Source: Monrovia Legacy Project By Oliver Beckwith
At the Monrovia Historical Museum, I enjoy telling our guests the story of our city’s beginnings. I often share that the city’s 1887 incorporation story has something to do with saloons and the founders’ desire to get rid of them. The community began in May of 1886, and by the fall of 1887 Monrovia was growing quickly.
Saloons were allowed in Los Angeles County, thus they were allowed in
Monrovia. But some prominent citizens who opposed these “gin mills” found that they could ban saloons if Monrovia incorporated as a city. This is what happened in December of 1887 when the City of Monrovia was born. One outcome of that decision is that Monrovia is the fourth oldest city in Los Angeles County. Only Los Angeles (1850), Pasadena (June 1886), and Santa Monica (November 1886) are older.
At this point there is often lighthearted talk about saloons, and how Monrovians who wanted a drink would have to ride their horse to Arcadia or Duarte to get one. Today we have many places to consume alcoholic beverages in Monrovia, so why was it such a big deal back in 1887? Recently I’ve found something in William Newton Monroe’s autobiography that might give a hint at what was going on with the decision to ban alcohol sales. Other forces were at play at that time and these should be considered as well.
Before settling here William Monroe was busy building railroads for the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1883 Collis Huntington asked him to build a line in Southern Texas and into Mexico. In his autobiography, Monroe wrote about meeting the infamous saloon keeper “Judge” Roy Bean in Langtry Texas.
While employing 1500 men on the railroad, a number of his workers visited local saloons. Judge Roy Bean would serve his workers liquor and then arrest them for being drunk. Then he would ask railroad builders like Monroe to pay fines for their release. One night, Bean arrested eight workers along with some dance hall girls, and demanded payment from Monroe. According to Monroe,
“He put the men in jail, the girls in his office tent and tried them the next morning, fined them ten dollars each and the girls five. The judge sent for me to come and pay their fines. I said, ‘Judge, who got them drunk? I don’t drink and discharge every one that comes on my work drunk. Let the saloon keeper pay the fines.’ I rushed the work to get away from there…”
There is a difference between 19th century saloons and the places serving alcoholic beverages today. In California today, serving alcohol in food establishments or bars is strictly regulated by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. For example it is a crime for a bartender to serve alcohol to anyone who is obviously intoxicated. In the 1880’s there were no such laws. Serving more alcohol to drunk patrons was legal and profitable for the saloon keeper.
Stories of drunken men going home and endangering their wives and children were well known here. At the time there was a temperance movement led by the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). This was a national organization with more than 150,000 members, some of whom were settling in the Monrovia area.
The goal of the WCTU was to ban alcohol sales and return America to its family-centered roots. Men were the primary wage earners for their families, so having the family problems associated with the man of the house being drunk was tragic. These women could not vote but their influence was felt in homes and churches.
California had a Sunday business closure law, known as a “Blue Law,” in place which restricted saloons from operating on that day. But it was repealed in 1883, just 3 years before Monrovia was founded. By 1887 saloons began to appear on Myrtle Avenue and a local vigilance committee, led by William Monroe, would try to get them to leave. Usually they were successful.
Monrovia was a new settlement with lots of promise, if only the right type of settler could be found. Twenty miles away in Los Angeles saloons were abundant. Some of these establishments were reputable but many were not, and problems with public drunkenness, gambling, and dance hall girls were a regular feature of life in those neighborhoods. Although saloons were a lawful business, the founders did not want to attract the “wrong people” to the town.
By the Fall of 1887 there was trouble on Myrtle Avenue. A tough business owner named Burton opened his saloon there, and he kept firearms behind the bar to discourage the vigilance committee. The Planet newspaper reported an increase in crime and drunkenness. This encouraged city leaders to take the necessary steps to incorporate as a city.
December 8, 1887 was election day and 112 men voted (women did not have the right yet) on the question of incorporation. 109 were in favor, two abstained, and one voted no. Monrovia was officially incorporated as a city a week later. Other than organizational ordinances, the first order of business was to ban saloons and the sale of alcohol. Monrovia became a dry city, so Mr. Burton had to close shop and leave town. Monrovians who wanted to visit a saloon would have to visit Duarte or Arcadia.
The move to ban alcohol and its perceived social ills continued into the twentieth century. In 1919 the 18th Amendment was ratified, establishing a nationwide ban on alcohol sales. But instead of solving social ills, others were created. Organized crime controlled illegal alcohol sales, and an underground economy with bootleggers and speakeasies grew nationwide. The amendment was repealed in 1933.
Today many businesses in Monrovia serve alcoholic beverages and most patrons moderate their consumption. It’s interesting to see how attitudes have changed since the city began. If you would like to read more about Monrovia’s founding check out the sources below. Or you can visit us at the museum and ask me for a tour.
Sources:
~Richard Singer, 1887: A History of Early Monrovia (Monrovia, CA, 2020)
~Sandy Burud, book and translation, William Newton Monroe’s Life: In His Own Words (Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia, CA, 2025)
At this point there is often lighthearted talk about saloons, and how Monrovians who wanted a drink would have to ride their horse to Arcadia or Duarte to get one. Today we have many places to consume alcoholic beverages in Monrovia, so why was it such a big deal back in 1887? Recently I’ve found something in William Newton Monroe’s autobiography that might give a hint at what was going on with the decision to ban alcohol sales. Other forces were at play at that time and these should be considered as well.
Before settling here William Monroe was busy building railroads for the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1883 Collis Huntington asked him to build a line in Southern Texas and into Mexico. In his autobiography, Monroe wrote about meeting the infamous saloon keeper “Judge” Roy Bean in Langtry Texas.
While employing 1500 men on the railroad, a number of his workers visited local saloons. Judge Roy Bean would serve his workers liquor and then arrest them for being drunk. Then he would ask railroad builders like Monroe to pay fines for their release. One night, Bean arrested eight workers along with some dance hall girls, and demanded payment from Monroe. According to Monroe,
“He put the men in jail, the girls in his office tent and tried them the next morning, fined them ten dollars each and the girls five. The judge sent for me to come and pay their fines. I said, ‘Judge, who got them drunk? I don’t drink and discharge every one that comes on my work drunk. Let the saloon keeper pay the fines.’ I rushed the work to get away from there…”
There is a difference between 19th century saloons and the places serving alcoholic beverages today. In California today, serving alcohol in food establishments or bars is strictly regulated by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. For example it is a crime for a bartender to serve alcohol to anyone who is obviously intoxicated. In the 1880’s there were no such laws. Serving more alcohol to drunk patrons was legal and profitable for the saloon keeper.
Stories of drunken men going home and endangering their wives and children were well known here. At the time there was a temperance movement led by the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). This was a national organization with more than 150,000 members, some of whom were settling in the Monrovia area.
The goal of the WCTU was to ban alcohol sales and return America to its family-centered roots. Men were the primary wage earners for their families, so having the family problems associated with the man of the house being drunk was tragic. These women could not vote but their influence was felt in homes and churches.
California had a Sunday business closure law, known as a “Blue Law,” in place which restricted saloons from operating on that day. But it was repealed in 1883, just 3 years before Monrovia was founded. By 1887 saloons began to appear on Myrtle Avenue and a local vigilance committee, led by William Monroe, would try to get them to leave. Usually they were successful.
Monrovia was a new settlement with lots of promise, if only the right type of settler could be found. Twenty miles away in Los Angeles saloons were abundant. Some of these establishments were reputable but many were not, and problems with public drunkenness, gambling, and dance hall girls were a regular feature of life in those neighborhoods. Although saloons were a lawful business, the founders did not want to attract the “wrong people” to the town.
By the Fall of 1887 there was trouble on Myrtle Avenue. A tough business owner named Burton opened his saloon there, and he kept firearms behind the bar to discourage the vigilance committee. The Planet newspaper reported an increase in crime and drunkenness. This encouraged city leaders to take the necessary steps to incorporate as a city.
December 8, 1887 was election day and 112 men voted (women did not have the right yet) on the question of incorporation. 109 were in favor, two abstained, and one voted no. Monrovia was officially incorporated as a city a week later. Other than organizational ordinances, the first order of business was to ban saloons and the sale of alcohol. Monrovia became a dry city, so Mr. Burton had to close shop and leave town. Monrovians who wanted to visit a saloon would have to visit Duarte or Arcadia.
The move to ban alcohol and its perceived social ills continued into the twentieth century. In 1919 the 18th Amendment was ratified, establishing a nationwide ban on alcohol sales. But instead of solving social ills, others were created. Organized crime controlled illegal alcohol sales, and an underground economy with bootleggers and speakeasies grew nationwide. The amendment was repealed in 1933.
Today many businesses in Monrovia serve alcoholic beverages and most patrons moderate their consumption. It’s interesting to see how attitudes have changed since the city began. If you would like to read more about Monrovia’s founding check out the sources below. Or you can visit us at the museum and ask me for a tour.
Sources:
~Richard Singer, 1887: A History of Early Monrovia (Monrovia, CA, 2020)
~Sandy Burud, book and translation, William Newton Monroe’s Life: In His Own Words (Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia, CA, 2025)
RSS Feed