The Port of Monroe is one of the oldest ports on the Great Lakes. Established in 1932 after a general vote of the Monroe electorate, the Port was constructed in the late 1930s and 40s under a Public Works Administration grant and bonds backed by the Port Commission and Monroe Industry.
Cargoes at the Port include steel, sand, gravel, coal, paperboard, petroleum, coke and salt. Its storied past includes being home to the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. during winter lay-up in the early 20th century, storing over 10,000 Renault cars per year during the 1960s, and significant activity through the 1970s and 80s with Edison, North Star Steel and C. Reiss Coal. The Port of Monroe boasts a strategic location along the Great Lakes. Though it has received local recognition for its potential, the Port looks to capitalize on its strengths as a large land mass port with significant industry and multi-modal connectivity.