Lolo Chouteau, who has been successfully identified with the agricultural and stock raising interests of Nowata county for many years, is now residing on his well improved farm of two hundred and thirty acres, two and one quarter miles east of Lenapah. A native of Kansas, he was born in Johnson county on the 9th of November, 1849, a son of Frederick and Matilda Chouteau. The Chouteau family was founded in America by Rene Auguste Chouteau, who came from France in 1718 and settled in New Orleans. His son, Rene Auguste Chouteau, Jr., was one of the founders of St. Louis. Frederick Chouteau was born there, a son of Pierre Chouteau.
He removed to Kansas, where he engaged in farming with substantial success. His wife was of Shawnee extraction and to them were born three sons, who are still living Lolo, whose name initiates this review; Fred, who is an artist living in Kansas City; and Peter, a resident of Oakland, California. The mother died when Lolo was an infant.
In the acquirement of an, education, Lolo Chouteau attended the common schools of Johnson county, Kansas, until he was eighteen years of age.
At that time, putting his textbooks aside, he engaged in farming with his father and remained active in that connection until 1871. In that year he determined to start out into life on his own account, with the result that he came to Indian Territory and located east of Chetopa, Labette County, Kansas. He resided there but a short time, however, and then removed to within a mile and a half of his present home. There he engaged in farming for ten years and soon after his marriage moved on his present place of two hundred and thirty acres, two and one quarter miles east of Lenapah. Mr. Chouteau not only raises wheat, corn and alfalfa, but sheep, cattle and horses, and he likewise has a good family orchard of mixed fruits. Mr. Chouteau has also gained distinction as an apiarist.
His farm is fine bottom land on the Verdigris river and has been brought to its present state of high cultivation through the untiring efforts of its present owner. The farm boasts of a modern two-story dwelling and fine outbuildings and is one of the show places of the surrounding community.
In 1885 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Chouteau and Miss Ada Dodge, a daughter of Albro Dodge of Nova Scotia. To their union four children have been born: Charles, thirty-five years of age, who married Mattie Cloud and has four children, Woodrow, Winona, Jesse and Frank; Mary F., now the wife of Allen Webster and the mother of two children, Francis and Irene; Catherine M., who is a bookkeeper, music teacher and school teacher; and Arthur D., who is assisting his father in the cultivation of the home farm.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Christian church and fraternally Mr. Chouteau is identified with the Masons and the Woodmen of the World. Since attaining his majority he has given his support to the Democratic Party, having firm belief in its principles as factors in good government. Mr. Chouteau is alive to the duties and responsibilities as well as the privileges of citizenship, and his aid may always be counted upon in the furtherance of any movement for the development and improvement of the general welfare.
