Historically Speaking: Origins of Monticello’s longtime Redmen name
This is Part 10 of a series marking 170 years since Monticello’s first school opened Sept. 15, 1856. Recent installments followed the school’s growth during the early 20th century and the major expansion approved by voters in 1928. Around this same period, another part of Monticello school history was beginning to take shape — the longtime Redmen name used by the district’s athletic teams. One story about the name’s origins was recalled by Maurice “Mac” Murray, a member of the Class of 1949 and one of Monticello’s oldest living graduates, as well as other graduates of the “Fabulous ’40s.” According to that recollection, Monticello’s teams became known as the Redmen because of coach Walter “Red” John Sochacki. Sochacki, who lived from 1910 to 1997, became a coach and history teacher in Monticello at the beginning of the 1934 school year, shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota. His first mention here appeared in the Aug. 30, 1934, issue of the Wright County Times. Under the story passed down by former students, Sochacki’s players became known as “Red’s men,” eventually giving rise to the Redmen name. By the Feb. 28, 1935, issue of the Times, “Redmen” was appearing regularly in
