The Sunalta District – was almost the name given to Montclair.
In 1919, the Oakland Real Estate Board advertised in Oakland Tribune a “$50 cash Prize” to come up with a name for the area now called Montclair.
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The deadline was Jan 1, 1920.
On Jan 11, 1920, the Tribune reported receiving about 2000 suggestions and decided on Sunalta.
Sunalta Wins
![](https://i0.wp.com/abitofhistory.site/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/17212010_10208949626158762_2216246868929832375_o-383x1024.jpg?resize=383%2C1024&ssl=1)
C.S. Rice of Oakland proposed Sunalta.
But for some reason, they felt there was yet a better name.
They extended the contest until Feb 15, 1920.
I have yet to find out the winner of that contest. I assume someone came up with Montclair. Thank you!
With 2000 entries, there had to be something better than Sunalta.
What did they observe to name it Montclair? I remember the train used to run behind Montclair school as a kid, then went across Moutain Blvd where tennis courts now sit on a trestle, then behind village on west uphill side, crossed Snake Road with a bridge and then ran through Shepard Canyon where it went through tunnel out to Moraga and through Lafayette.
The only info I found was the paper and was very little. Some say it was named after Montclair New Jersey. Maybe it is because Montclair means “clear mountain” in French, I don’t know.