October 10The early history of Oklahoma is replete with stories about a French family named Chouteau. Major Jean Pierre Chouteau and his half-brother, RenÉ Auguste, monopolized the fur trade with the Indians, and in 1796 Chouteau established the first permanent non-Indian settlement within the boundaries of what is now Oklahoma when he built a cabin to serve as a headquarters and trading post in Salina. Chouteau's birthday, October 10, became a legal holiday known as Oklahoma Historical Day in 1939, and a major annual celebration, also called Chouteau Day, is held in Salina each year, though it is no longer a state holiday.
CONTACTS:
Salina Chamber of Commerce
900 N. Saltwell St.
Salina, OK 74365
918-434-8181
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 699
AnnivHol-2000, p. 171