This file part of www.watertownhistory.org website
Otto’s
Inn
Established
1876
100 E
Madison
Otto's Saloon, Homecoming Parade, 1912, WHS_007_KR168
Otto’s Inn became Embassy LTD,
WHS_005_298 (1975)
and later Dynasty Chinese Resturant
Lester
Moser
1902 -
1963
1963
Watertown Daily Times, 03 25 1963
Click on Image
Otto's Inn at 100 Madison Street,
Watertown's nationally known dining place, closed its doors yesterday until
further notice following a fire Sunday morning in which Lester G. Moser, 60,
lost his life by asphyxiation. He was
secretary-treasurer of the business place, operated by Otto's Inn Inc.
Moser, husband of the former Ruth
Otto, who, with her sister, Mrs. Lorraine Deil,
operates the inn, which was established in 1876 by their grandfather, Capt.
Carl Otto, a retired Great Lakes skipper, was found dead in their upper
apartment over the tavern part of the inn.
Firemen said he was near a window directly above the tavern facing
Just what caused the fire is
undetermined. The loss, estimated by firemen at $12,000, may run considerably
higher.
Mrs. Moser had just come downstairs
from the upstairs apartment and her sister, Mrs. Deil,
had taken breakfast to Mr. Moser who was upstairs in bed, having been confined
there since late January after leaving St. Mary's Hospital where he had been
under treatment for a kidney ailment and where he had undergone surgery.
Mrs. Deil
said that he had been having his meals upstairs and that yesterday morning she
had taken some cereal, two boiled eggs and toast to him. As she handed him the tray, he remarked,
"Gee, Lorraine you forgot, the milk."
“I’ll get it," she replied,
"I really did forget it, didn't I?"
She went downstairs, took up the milk and she left him sitting up in bed
eating his breakfast.
Just as she reached the bottom of
the stairway, she said, she heard a loud blast and the upper hallway was
immediately filled with dense smoke.
Efforts to get upstairs failed because of the choking smoke. Firemen were
summoned and responded immediately. By
this time smoke was billowing thick and firemen entered the upper quarters
wearing masks. They found Moser in the
adjoining room near a window. He was
declared dead.
Fireman Roland Thiede
evacuated Mrs. Florence Reason who occupied an upper room. She suffered from smoke inhalation and was
taken to St. Mary's Hospital where she is a patient. Her condition today was reported fairly good.
Firemen Harley Rupprecht
helped another boarder at the inn, John Oliva who was
treated for smoke inhalation.
Included in the loss is virtually
all of the furniture and furnishings in the apartment occupied by Mrs. Deil and the Mosers.
Mrs. Moser said this morning that
they had only recently put in new carpeting and other furnishings. Included in the loss is a new electric organ
and in Mrs. Deil's quarters, in addition to all of
her clothing and private possessions, a grand piano may have suffered some
damage.
Two beds were set up in the
downstairs quarters for the night so Mrs. Moser and Mrs. Deil
had a place to sleep.
The dining room and tavern were
closed Sunday and will remain so until further notice. The sisters said they had no immediate plans
but expect to remodel and repair the damage.
Mr. Moser was born in Elton, Wis.,
on
Surviving are his, wife, a son,
Ronald C. Moser, who is an alderman here, two grandchildren and his mother,
Mrs. Marie Moser of Watertown. His
father preceded him in death.
Mr. Moser was a member of the
Watertown Immanuel Lutheran Church. He was also a member of Watertown Lodge No.
49, F. and A. M., Watertown Chapter No., 11, Royal Arch Masons, and of Zor Shrine Temple, Madison.
He was also a member of Olivet Commandery No. 18, Knights Templar
and Watertown Chapter No. 44, Order of Eastern Star as well as Watertown Lodge
No. 666, B.P.O.E., Lodge No. 830, Loyal order of
Moose, Lincoln Lodge. No. 20, Knights of Pythias and
the Calanthe Club.
The funeral service will be at the Hafemeister Funeral Home.
The Rev. A. S. Christensen will officiate and there will also be Masonic
rites, both at the funeral home and at Oak
Hill Cemetery where interment will take place.
Mr. Moser was one of the city’s most
widely known residents, popular and, well liked. He had a keen sense of humor and many
likeable traits which won and kept friendships throughout lifetime.
Was Skilled Candymaker
Before becoming associated with
Otto’s Inn, Mr. Moser was a highly skilled candymaker.
He learned the trade at the former Baumann Candy
Kitchen in West Main Street, where the Tri-County Tobacco Co. is now
situated.
He was an expert candymaker
and confectioner.
After the death of A. E. Baumann,
Mr. Moser, who had worked for Mr. Baumann for many years, took over the business
and operated it until he went to the Otto establishment.
The Baumann Candy Kitchen was for
years the leading establishment of its kind in Watertown. An ice cream parlor was operated in
connection with the business.
In the line of fine candies, Baumann's
was among the leaders in this section of the state. Its many excellent home
made candies, both hard varieties and chocolates, were among its best known
products. It also turned out tons of
special Christmas candies each year. These were sent far and wide to stores and
shops and included many of the little German candies which at one time were so
popular during the holiday season and which added color and holiday sparkle on
Christmas trees and in candy dishes.
Mr. Moser helped turn out many of
these famous candies and continued the business until he made the change to
helping operate the inn.
.
