Named for President James, Monroe, Monroe County was created on April 1 1836 from parts of Northampton and Pike counties. The county seat, Stroudsburg, was named in 1837, for prominent settler Jacob Stroud. The region’s first industries grew out of its natural resources: wood was plentiful, and sawmills were built. Quarries yielded flagstones, slate and sand. Tanneries, gristmills, and factories thrived. Eventually towns grew around these industries. As the population grew, so did transportation systems, and by 1857 wagons gave way to rail travel. In 1900, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad ran a new, fast train called the “Phoebe Snow” to the Poconos from New York, cementing the region’s fame and future as both home and travel destination; for the past 100 years, the natural beauty of Monroe County has drawn both settlers and tourists. The Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware Water Gap attracts visitors in every season. The area thrives on both winter skiing and summer hiking, and its status as a first class weekend getaway destination has earned it the moniker ‘Honeymoon Capital of the World.”