January 17 1929
A steel company headquartered in Youngstown Ohio publicly announced its’ decision to build a plant in Monroe. This company was known as Newton Steel. This decision was met with enthusiasm from local residents and businesses, fueled by their hopes for new jobs and economic growth. This project is estimated to cost $8 Million, and a future complex estimated to cost $60 Million is planned that will run from Mason Run to Lake Erie.

April 29 1929
Construction began in a marsh near the northern bank of the River Raisin. The marsh was drained and filled in. The city assisted by extending two roads; Detroit Avenue and Elm Avenue to the plant and pledged to build a bridge to make it accessible to nearby roads. Boat tours of the construction took place

The Newton Steel plant under construction

Filling in the marsh also proved to be problematic. The unstable marshland made travel to the construction site very difficult. The marsh was impassable through the early stages of construction. As a result materials and workers were transported to the plant by boat until the terrain could be stabilized. This greatly slowed progress and made building the facility more expensive. Until the land was stable railway lines could not be extended to the plant. To complicate matters further the city was not able to complete its promised bridge over Mason Run.

September 1929
The Stock market crashes. This is the 3rd crash in 1929, and marks the beginning of the Great Depression

December 18 1929
Republic Steel Corporation is formed from several companies that merged.