Monroe Bank & Trust was founded nearly 142 years ago when Benjamin Dansard and Louis Lafountain opened for business in the back of the Dansard store. Even then, the goal of the bank was the same as it is today, to help residents of Monroe County and surrounding areas, manage their money and save for a better future. In 1859, one year after opening, Dansard brought his eldest son Joseph into the business and began operations as the Dansard & Son Bank. They moved their location to the Sterling Exchange at Washington and Front streets, the bank's permanent location for the next one hundred and forty years.