On May 23, 1823, the General Assembly incorporated this town and named it in honor of President James Monroe, but its roots reached back to Stratford, settled in 1639, from which it developed. About 1720, descendants of Stratford’s early proprietors, including farmers and millers, claimed shares in the North Division and brought their families to new homesites here. Residents organized the parish of Ripton in 1717 and the parish of North Stratford in 1744 to manage religious and educational affairs. In 1750, settlers in the northernmost hills of these two parishes petitioned for a winter parish; although unsuccessful then, their effort eventually led to the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Society of New Stratford in May, 1762. Seeking township status, New Stratford joined with Ripton in 1789 and separated from Stratford to form the town of Huntington. In 1823, after breaking from Huntington, New Stratford’s 1,522 inhabitants finally achieved independence with the creation of Monroe.