Oto, Iowa

Oto is home to 146 people, a gas station, bar, post office, and grain elevator.
The gas station, the 31 Quick Stop, has a modern convenience store name but
an old-time feel. Weber’s Bar is in an old brick building on Washington Street
and the post office is in another. The town has two churches, the United Church
of Christ and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
The town's simple moniker comes from the name of a tribe of Native Americans
(sometimes spelled Otoe) that were closely aligned with the Iowa and Missouri
Indians. These three tribes comprised what is known as the Chiwere group of
Sioux Indians, the term referring to the common language the tribes shared.
Unfortunately, few if any native speakers of this language remain, though
scholars are attempting to record as much of the language for posterity as they
can.
Although it has an Indian name, Oto is overwhelmingly White (97%). There were
four residents at the time of the last census who claimed American Indian
ancestry, which, though a tiny number, still represented the second-largest
ethnic group in the community.