History

The Story Behind Elmonica

Have you ever wondered where the name Elmonica comes from?

To discover the answer, we have to travel back more than 100 years.

In 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway was expanding through what is now the Beaverton area. As plans were being made for the new rail line, a station was built on property owned by Samuel B. Stoy. The station needed a name, and Stoy had an idea. Instead of choosing a location name, the station would be named after his two daughters, Eleanor and Monica. The railroad combined their names to create a brand-new word: Elmonica. 

What began as the name of a small railroad station soon became the name of the surrounding community. Families settled in the area, businesses opened, and over time the name Elmonica became woven into the identity of the neighborhood. 

More than seven decades later, Elmonica Elementary School opened in 1981, carrying forward the name and history of the community it serves.

Today, thousands of students have passed through the doors of Elmonica Elementary, learning, growing, and creating their own stories. While our school is much newer than the railroad station that inspired its name, we are connected to a piece of local history that began with two sisters, a father, and a train stop in rural Washington County.

So the next time someone asks, "What does Elmonica mean?" you'll know the answer:

Elmonica = Eleanor + Monica

A simple combination of two names that became a station, a community, and eventually a school where generations of students have learned and belonged. 

---

Sources

• Historical accounts of the Elmonica community and Oregon Electric Railway station naming. [en.wikipedia.org],