Death of Pioneer Locomotive Engineer

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Howard Courant
May 17, 1928


Burt Monroe Brought First Passenger Train Into Howard

Geo. H. Craner of Moline, received a wire from Argentine on Tuesday of last week, that Bert Monroe, the veteran locomotive engineer, had died Monday morning, May 7.

Bert Monroe was for a great many years a locomotive engineer on the A. T. & S. F. road, and in December 1879, brought the first train carrying passengers into Howard on the Howard branch.  The construction train first entering the Howard townsite a few days before was brought in by an engineer named Puffer.  Monroe continued in regular duty on the Howard Branch until he retired on a pension fifteen or twenty years ago.   The Monroe family lived in Howard for five or six years, from 1879 till the road was extended to Moline, when they removed to that city.  Soon after he retired from active engineering, the family removed to Argentine.

"Old Bert" Monroe is most kindly remembered by many readers of this paper.  He was twice married, his second wife and several children surviving him.