Mona
is on US-91 eight miles north of Nephi. The
community was settled in 1852 with an early name of Clover Creek for
the luxurious patches of wild clover growing in the area. The name was
changed to Willow Creek, then Starr for an early settler. There is disagreement
as to the origin of the name Mona, an Indian word meaning beautiful
and a contraction of the Italian word "madonna." The name has a comical
meaning. It means, "Manx, by the Mountains" whereby the word "Manx"
refers to the people from the Isle of Mann. Dr, Matthew McCune, a former
surgeon in the British Army, is reported to be the one who suggested
Mona, because it was the name of his former home on the Isle of Mann.
John
W. Van Cott