Monon, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Monon is a town in Monon Township
,
White County
, Indiana
, United States
. The population was 1,777 at the 2010 census.
, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,733 people, 642 households, and 437 families residing in the town. The population density
was 3,083.9 people per square mile (1,194.8/km²). There were 678 housing units at an average density of 1,206.5 per square mile (467.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.54% White, 0.75% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 12.46% from other races
, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.25% of the population.
There were 642 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,235, and the median income for a family was $36,759. Males had a median income of $26,188 versus $20,405 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,567. About 9.9% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.
) foretold the story of the town. The town would grow as the train company prospered, but once "The Monon" declined, so would the town's economy.
The town's name is derived from the names of two creeks nearby, the Big Monon and the Little Monon. The spelling of the name of the creeks was formerly Monong, a Potawatomi
word which one authority says meant "swift-running". In the 1940s, the town's name was used as a nickname for the railroad company, and in 1956 the company formally adopted it as its corporate name.http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/monon.html The first post office was established in 1838 under the name Monon,http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/chxiii.htm, and when the town was incorporated in 1879, it legally adopted the post office's name as the town's name.http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/chxxvi.htm
The town of Monon is situated on an important junction of different branches of the Monon trains. The northern division came into Monon and turned ninety degrees heading south to Lafayette
and Louisville, Kentucky
. Another line comes from Indianapolis
and turned east. Another line headed north to Michigan City
.http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/monon.html
In its heyday, the Monon Railroad had two train yards in Monon. The main yard was 11 tracks wide with a capacity for 270 cars. The South Yard was narrower, 5 tracks wide, but longer and had a 278-car capacity.
However, today, all passenger train services have closed, as has the line to Indianapolis and most of the line to Michigan City. The only trains through Monon now are a CSX Transportation
line from Maynard, Indiana to Lafayette and another on a portion of the old Michigan City line.http://pages.prodigy.net/bote_rail/Contents.html#Chicago
and Reynolds
) govern the three public schools in Monon: Monon Elementary and North White Junior-Senior High School.
The North White High School Indiana Academic Super Bowl teams set a state record in 2009 by being the third in history to qualify all six teams for state and the first in history to get five state championships and a runner-up all in the same year. The next year, North White had another good run with three state finalists. Two of those finalists were champions and one was runner-up.http://www.nwhite.k12.in.us/HSTeachers/kkiester/Academic%20Superbowl.htm
The town is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 421 and state road 16. US Highway 421 runs north to Michigan City and south to Indianapolis.
Through the efforts of the Monon Civic Preservation Society the business district of Monon was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Society maintains the historic Civic Center (originally the Arlington Hotel) and the Monon Railroad Caboose memorial park
Monon Township, White County, Indiana
Monon Township is one of twelve townships in White County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 3,272.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Monon Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Unincorporated towns:* Lee at Monon Township is...
,
White County
White County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,267 people, 9,727 households, and 7,090 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 12,083 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,777 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,733 people, 642 households, and 437 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,083.9 people per square mile (1,194.8/km²). There were 678 housing units at an average density of 1,206.5 per square mile (467.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.54% White, 0.75% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 12.46% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.25% of the population.
There were 642 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,235, and the median income for a family was $36,759. Males had a median income of $26,188 versus $20,405 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,567. About 9.9% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
The town of Monon was platted by James Brooks in 1853 as "New Bradford". This act by the president of the New Albany and Salem Railroad (predecessor of the Monon RailroadMonon Railroad
The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway from 1897–1956, operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana...
) foretold the story of the town. The town would grow as the train company prospered, but once "The Monon" declined, so would the town's economy.
The town's name is derived from the names of two creeks nearby, the Big Monon and the Little Monon. The spelling of the name of the creeks was formerly Monong, a Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
word which one authority says meant "swift-running". In the 1940s, the town's name was used as a nickname for the railroad company, and in 1956 the company formally adopted it as its corporate name.http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/monon.html The first post office was established in 1838 under the name Monon,http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/chxiii.htm, and when the town was incorporated in 1879, it legally adopted the post office's name as the town's name.http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/chxxvi.htm
The town of Monon is situated on an important junction of different branches of the Monon trains. The northern division came into Monon and turned ninety degrees heading south to Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
and Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Another line comes from Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and turned east. Another line headed north to Michigan City
Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
.http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/monon.html
In its heyday, the Monon Railroad had two train yards in Monon. The main yard was 11 tracks wide with a capacity for 270 cars. The South Yard was narrower, 5 tracks wide, but longer and had a 278-car capacity.
However, today, all passenger train services have closed, as has the line to Indianapolis and most of the line to Michigan City. The only trains through Monon now are a CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
line from Maynard, Indiana to Lafayette and another on a portion of the old Michigan City line.http://pages.prodigy.net/bote_rail/Contents.html#Chicago
Education
The North White School Corporation (which also serves BuffaloBuffalo, Indiana
Buffalo is a census-designated place in White County, Indiana, United States. The population was 672 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Buffalo is located at ....
and Reynolds
Reynolds, Indiana
Reynolds is a town in Honey Creek Township, White County, Indiana, United States. The population was 533 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Reynolds is located at ....
) govern the three public schools in Monon: Monon Elementary and North White Junior-Senior High School.
The North White High School Indiana Academic Super Bowl teams set a state record in 2009 by being the third in history to qualify all six teams for state and the first in history to get five state championships and a runner-up all in the same year. The next year, North White had another good run with three state finalists. Two of those finalists were champions and one was runner-up.http://www.nwhite.k12.in.us/HSTeachers/kkiester/Academic%20Superbowl.htm
Notable Sports History
North White High School "Vikings" football coach Jim Davis led the Vikings to an undefeated 14-0 season and class 1A football state championship in 1994 by defeating Sheridan High School 34-7 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Vikings were class 1A football state runner-up in 1998 under Davis.Monon Food Fest
The Monon Food Fest is held during the first Saturday in June every year. The Rail Citys Cruisers have a huge car show with awards given out for a wide range of classes. There is a wide variety of vendors there with both food and items for sale. There is also live entertainment and pony rides.Transportation
Monon was once a growing railroad town with a convergence of several railway lines carrying cargo and passengers throughout major parts of Indiana. The old 11-track yard is now just overgrown foundation.The town is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 421 and state road 16. US Highway 421 runs north to Michigan City and south to Indianapolis.
Future
The town is trying to pass plans that would include a new downtown area that they believe would attract more visitors and more people to live in the town.Through the efforts of the Monon Civic Preservation Society the business district of Monon was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Society maintains the historic Civic Center (originally the Arlington Hotel) and the Monon Railroad Caboose memorial park