Muncy High School - Canusarago Yearbook (Muncy, PA)

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Hail to Alma Mater dear, Spread her fame in accents clear, Shout her glory to the skies, Tell the praise of dear old Muncy May our hearts be ever true, To the colors White and Blue Muncy High School, here's to you, Hail to Alma Mater, Hail. 4-

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MEANING OF CAN SARAGO Canusarago,' was an aboriginal name for what is now called Muncy Creek and is the earliest name preserved and handed down to us on good authority. In 1737, Conrad Weiser, the celebrated Indian interpreter and guide, reported this name as it was pronouncd by the Indians of his generation. In proper interpretation of the syllables of the Iroquoian dialect, he had the assistance of the Iroquois chief, Shikellimy, who was with him at the time. Weiser's journal was written in German and later translated by Dr. Muhlenburg, a man of great learning and knowledge of Indian languages. It then found its way into Schoolcraft's great Work and throughout its many editions, the spelling of Canusarago still conforms to that given above. In 1755, Weiser again passed this way and upon reaching the mouth of what is now Muncy Creek, he again calls it Canusarago and writes in his journal: And as we passed Canusarago, where a town now is, and again, speaking of the inhabitants, They are chiefly Showones fShawaneesj and Chickasaws. There are about 20 men in the town when they are all at home. Evidently upon his first visit, the village-site on the rock to the north of the Creek's mouth had been unoccupied. It was now tenanted by a mixed population from various roving tribes. While the name of this town in Weiser's day was Iroquoian Qindicating a previous outpost settlementj it doubtless was originally a Susquehannock town with a name now lost to us. The quotation above is dwelt upon as the term Canusarago, in the Iroquois lan- guage, signifies a Town on a Rock or a high place. Those acquainted with the character and lay of the land at the point will readily see the application of this description. The deduction is, that the Iroquoian town on this rocky height gave its own name to the creek. In 1768, the first surveys were made in the valley, at which time the beautiful name of Muncy was definitely attached, first to Muncy Manor, then to the Creek, to Samuel Wallis' plantation, to the Fort Muncy, to the Valley and lastly in 1826, to the present town of Muncy and the almost equally beautfiul name, Canusarago, was forgotten. It was not that there was anything in the name Muncy to characterize any of these except that a tribe of Indians called Muncies, Monseys, or more correctly Minsies, was found there, temporarily residing, at the time that the pioneers came. This was not their permanent home. They were here under the direction and orders of the powerful Iroquoian Confederacy. T. KENNETH Wooo, M.D. 3

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History of Muncy-Muncy Creek Grade and High School Lawrie and Green, of Harrisburg, were the architects chosen to erect our new school building. It was to have 30 classroom units, a slate roof gabled, a separate gym- nasium and auditorium to be of stone construction. The central division of the building was to house facilities for community activities such as the auditorium, the stage, the gymnasium and the central office. The east wing of the building was to house the elementary grades one to six-the primary school occupy- ing the first floor and che intermediate school the second floor. The west wing was planned to accommodate the junior-senior high school, grades 7 to 12, the junior high school occupying the lower floor and the senior high school the upper. The plans also contained a spacious library with work room set apart, a home economics laboratory, an industrial arts laboratory, a physics and chemistry laboratory, a biology laboratory, a kitchen, a cafeteria room, a gymnasium with balcony, and auditorium with stage, storage rooms, and activities room, a supply room, a health room, a teachers room, and an 0Hice with a vault, a double commercial room, a locker room for girls and one for boys, besides an adequate number of regular classrooms. The building contains S6 rooms, practically every enclosure that is entered by means of a door. The cornerstone was laid without ceremony on November 24, 1931. The building, which was begun in October, 1931, was completed ready for delivery to the hands of the Muncy School Association and the Muncy-Muncy Creek Joint School District on July 5, 1932. Lawrie and Green have once more submitted tentative plans for future additions to our building. These plans represent three separate additions. One on the west ent' of the building would include a vocational shop, a new shop for the agricultural boys program, a cafeteria, and four additional rooms on the second floor. The proposed addi- tion to the central part of the building would carry out the enlargement of the present gymnasium, and provide seating space for 1,000 spectators. The gymnasium would also have moving partitions that would allow girls' physical education classes, and boys' classes to be in session at the same time. The auditorium would be extended to the rear to provide for a community room primarily intended for Boy and Girl Scout meetings, and other groups of the community who have need of this type of meeting place. On the east end of the building the addition would provide for six additional elementary class rooms. These plans have been prepared by the architect not with a view of immediate construction but rather to be ready when the need arises for more space. 5