Monitor is a small unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Chelan County, Washington, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is situated along the Wenatchee River

Wenatchee River

The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington...

 about 8 miles upstream from its junction with the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 in the fertile Wenatchee Valley.

Monitor is part of the Wenatchee

Wenatchee, Washington

Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...

–East Wenatchee

East Wenatchee, Washington

East Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States along the northern banks of the Columbia River. The population at the 2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase over the 2000 census....

 Metropolitan Statistical Area

Wenatchee metropolitan area

The Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Washington, anchored by the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee...

.

The USPS

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 ZIP Code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 for Monitor is 98836. According to data from the 2000 census, the total population in the Monitor ZIP code was 342 persons. Monitor itself is not incorporated, and is not tracked by the Census.

History

Before the existence of Monitor, the area was known by settlers as Brown's Flat, named after Reuben Brown who settled there in 1885. In these days, the Wenatchee River formed the boundary between old Kittitas and Okanogan counties. At the site of Monitor a school was built to serve school districts on both sides of the river.

The Great Northern Railway passed through in 1892, causing little stir in the area but jump-starting the construction of the Peshastin irrigation ditch, which would bring water the area and make it a prime place for agriculture. Constructed piecemeal by local contractors and land-owners, the portion of the ditch dug through Monitor was by rancher James Weythman and the Brown Brothers. The ditch was completed in the early 1900's and local orchards thrived. Monitor emerged as an agricultural shipping point along the railroad and a small community grew around the warehouses. A post office was established in 1902 and the citizens chose to rename the community in honor of the Ironclad warship

Ironclad warship

An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...

 USS Monitor

USS Monitor

USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...

which fought for the Union

Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

 navy in the Battle of Hampton Roads

Battle of Hampton Roads

The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The town currently has a post office and several small businesses located along US 2, which bypasses Monitor on the north side of the Wenatchee River.