Toto, Indiana

Toto, Indiana
Unincorporated community
Depot in Toto, 1915
Toto Show map of Indiana Toto Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 41°15′33″N 86°41′54″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Starke
Township	Center
Elevation [1]	709 ft (216 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	46534
Area code	574
GNIS feature ID	444820[1]

Toto is an unincorporated community in Center Township, Starke County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1]

History

An old variant name of the community was called Rye.[2] The origin of the name Toto is obscure, but it could possibly be of Native American origin.[3]

A post office was established at Toto in 1855, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1907.[4]

Toto has a local reputation for an abundance of curio stores, giving it the moniker "Indiana's Bargain Capital".[5]

Toto has also been recognized for being the inspiration for the name of Dorothy's dog, Toto, in the Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, who resided for a time at nearby Bass Lake.[6]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Toto, Indiana
2. "USGS detail on Toto - Variant Citation". Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
3. Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. ...such as Ockley and Toto, are thought to be of Native American origins, but have uncertain origins.
4. "Starke County". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
5. Schwartz, Jim. "Indiana's Bargain Capital". Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
6. Potempa, Philip (April 15, 2020). "Here are some fun facts about northwest Indiana". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.