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Maple is an unincorporated community in Bailey County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 75 in 2000.
Contents
Map of Maple, TX 79344, USA
Geography
Maple is located at 33°50′55″N 102°53′55″W (33.8487040, -102.8985495). It is situated along FM 546 in southern Bailey County, approximately 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Muleshoe.
It lies at an elevation of 3875 feet (1181 m).
History
Named for early settler Maple Wilson, the community was established during the early 1920s. At that time, local ranches were subdivided into farms. A post office opened in 1926. By 1940, Maple had a population of approximately 600 with six businesses. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, the community slowly declined. In 1980, around 130 people lived in Maple. That figure had fallen to 75 by 2000.
Although it is unincorporated, Maple has a post office with the zip code of 79344.
Education
Since 2002, public education in the community of Maple has been provided by the Sudan Independent School District, which is based in the Lamb County city of Sudan. Prior to 2002, the Maple-based Three Way Independent School District served the community and surrounding areas.
The Three Way Independent School District was formed in May 1945 by the consolidation of Goodland Consolidated Independent School District No. 7, Watson Independent School District No. 10, and Wilson Independent County Line School District No. 14. Three Way School was built on a 20-acre (81,000 m2) parcel of land north of Maple. Over the years, several smaller districts - including Stegall (1946) and Bula (1975) – consolidated with Three Way. By the 1994-1995 school year, the district enrolled 127 students. That figure had fallen to 83 by 2001. Faced with declining enrollment and lower funding from the state, Three Way administrators decided that the district would have to consolidate with another larger school district by the start of the next school year. Three neighboring districts – Morton, Muleshoe, and Sudan – were considered for consolidation. A questionnaire was sent to Three Way ISD parents and registered voters to see which of the candidate districts was most favored. Sudan ISD was selected by approximately 57 percent of Three Way voters and 59 percent of Three Way parents. Both school boards approved the decision and the issue was put to a vote on February 2, 2002. In the election, Sudan ISD voters supported consolidation by a 190-1 margin. Of the 80 votes cast by Three Way ISD residents, 54 supported the measure with 26 opposed. The merger of Three Way ISD with Sudan became official on July 1, 2002.