Maunie High School

Maunie (population 177) is located in Emma Township in eastern White County .  The village is located on the banks of the Wabash River , which forms the boundary with the state of Indiana .  The L & N railroad goes through Maunie, crossing the river there. The main roadway leading to Maunie is White County Highway 2.  The town is situated about 5 miles southeast of Carmi.

The following information is from the White County Rootsweb site, and other internet sources as noted;

The first settlers arrived in Emma Township around 1809, but the village of Maunie was not platted until 1892, near a small settlement known as Wabash Station.  Surveyor G. S. Sheridan and landowner John Pumphrey combined the names of their wives, Maude and Jennie, to give the town its unusual name.  The town thrived for a number of years, at one point reaching a population of about 450.

The great flood of 1937, which affected the Ohio and Wabash valleys, caused great damage in Maunie.  Farm Security Administration photographer Russell Lee visited Maunie that spring while documenting the devastation.  His photos ( and thousands of other Depression-era pictures) can be found at www.memory.loc.gov.

Maunie is known for its Indian mounds (the Wilson and Hubele sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places), and for the Maunie Fault Line, which has caused numerous earthquake tremors in the area.  Maunie at one time had a significant African-American population; these children apparently attended a segregated school in east Carmi.  The 2000 census indicates that Maunie had only 3 African-American residents by that time.

On January 18, 1929, a school-related tragedy struck Maunie.  A tornado passed through town, damaging the school and killing two students (ages unknown).

From a few bits of information on the internet, we can determine that Maunie had a high school (probably 3-year) from at least 1929 through 1944.  We know that country musician Morris “Sleepy” Marlin, a 5-time national fiddle champion, attended Maunie High from 1929 to 1931, then graduated from Carmi High School .

We can assume that Maunie High closed by the late 1940’s, along with virtually all other 2 and 3-year high schools.  The elementary school continued for a number of years, with an enrollment of 87 students being noted during the 1957 school year.

Maunie students today attend Carmi ( White County ) schools.  More information and building photos are needed for Maunie High School .  The fate of the Maunie school buildings is also being sought.