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Otto’s Inn
Established 1876
100 E Madison
Otto's
Saloon, Homecoming Parade, 1912, WHS_007_KR168
Otto’s
Inn, WHS_005_298 (1975)
became
Embassy
LTD,
Balistreri's
Ristorante,
1985,
Zoellick's Black Forest Inn,
Dynasty
Chinese Restaurant,
2008,
Rock River Pizza, opening of
1957
Advertisement, City
Directory
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 [see obit below], 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.
1985
02 13
Zoellick's
Black Forest Inn
Zoellick's Black Forest Inn, 100 Madison Street, will celebrate
its grand opening on Saturday and Sunday.
Herb and Betty J. Zoellick, new owners and operators, said music will be
featured all weekend along with dining and bar specials. Mrs. Zoellick, manager of the restaurant, has
worked in the food business all her life.
Her husband, who works full time at Kennedy Chevrolet as a service
technician, helps operate the restaurant evenings and weekends. Bar manager of the restaurant is Julie
Kulkee. Bartenders are Mike Schilling,
Jim Berryman, John Haberkorn and Julie Timm.
Head waitress, in charge of the dining room, is Nancy Schultz. Waitresses include Cindee Sterwald, Jean
Carnes, Julie Timm, Dianne Grosenick and Terry Melcher. WDT
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Capt.
Otto
03 31 1916
Captain Charles Otto, a well known
resident of Watertown, died last Monday afternoon in the family home, 212 East
Water Street. He had been in failing
health the past five months and his death was not unexpected. Mr. Otto was a native of Pommern Germany,
being born on the Island of Veline, June 25, 1841. He came to this section when a child, the
family settling in the town of Lebanon and later in Watertown. When a young man he engaged as a sailor on
the great lakes which calling he followed twenty-seven years, a greater portion
of which time he was captain of a vessel.
Mr. Otto served as chief of the Watertown Fire Department and was a member of the
Plattdeutscher Verein. He was one of the city’s best known men,
possessed of a cheerful disposition and had a host of friends. He was united in marriage with Louise Lange
who with two daughters and one son surviving:
Mrs. August Tanck, Mrs. Henry E. Krueger, Carl F. Otto, Watertown.
Cross References:
Madison, E,
100 1913, Carl F Otto,
hotel, saloon
Madison, E,
100 Balistreri's Ristorante
Madison, E,
100 1994, Dynasty Chinese
Restaurant
Madison, E,
100 2008, Rock River
Pizza, opening of
2010
Randy Trella, owner of
Rock River Pizza Co., was named the co-winner of the 2009 Best Interior
Renovation Project award at the 20th annual Wisconsin Main Street award
ceremony. Trella purchased the former
Hong Kong Cafe building in 2006 and completely gutted the structure. The building's kitchen was replaced and new
equipment was installed, including an exhaust system, walk-in coolers and a
stone hearth fire-deck oven. The project
also consisted of repairing a brick wall, installing new windows, replacing the
rest rooms and reinforcing and leveling the floor. A fireplace was also added to the bar area to
enhance the atmosphere.
