Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== A History of the Northern Peninsula and its People, Vol. 2 Alvah Littlefield Sawyer, 1911 [731-733] CHARLES A. OTTO. - Among the industrious and much respected citi- zens of Iron River CHARLES A. OTTO holds a position of note. A son of CHARLES A. OTTO, SR., he was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 20, 1856. His grandfather, JOHN OTTO, a native of Prussia, served his time in the Prussian army and was afterwards employed as a shepherd in his native land, living there until 1839. Joining then a colony con- sisting of sixty-two families, he emigrated to America, bringing his wife and children. These colonists were all Lutherans and were accom- panied by their pastor. They spent about two years in Watertown, New York, and then, about 1841, the little colony settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he spent his remaining days. He reared five sons, namely: JOHN, LOUIS, CHARLES A., EDWARD and HERMAN. CHARLES A. OTTO, SR., received his elementary education in the schools of Prussia, his native country, being seventeen years old when he came with his parents to America. While living in Milwaukee he attended the evening schools, becoming thoroughly acquainted with the English language, in the meantime being employed as a clerk in a gen- eral store. He subsequently engaged in mercantile pursuits with his brother LOUIS, whose interest he afterwards purchased. MR. OTTO then continued alone until selling out the entire business to his brother EDWARD. Forming then a partnership with ALONZO SCHULFLOHN, MR. OTTO continued with him about three years, dealing in wagon makers' sup- plies. During the following two years he was silent partner in a hardware business, and afterwards kept a public house on the outskirts of Milwaukee for a while. Returning then to the city, he was there employed as a private watchman until his death, at the age of sixty- one years. He married SOPHIA HELM, who was also a native of Prussia. She died at the age of thirty-eight years. Of the children born to MR. and MRS. CHARLES A. OTTO, SR., but three grew to years of matur- ity, namely: CHARLES A. (the subject of this sketch), EMMA and JULIUS. After attending the public schools of Milwaukee two years CHARLES A. OTTO completed his studies at a parochial school. At the age of fifteen years he began sailing the Lakes as a cabin boy, and at each season for five years was engaged in nautical pursuits. He afterwards found employment in different establishments, remaining in that part of the state until 1878. Entering then the employment of the Menomi- nee Mining Company, he continued with it until March, 1881, when in the employ of DONALD C. MacKINNON, he was for nine months an explorer in the Brule River country. In December, 1881, MR. OTTO made his ad- vent in Iron River. The town had then just been platted, and the only building it contained was a log cabin, owned by a bachelor, JAMES INNES, who was keeping boarders. MR. OTTO entered the employ of this bachelor as cook, and in January, 1882, MRS. OTTO here joined her hus- band, being the first, and for several weeks the only, white woman in the place. She was duly installed as cook and home-keeper in the only house in this part of Iron county. This house, a cabin built of logs, was situated on the northeast corner of Genesee and Second streets, and had but one room, that being used as a place to cook, eat and sleep by the entire family, including the boarders. There were tiers of bunks on either side of the room, eighteen in all, and as people came from afar to prospect for ore the house was usually well filled. The table was set three times for each meal, there not being dishes enough to serve more than one table at a time. At the end of six months MR. OTTO built a house on the outskirts of the town, and he and his wife occupied it about a year and then moved onto the homestead claim which he had secured in section seventeen, townships forty-three and thirty-four, and on which he had put up a log cabin. Subsequently MR. OTTO entered the employment of the Northwestern Railroad Company, with which he was connected in different capacities until 1907. Re- signing his position in December, 1907, MR. OTTO accepted a position as janitor of the school building at Iron River, which he filled two years and then returned to the North-Western Railroad Company. On June 25, 1879, MR. OTTO married FLORENCE J. HALL, who was born at Farmers Valley, McKean county, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1854, a daughter of LAVINUS HALL. Her grandfather, JESSE HALL, a native of New England, moved first to New York state and afterward settled at Farmers Valley, Pennsylvania, where he bought land and was engaged in tilling the soil until his death. The maiden name of his wife was POLLY GREEN. LAVINUS HALL was born in Ithaca, New York, but was brought up and educated in Pennsylvania. Migrating to Wisconsin in 1856, he became an early settler of Winnebago county, where he bought land and was employed in general farming for about eight years. On October 20, 1864, he located in the Upper Peninsula, becoming a pio- neer settler of Negaunee, where he was engaged in agricultural pur- suits for two years. MR. HALL afterwards spent a year at Champion, Marquette county, from there moving with his family to Quinnesee. Coming to Iron county in 1883, he took up a homestead in what is now Bates township, and having cleared off a part of the timber and erected a dwelling house, he was joined about two years later by his wife. He cleared about eighty acres of his tract, and was there suc- cessfully employed in the care of his farm until his death, November 17, 1907. About two weeks before his demise, MR. HALL gave an option to an exploring company, which in short time discovered ore, and a mine is now there being opened by the Florence Iron Company. MR. HALL married ELZA MARIA EDMUNSON, who was born in Ireland, probably in Bel- fast. Her father, WILLIAM EDMUNSON, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and went as a young man to Ireland, and there resided several years. In 1833, accompanied by his family, MR. EDMUNSON came in a sailing vessel to America, after a voyage of three months landing at Quebec, and from there proceeding to Brockville, thence to New York state. He was well educated and talented, and after teaching school for a while in different parts of the Empire state he entered the government em- ploy as secretary and was sent to Mexico, where he was taken ill and died. The maiden name of the wife of WILLIAM EDMUNSON was MARY PALMER. She was born in Ireland, of French ancestry, and spent her last years with her two daughters in Michigan. MRS. HALL, who sur- vived her husband, still lives on the old homestead in Bates township. She reared seven children, two now deceased, as follows: FLORENCE J., wife of MR. OTTO; DARBY, deceased; FRED A.; GRACE J., deceased; EUPHEMIA; FITZ HENRY; and FRANKLIN HERBERT. MR. and MRS. OTTO are the parents of six children, namely: CARLYLE, CLAUDE, FRED, HERBERT, MILDRED and ROY. CLAUDE married MARY CORBETT, and they have two children, MILDRED and THOMAS. MR. OTTO has ever taken an intelligent interest in public matters, and served four years as a justice of the peace; and for six years was a member of the local board of education. ===========================================================================