On a map, the Wisconsin cities of Montello and Monticello are separated by about one hundred miles. Looking at it another way, though, they are separated by just two letters. Apparently, letter writers and mail sorters frequently overlooked the presence or absence of the ic in the middle of the city name, causing delays in the delivery of cards, letters, packages, bills, and checks through the mail. In 1951, R. T. Wright, editor of the Montello Tribune, declared, “At least twenty times a week, we receive overdue letters marked ‘mis-sent to Monticello, Wis.’”
To end the confusion between the similar names, Wright suggested Monticello, a cheese-producing city, change its name to East Limburger. Clarence Wittenwyler, editor of the Monticello Messenger, countered that perhaps Montello, with its granite quarry, should be…
