This was born Morton Street on the 1887 Ivanhoe tract; since most of the tract’s streets were inspired by the life and works of Scottish author Sir Walter Scott, “Morton” probably referred to Henry Morton, the hero of Scott’s 1816 novel Old Mortality. In 1912, to avoid confusion with Echo Park’s Morton Avenue, the City changed Morton Street to Monon Street. I assume someone figured “Monon” was close enough to “Morton” and that was that. The source of the new name was most likely Monon, Indiana and/or that state’s Monon Railroad – but whether any homesick Hoosiers were consulted, I cannot say.
Find it on the map:
