The main entrances to Choteau are graced with beautiful silhouette sculptures which are also the town's welcome signs. Each of the signs was likely cut from a single sheet of steel using a plasma cutter (meaning that they are relatively new) revealing various aspects of the town's heritage, most particularly its farming and ranching heritage. Since the arrival of the first settlers in the late 1870s this has been farming country, which it remains today.
The motto
In the Valley of the Teton relates to Choteau's being in the valley in Teton County. The actual, and better known,
Teton Valley is well south and west of here, in southeastern Idaho. This welcome sign is at the southwestern entrance to Choteau.
Google Maps street view tells us that this sign was erected after April, 2011.
The seat of Teton County (there is actually a Choteau County in Montana, but somehow they were unable to get Choteau County and Choteau, the town, to coincide), Choteau is a small city of about, 1,700. It lies in a grain growing area about 20 miles (32 km) east of the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. This is evidenced by the two elevators in the town, the larger former General Mills elevator capable of storing 432,000 bushels of grain. Choteau is named for French fur-trader and explorer
Pierre Chouteau, Jr., also the namesake of the aforementioned Chouteau County.
Choteau's first post office arrived in the town from a fort and Indian agency, known as
The Old Agency, 3 miles north of Choteau, in 1879. The post office was named
Choteau in 1882. The Postmaster changed it to
Chouteau in 1903 but changed it back to
Choteau when the city incorporated as
Choteau in October 1913. The town is now being served by its seventh post office, opened December 30, 1965.
Choteau's
Teton County Courthouse, a large 2½ story building of locally quarried stone, with a 3½ story tower centered on its front elevation, is a very impressive building for a "small county" courthouse. Teton County's population presently stands at just over 6,000.
Given that Choteau is near one of the most important paleontological sites in the world,
Egg Mountain, Choteau's
Old Trail Museum has many displays relating to paleontology, catching the eye of travelers with three quite noticeable near-life-size dinosaur statues outside.
This is how A.B. Guthrie described the town of Choteau in the March 25, 1909 issue of the Choteau Acantha.
Choteau (pronounced Show-toe) has a population of about 500. It is the county seat of Teton County. It has electric light and telephone systems. It has one private bank, and the new Citizens State Bank will open April 1. It is the seat of the Teton County Free High School, with a faculty of three instructors, and thorough course of study, and housed in its own building. It has a thoroughly good and up-to-date system of public schools, and one of the best stone school buildings in the state.
It has four churches actively at work with organizations, two church buildings and another in prospect. It has many pretty homes with modern improvements. Its growth is steady and healthful keeping pace with that of the surrounding country. It has the following lodges: Masonic, Odd Fellows, knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, Rebekahs, Eastern Star, and Women of Woodcraft.
It has two up-to-date, roomy hotels, and two restaurants. It has two large public halls. It has five mercantile establishments, two millinery stores, a garage, a repair shop, three blacksmith shops, two barbers, three livery barns, a flour mill, a harness shop, a meat market, a drug store, and a newspaper. It has three handsome public buildings in the County Court house, Public school and high school.
It has, if the worst comes to the worst, an undertaker. It has a tributary territory of untold richness of resources.
It has good prospects for a railroad. It is Montana’s best inland town.
Guthrie continued his account in the April 1, 1909 issue of the Choteau Acantha.
Choteau has as beautiful and suitable a site as any town could ask. It has an abundant supply of fine water for domestic purposes. It has streets, yards, and gardens that are remarkable for their shade trees. It has the Teton river on one side and Spring creek in the other, affording abundant drainage.
It has three auxiliary church societies, social and charitable in nature, all active. It has other similar organizations, including a club for young men and one for young women. It has four lawyers. It has a well equipped steam laundry. It has a hearty welcome in store for all who will come and cast in their lot with its people. It has unexcelled qualifications as a place for homes.
From Roots Web