Ottine Cemetery
Ottine, Gonzales County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1879, Adolph Otto moved to this area with his wife, Theresia, and their eleven children. He and his sons, John August, Louis, Henry and Albert, constructed the family home, as well as a water-powered grist mill and gin. Due to declining health, Adolph moved to San Antonio, where he died and was buried in 1890. John August (J.A.) resumed the responsibility of building a town here. A bridge built across the river attracted new settlers, and the Otto brothers assisted others with establishing businesses in the new town, named Ottine in 1892. Community members used this site as a burial ground, and the first marked grave dates to 1888. J.A. officially deeded the property to the public in 1929, and the cemetery was in continuous use as the town grew in the first half of the 20th century with a rail line and a brief oil boom. After the 1950s, as people moved into larger cities nearby, the cemetery was neglected and fell into a state of disrepair. A cemetery association formed in 1987 began restoration, upkeep, protection and research, and the old Ottine school bell was moved to the site. Today, the cemetery is in use again, and the numerous tombstones serve to memorialize the Ottine community and its families. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2001
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Adolph Otto moved to this area in 1879 with his wife and eleven children, and with his sons built the family home along with a water-powered grist mill and gin. After Adolph's death, son J.A. Otto carried on the work of building a town — a river bridge drew settlers, and by 1892 the community took the name Ottine. The cemetery here holds burials dating to 1888 and remained in steady use as the town grew with a rail line and a brief oil boom, before a 1980s association revived the neglected grounds and moved the old school bell to the site.
Why it matters
Ottine Cemetery preserves the memory of a German immigrant family who quite literally built a South Texas town — mill, bridge, and all — and the small community that gathered around it.
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Related people
- · Adolph Otto
- · Theresia Otto
- · John August Otto
Themes & tags
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