Monrovia: A Little Bit of California in Johnson County
Parts of a hidden community named Monrovia can still be found, tucked within the city limits of present day Shawnee. The community of Monrovia was started in 1908, when Remi Caenen sold 40 acres of land for $8,325 to James A. Rose, a real estate developer. Before moving to Kansas, Mr. Rose had lived in two California cities, Monrovia and Pasadena. When he plotted the land, he chose to commemorate his time in California by dividing the land into two district communities, Monrovia for the north tract and Pasadena to the south.
Over time, the name Pasadena was discontinued and the name Monrovia represented the entire community. In 1912, James Rose died and Remi Caenen bought back the land. The lot prices were reduced, ranging from $100.00 to $125.00 each. With this change in price, the land sold rapidly, starting a thriving community.
The settlement of Monrovia included a 40 acre tract of land bounded by 57th Street to the north, Halsey Street on the east, Johnson Drive to the south and Long Street to the west. Later, a 20 acre tract south of Johnson Drive was added and became home to several Monrovia businesses. Over the years a few of the commercial buildings have been replaced by newer buildings, but enough still stand to mark the place where Monrovia once flourished.
This little settlement also featured a note-worthy Johnson County landmark – the Caenen Castle, still standing at 12401 Johnson Drive (featured in the Spring 2003 Album.) At the time, Monrovia included amenities such as a garage, grocery stores, a park, a service station and a fire station. In 1956, Elizabeth Barnes, a noted local history columnist, wrote that “Monrovia today boasts quite a complete assortment of business concerns, selling merchandise and service of sufficient variety that, if the settlement should suddenly be cut off from the rest of the world by some catastrophe, it could survive comfortably for a time.” Although Monrovia survived for 52 years, the neighboring town of Shawnee was rapidly expanding. Despite some protests by local residents, the community of Monrovia was officially annexed by the City of Shawnee in 1960.
--ALBUM vol. 17, no. 4 (fall 2004)