Monon, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monon, Indiana
Town
The Monon Commercial Historic District on Route 421 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Location of Monon in White County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	White
Township	Monon
Area
• Total	0.89 sq mi (2.29 km2)
• Land	0.89 sq mi (2.29 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	679 ft (207 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,919
• Density	2,168.36/sq mi (836.99/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47959
Area code(s)	219
FIPS code	18-50148
GNIS feature ID	2396770
Website	townofmonon.com

Monon is a small town in White County, Indiana, located in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is part of Monon Township. In 2010, the town had a population of 1,777 people.

History of Monon

The Monon Connection Museum north of the town.

The town of Monon was first planned in 1853 by James Brooks. He called it "New Bradford." Brooks was the president of the New Albany and Salem Railroad, which later became the famous Monon Railroad. The town's growth was closely tied to the success of this train company. When the railroad did well, so did Monon. But when the railroad started to decline, the town's economy also faced challenges.

What's in a Name?

The name "Monon" comes from two nearby creeks, the Big Monon and the Little Monon. The original spelling of the creeks' name was "Monong." This word comes from the Potawatomi language and means "swift-running." In the 1840s, people started using "Monon" as a nickname for the railroad company. By 1856, the company officially adopted it as its name. The town's first post office opened in 1838 with the name Monon. When the town officially became a town in 1879, it took on the post office's name.

Monon and the Railroad

Monon was a very important spot for the Monon Railroad because several train lines met there. One line came into Monon and then turned south towards Lafayette and Louisville, Kentucky. Another line came from Indianapolis and turned east. There was also a line that went north to Michigan City.

When the Monon Railroad was at its busiest, it had two large train yards in Monon. The main yard had 11 tracks and could hold 270 train cars. The South Yard was smaller, with 5 tracks, but it was longer and could hold 278 cars.

Today, there are no longer passenger train services in Monon. The line to Indianapolis and most of the line to Michigan City are now closed. The only trains that pass through Monon now are a CSX Transportation line from Maynard, Indiana to Lafayette and a small part of the old Michigan City line.

Local Achievements and Preservation

The Monon post office has been serving the community since 1849.

In sports, the North White High School Vikings football team, led by coach Jim Davis, had an amazing season in 1994. They won the class 1A football state championship with a perfect 14–0 record. They beat Sheridan High School 34–7 in Indianapolis. The Vikings were also state runner-up in 1998 under Coach Davis.

The town is working on plans to create a new downtown area. They hope this will bring more visitors and encourage more people to live in Monon.

Thanks to the efforts of the Monon Civic Preservation Society, the Monon Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This society helps take care of important historic buildings like the Civic Center (which used to be the Arlington Hotel), the Monon Theater, and the Monon Railroad Caboose Memorial Park.

Geography of Monon

Monon is located on U.S. Route 421. It is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Lafayette. According to the 2010 census, Monon covers a total area of 0.56 square miles (1.45 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

Population and People

Monon's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,777 people living in Monon. These people lived in 600 households, and 420 of those were families. The town had about 3,173 people per square mile (1,225 people per square kilometer).

About 77% of the people in Monon were White. About 19% were from other races, and nearly 3% were from two or more races. About 28% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Monon was 31.8 years old. About 33% of residents were under 18 years old, and about 12% were 65 years or older.

Arts and Culture

Monon Food Fest

The Monon Food Fest is a fun event held every year on the first Saturday in June. It features a big car show and many different vendors selling food and other items. There is also live entertainment and pony rides for everyone to enjoy.

Education in Monon

The North White School Corporation manages the public schools in Monon. This school district also serves the nearby towns of Buffalo and Reynolds. The three public schools in Monon are North White Primary, North White Intermediate, and North White Junior-Senior High School.

Academic Success

The North White High School Indiana Academic Super Bowl teams achieved a state record in 2009. They were the third school in history to have all six of their teams qualify for the state competition. Even more impressively, they were the first school ever to win five state championships and have one runner-up team all in the same year! The next year, North White continued its success with three teams making it to the state finals. Two of those teams won championships, and one was a runner-up.

The town also has a public library called the Monon Town & Township Public Library, where people can borrow books and other materials.

Transportation

Monon was once a busy railroad town where many train lines met to carry goods and passengers across Indiana. The old 11-track train yard is now mostly overgrown.

The town is located where U.S. Highway 421 and State Road 16 cross. US 421 goes north to Michigan City and south to Indianapolis.

See also

In Spanish: Monon (Indiana) para niños