Following article written by: Warren A. Ransom (1915 to 1995)
The settlement of Otis started in 1851. No plat of the town was recorded though until 1870 when Solomon Tucker filed for one. On the 27th day of June 1874 Mr. Tucker filed a plat for an addition in the northwest section, Otis was first known as Salem Crossing. The name was given to it by the Michigan Souther Railroad. Matthias Seberger the first settler in 1851 was appointed postmaster. The name Salem was adopted by the Department of Washington. The Louisville New Albany Chicago Railroad however insisted upon calling it LaCroix. Then when Solomon plotted the town, he availed himself of the proprietors rights to give it a name and upon the county books it is known as LaCroix, the same name the railroad chose. Now having two names some of the inhabitants thought best as a sort of compromise to give it a third which should supplant the other two and suggested the name of the representative of Congress from this district and for a time it was called Packard.
Upon recommendation of that gentleman in 1872 the name was called Otis. In the year 1853 the Michigan Southern and the Louisville New Albany Railroad were completed. Matthias Seberger was then agent for both of them. In 1854 George R. Selkirk opened a grocery store. In the same year B. Parker and Isaac Weston erected a hotel which was kept by Parker. Henry Wing bought the hotel in 1857 and kept it until 1865. This covered the period of the civil war when the patronage of the hotel was overwhelming. In those days soldiers and others going southward from Northwestern Indiana were obliged to go to Salem Crossing and thence Southward over the Louisville New Albany Railroad. This kept the hotel full. In 1865 President Lincoln's Funeral train passed through Otis on the Louisville New Albany Railroad going north to the New York Central. Many people in Otis saw it and some of his relatives. In 1858, Solomon Colby opened a blacksmith shop. In 1859 F. Harriman established a meat market, Matthias Seberger the first general store that same year.
In 1861 Jasper Fleming built and kept the first saloon. But not for the sale of intoxicating liquors. In 1867 Seberger and Wing in the business of merchandising went into partnership. A wagon and blacksmith shop was established in 1870 and Dr. Clark Warren commenced the practice of medicine being the first resident physician of Otis. St. Pauls Church had its first services in 1855, and its first church in 1874. The Catholics had their first masses in 1856 and built their first church in 1872. There were many other businesses with the village of Otis. There was one boot and shoe store, one meat market, post office, doctor's office, two druggists , one tailor, wagon maker, telegraph operator, carpenter, one undertaker, a saloon, train depot and agent. The saloon was used for entertainment and pool. It was run by Charlie Deitz. He would close it during the week to work at the cheese factory and open on Saturday afternoon and evening. The Otesgo Tanning Mill operated within the Otis vicinity.
In 1839 Israel and James Jessup built a saw mill which was the first one erected in the township. It was near the present town of Otis. In 1844 Henry Harrold built another saw mill south of Otis, it was run by water. The sight was owned by W. F. Cottron and Co.
In 1845 Philander Barns built a mill about a mile west of Otis on the Michigan Southern Railroad. And in the spring of 1873 Bugbee, Luff and Palmer commenced building a paper mill on Reynolds creek, three fourths mile west of Otis along the Michigan Southern Railroad. In the spring of 1874 Mr. Palmer sold his interest and the other men sold their interest to Mr. Luff. The mill was doing a fine business in making tons of straw boards each day. A small village sprang up in that region in the west end of town, they had a school house called the square school, which in later years was used as a dance hall and finally burnt down in early 1900. Another school was built in 1880, was the Catholic school and the Otis school was built in 1911. Gaylord Jessup was trustee at the time. This building is still in use today (from article in 1985) as a modern home.
Webmasters note: We have found no evidence of the square school at this point (2010) and the closest reference we can find is Eight Square school, just over the county line in Porter, County. Also church records for St. Mary's notes that the Catholic school was established in 1876, not 1880.There are but a few things left in Otis. The train station was taken down in the 1960's, the switch town was taken down earlier. The warehouse and the coal shed were also disposed of. In later years there were two grocery stores. One was operated by Marrian and Harriet Lachner which had a gas pump and one operated by Ervin and Ann Mazurkiewicz who also had the post office and tavern. Another tavern, the Red Wood Inn, which lasted three years and a variety store now gone, and a boy scout troop which was started in 1947 who gave the children their first Halloween party in fifty years in now defunct.
(1985) Today there is one tavern, a post office run by Ray Lachner in the building that was built in 1870. A new subdivision south east of town on the Otis Road called New Durham Woods, as well as other homes built recently. Otis was a town of great pride in the past years with all its businesses and mills, although they have all gone. Those left to carry on and the people still take pride in the town their ancestors left for them. The history on the two churches is given in another write up.