Monroe Creek

Context , The creek owes its name to descendants of Andrew Monroe, the first Monroe to settle here in 1648 (five years before the formation of Westmoreland County). Over time the family assembled landholdings of over 900 acres. Monroe Creek is rich in both hisotry and ecological value. Part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the creek flows in a sinuous manner southeast to Monroe Bay, wehre its waters empty into the Potomac River, and thence downstream into the Chesapeake Bay. Its journey and habitat transitions from fresh water, to brackish water, and finally to saltwater. The creek affords scenic beauty, wildlife value, and easily navigable waters important throughout its history to the present day.

History and Significance , Prior to European settlement, the lands along Monroe Creek were frequented by Native American peoples who relied heavily on area waters for food. Nomadicc Indian villages settled near Monroe Creek each spring in time for oyster harvests, raking oysters at low tide into baskets. Once the seasonal shellfish supply was exhausted, the village would move on seeking a fresh supply of food. This annual cycle of hunting, foraging, and gathering raw materials necessary for daily life continued until the advent of more locally based agricultural advances.

John Smith's June 1608 expedition to what is today called the Potomac River was the first European exploration of local waterways. The years that followed saw growing European settlement, prompting both trade and conflict between the Europeans and the Matchotics, a Native American people under the Powhatan chiefdom that encompassed much of Virginia's lower coastal plain. With the formation of Northumherland County (1648), later Westmoreland County (1653), this area began to see increased English settlement as it was convenient to transport routes south toward the Chesapeake's shipping ports. Tobacco and other cash crops were sent down river for transport to Europe.

By the time Spence Monroe occupied these lands during the middle to late 18th century, the property's location along Monroe Creek would have been considered promising, but quite modest by the standards of the region's landed gentry. By this time nearly all land, save for a few woodlots and orchards, had been cleared and was in active agricultural production, with open views to the creek and a dock for transporting goods down river.

Monroe Creek Today , Today Monroe Creek is treasured as both valued habitat to many fish, water fowl, and migratory birds, and for the creek's recreational potential for all levels of recreational paddlers. Westmoreland County's Monroe Bay, Monroe Creek Water Trail extends from a modest canoe and kayak launch roughly 2.0 miles east to Monroe Bay, and a total 8.1-mile loop.