to wear the traditional blue habits, which the media cleverly transformed into "Blue Nuns Go Green".

Navarre-Anderson Trading Post

This is Michigan's oldest residence, built in 1789, tucked away down in Monroe. We learned from the historical society there that it is built with joined timbers and is the best example of French colonial architecture. The Navarre family built it originally as a depot for their fur trading business, but converted it into their residence a few years later. It's filled with memorabilia from the 1700 and 1800's. Did you know Monroe used to be called Frenchtown from 1785-1817? Oui oui!