From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean. 

pp. 567-568
GEORGE S. OTTE, a highly respected citizen of Wheeling, and a well-known 
business man, is credit manager of the firm of House & Herrmann, and is 
secretary of the company.  He was born at Wheeling, and is a son of 
Charles Otte.
	Charles Otte was born in Hanover, Germany, and when twenty-one 
years old came to America, and located in Wheeling in 1846.  He followed 
the business of a contractor and builder for many years, having been 
similarly engaged in his native country.  He erected many of the largest 
buildings of the city, among them Westwood's Hall, the Ritchie School, 
and hundreds of residences.  He retired some years ago and now resides 
in Missouri.  He was a pioneer in steamboat cabinet work, being employed 
by the firm of Hanes & Wilson.  He was in Kansas City and other towns in 
Missouri during the prevalence of cholera near Independence, Missouri, 
buried the last victims of the disease in that vicinity, his partner 
being among the number.  He was united in marriage with Hannah Elick, 
who was born in Woodstock, Virginia, and died in March, 1900, at the age 
of seventy-six years.  She came to Wheeling when a young girl, her 
mother having died, and here she married Mr. Otte in 1850.  They became 
parents of the following children:  Sydney, wife of Frederick Seabright, 
of Bellaire, Ohio, a retired capitalist and a director in the National 
Steel Company; Charles, Jr., who owns 1,200 acres of land in Missouri, 
and has lead and zinc mining interests in Franklin county of that state; 
Henry C., who also lives in Missouri; Eliza C., who was single, and died 
in 1898; George S., the subject of this personal history; and Margaret, 
wife of Albert Walter, of St. Louis, Missouri.
	George S. Otte attended public school in Wheeling, and after his 
graduation therefrom in 1881, was a pupil in Frasher's Business College.  
He was then employed as collector on the Wheeling Register, and later on 
the Evening Journal, which has since been supplanted by the Evening 
News.  In 1884, he went to Missouri, and spent seventeen months in the 
sawmill and mining business, associated with his father and brother.  He 
returned to Wheeling and engaged in the brokerage business with James 
Hawley & Company.  One year later he went into the sheriff's office as 
deputy to Sheriff William C. Handlan, and served out the term of three 
years.  He was then elected secretary of the West Virginia Exposition & 
State Fair Association, and served as such three years.  He resigned to 
become city solicitor for the Peabody Insurance Company, a position he 
relinquished because of his love for politics.  He entered actively into 
the campaign in behalf of A.Franzheim for sheriff, and upon the latter's 
election served as chief deputy sheriff until the close of the term in 
August, 1897.  In 1896, he was nominated by the Democratic party for 
recorder of this county, but was defeated by Richard Robertson, the 
present recorder, although he polled a much larger vote than his party.  
Since that time he has been identified with the firm of House & Herrmann 
in the capacity of credit manager, having complete charge of the credit 
and collection department.  In February, 1901, he was elected secretary 
of the company, and is now serving as such.
	Mr. Otte was united in marriage in 1889 with Mattie Warren, of St. 
Louis, Missouri, a descendant of an old Virginia family.  They have two 
children:  Warren, aged eleven years, and George S., Jr., aged six 
years.  Fraternally Mr. Otte is a member of Ohio Valley Lodge, No. 31, 
K. of P.; and of the Woodmen of the World.  Religiously, he is a 
Presbyterian.