TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — What's in a name? Plenty when it comes to a new subdivision being built in Vail.
"Those people laid the foundation for the Vail that we have today," said JJ Lamb, CEO of the Vail Preservation Society. "So, we want to honor, always honor their stories."
Lamb's passion is telling the stories of the people who laid the foundation of Vail. A new KB Home community near Cienega High School is doing just that with its street names.
"It's kind of exciting to actually be the one who influences and really has a lot to do with the naming of the streets in the area," explained award-winning historian David Leighton.
Leighton's tireless research led to the theme of Vail Veterans Street Names, including Leonard Wagner Drive. A pioneer homesteader in Southern Arizona, Wagner arrived in what is now the Vail area in 1900.
"He had a pretty big homestead, said Leighton. "This is about the last piece that's not developed, but yes, this was part of his homestead."
"It means a lot, it means a lot," said Ed Wagner. "We are a very large and very close family."
Ed Wagner is the great-grandson of Leonard Wagner. Many of his family members, along with family members of the other veterans being honored with a street name, attended a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.
One of the most well-known street names is Audie Murphy Drive.
"Audie Murphy for a couple of years owned a ranch out here," Leighton said. "So he was a part of the community out here. Most people know him as the Hollywood movie star leading man in many movies. He also filmed at Old Tucson Studios at least, I think, two movies that I know of. He was, I believe, the most highly-decorated World War II veteran of all-time."
Maybe the most recognizable name in the new subdivision is that of Oscar Monthan.
"It's great to see him honored here as well," said Leslie Monthan. Oscar was Leslie's great uncle.
"The Monthan name, although it's attached to the air base, not many people know about it," Monthan said. "People just go David Monthan, some guy named Davis Monthan. But it was two men."
Oscar Monthan was one of four boys who moved with his family from England to Canada.
By 1900, they headed to Arizona by wagon, first establishing the Monthan family ranch along the Tanque Verde River.
In 1915, they purchased a ranch in Vail along the Cienega Creek.
When World War I broke out, Oscar Monthan became a flight instructor. After the war, he continued as an instructor of the Martin bomber in Hawaii.
"He was on a training flight with a student pilot and they crashed at Ford Island," said Leslie Monthan. "He was killed. That was 1924."
Three years later, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh flew his Spirit of St Louis to Tucson to dedicate the new airfield named for war heroes Samuel Davis and Oscar Monthan.
"And that was the launching of my father's pilot career because he was 6 years old at that dedication," explained Leslie. "You can still see him in the footage because he's the little boy all in white. He said, 'I think that's when the idea was planted,' and he became a Navy fighter pilot and test pilot."
One final note on the Monthans. We've been mispronouncing the last name all along. It is actually Mon-tan.
"The secret to Mon-tan, as my dad first pronounced it, is that it was a Swedish spelling of a French name," Leslie said.
After retiring from the military, Leslie's father moved back home to Tucson and decided it was not worth correcting people about the pronunciation.
"He said, 'I just gave up,'" said Leslie. "Too many people know it as Monthan. You look at it and that's what you want to say. That's what I say, too."
What's in a name? Plenty, when you're honoring the Absolutely Arizona history of these special veterans in Vail.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
