George Otto
Company Names, addresses, dates1:
Ross & Otto, 6th west cor C North (1864)
J.W. Ross & Otto, B north cor 11th west (1865-1867)
George Otto, 11th w cor B n (1868)
George Otto, Mass Ave near 6th street NE (1877-1879)
George Otto, 618 Mass Ave NE (1881-1886, 1888)
Elizabeth Otto, 618 Mass Ave NE (1887)
Notes:
Company started out as John W. Ross (b. 1842 in MD) and George
Otto (b. 1842 in Bavaria). Later it was just George Otto.
Elizabeth Otto was George's wife; her name shows up in
the 1887 directory. Maybe George was sick that year?
The 1870 census Listed John Ross as living in the same house with
George Otto. In the 1880 census, they were living in separate
households, although there was a Nicholas Ross in George Otto's
house listed as a son-in-law, so there seems to have been a
maraige between the Ross & Otto families.
I'm not sure if/how George Otto is related to Henry Otto, another
DC bottler. The 1880 census lists Henry as the son of Frederick
Otto, however Frederick & family were living in the same house
as George Otto.
George Otto and George Bauer invented an improved bottle fastener and
patented it in 1871 (US patent # 116742).
Historical & Commercial Sketches of Washington, compiled by E.E. Barton
in 1884, says that the dimensions of the building were 20 x 40 feet,
and that about 7 hands were employed and 3 wagons used to deliver the
products. It also says that they bottled soda, porter, sarsaparilla,
cider and Capitol ginger ale. 2
Bottles:
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Aqua 7.5" blob top bottle embossed:
front: GEO. OTTO / WASHINGTON / D.C.
back: G O / THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD
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Aqua 6.1" Hutchinson bottle embossed:
front: GEO. OTTO / WASHINGTON / D.C.
The word "WASHINGTON" is embossed in a wavy pattern.
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Dark green 7.1" blob-top bottle (with a chip on the neck) embossed:
front: ROSS & OTTO / WASHINGTON / D C
back: R&O / THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD
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Aqua 7" blob top bottle embossed:
front: ROSS & OTTO / WASHINGTON / D C
back: R&O / THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD
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(enlarge)
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Blue-aqua 7" blob top bottle embossed:
front: ROSS & OTTO / WASHINGTON / D C
back: R&O / THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD
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Dark green 7" squat blob top bottle embossed:
front: ROSS & OTTO / WASHINGTON / D. C.
back: THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD
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Other Items:
This is a copy of Geoge Otto's Patent
from July 4th, 1871. It's for a bottle stopper.
1 Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
2 Historical & Commercial Sketches of Washington, 1884, compiled by E.E. Barton, p.181
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This page last updated on September 7, 2009.