ably for Monkland, Ontario, because several nearby residents had formerly lived in the Canadian town.
MONMOUTH, Polk County. The town of Monmouth was named for Monmouth, Illinois. In 1852 a group of citizens of the Illinois community crossed the plains to Oregon, and after spending the first winter at Crowley, five miles north of Rickreall, settled in 1853 near the present site of Monmouth. Members of the party gave 640 acres of land on which to establish the town and a college under the auspices of the Christian Church. The place was surveyed in 1855 by T. H. Hutchinson. The money secured from the sale of lots was devoted to the building of the Christian college, which was known as Monmouth University. At a mass meeting the people selected Monmouth as the name of the new community, in honor of their old home. In 1856 mercantile buildings were erected. The first house was built in 1857. The post office was established February 25, 1859, with Joseph B. V. Butler first postmaster. In 1871, due to the influence of the church, the name of Monmouth University was changed to Christian College. The college underwent vicissitudes due to lack of funds, and was once offered to the state for a state university. In 1882 the Oregon legislature passed a bill creating the Oregon State Normal School at Monmouth, which absorbed the Christian College. The name of the school was later changed to the Oregon College of Education. For information about the names of Monmouth pioneers, see the Oregonian, August 13, 1916.
MONON LAKE, Jefferson County. This lake south of Olallie Butte was named by Forest Ranger Joe Graham. The name was selected because it had a pleasing sound.
MONROE, Benton County. The town Monroe was started in 1853 on the land of Joseph White, who had built a small sawmill in the neighborhood about 1850. The first post office in the vicinity was Starrs Point. Starrs Point was established April 22, 1852, and was a little north of the present site of Monroe. Starrs Point was named for George Starr who had a store nearby. The name Starrs Point was changed to Monroe on February 2, 1874, for James Monroe, fifth president of the United States. The first postmaster of Starrs Point was Samuel F. Starr.
MONTAGUE, Gilliam County. Montague, the name of a locality in Eightmile Canyon about eight miles southeast of Arlington, came from a local family. Montague was at the place where the Oregon Trail crossed this canyon three miles east of Shutler. Montague post office was established April 1, 1911, and was discontinued January 15, 1915. L. C. Montague was the postmaster.
MONTAVILLA, Multnomah County. Montavilla at one time was a separate post office, but is now a station of the Portland office. The name Montavilla is a contraction of Mount Tabor Villa. Mount Tabor Villa addition to the city of Portland was platted June 11, 1889. The name was cumbersome and the place was immediately known as Montavilla, and has been ever since. Besides being cumbersome the original name was more or less meaningless. Mount Tabor was taken from the nearby geographic feature. Villa is a Latin word, meaning a county-seat, or sometimes farm buildings. It is also used to refer to a detached suburban residence. The addition of Montavilla, platted July 13, 1904, was named long after the name Montavilla was applied to that part of Portland.
MONTE Rico RIDGE, Lane County. This ridge is in the southeast
