The Haunted         
Historic Ott Hotel
      
THE OTT HOTEL
RECEIVES TEXAS
HISTORICAL MARKER

After 78 years the Ott Hotel
finally received a well
deserved
accommodation from the
State of Texas.
   
The  
Haunted  
Historic
Ott Hotel
   LOVE STORY

1930        IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT SOMETIME
AROUND THE FALL OF THE YEAR,  OCTOBER OR
NOVEMBER, A YOUNG WOMEN NAMED LUCY WAS
STAYING AT THE OTT HOTEL WITH HER LOVER.  THEY
WERE HAVING AN AFFAIR.  LUCY WAS MARRIED TO A
MAN NAMED JOSHUA. HE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE
AFFAIR AND CAME LOOKING FOR HER.  HIS
APPEARANCE WAS THAT OF A TALL AND SLENDER
MAN, DRESSED IN A BLACK COWBOY HAT, BLACK
DUSTER COAT, AND BLACK BOOTS. JOSHUA  
KNOCKED ON ALL THE DOORS OF THE HOTEL UNTIL
HE FOUND LUCY.LUCY OPENED THE DOOR TO HER
ROOM.  SHE WAS DRESSED IN A WHITE NIGHTGOWN.
A HEATED ARGUMENT OCCURRED IN THE UP STAIRS
HALLWAY AND THEN  OUT OF NO WHERE A LOUD GUN
SHOT WAS HEARD  BY ALL IN THE HOTEL. LUCY LAY
DEAD ON THE FLOOR AS WELL AS HER HUSBAND
JOSHUA . TO THIS DAY IT IS UNCLEAR WHO SHOT AND
KILLED THE MARRIED COUPLE, BUT IT WAS VERY
CLEAR THEY WERE BOTH KILLED BY THE SAME
BULLET.  A HORRIBLE LOVE GONE AWRY.  
TODAY THEY BOTH STILL WALK THE HALLS OF
THE
HISTORIC Ott HOTEL
AND YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE
ARGUMENT IN THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY.  ONCE A
YEAR WHEN THE NOVEMBER WIND BLOWS FROM THE
NORTH YOU WILL STILL HEAR THE SINGLE GUNSHOT
THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TWO LOVES WHO WERE
BOTH KILLED BY A SINGLE SHOT OF JEALOUSY.
IF YOU WANT
MORE  
UNUSUAL
"GHOST
"STORIES
FROM ACTUAL
TENANTS AND
SOME
PICTURES
THAT LACK
EXPLANATION..
.THEN GO
AHEAD  TURN
THE PAGE AND
CHECK OUT
OUR WEBSITE.
BEFORE YOU
ARE DONE
YOU WILL
AGREE THAT
THERE IS
SOME KIND OF
ENTITY THAT
DWELLS IN
AND AMONGST
US.
YOU'LL BE
GLAD YOU
VISITED US
HERE AT.....
 
The Ott Hotel being
built in the summer of
1928
The Haunted Historic
Ott Hotel January  
2007

To every visitor
of
The
Haunted
Historic Ott
Hotel
FREE ORBS
FOR
EVERYONE
We
recommend
that you bring
a digital
camera and
just photo all
the orbs you
want.
The Haunted Historic
Ott Hotel
For reservations call  936-336-3832
Actual inscription on the Historical marker

                   OTT HOTEL  
Built to capitalize on oil boom prosperity, The OTT Hotel became a
Liberty landmark. The regional economy in the early 20th century
focused on trade, timber and agriculture. The discovery of large oil
fields. Including Batson (15miles NE) and south Liberty (4 miles S.)
brought great activity to Liberty as the nearest rail connection, and
many new buildings went up, including restaurants, general stores and
this railroad hotel.
Louisiana native John Joshua Ott (1867-1939) and his wife Sallie
Wiggins Ott (1874-1963) of San Jacinto county hired contractor Elza
Burch to build the hotel. Completed in late 1928 adjacent to the Texas &
New Orleans railroad tracks and very near the depot. The Ott Hotel was
well positioned to sever train passengers and was known as a
Drummer Hotel. Named for the traveling salesmen of the day. Its
location was also ideally suited for automobile tourists on the Old
Spanish Trail (later State Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 90). As well as
those with business in the nearby liberty county courthouse.
The hotel's original design included 50 rooms in an L-shaped building
footprint, with community baths in the middle of the long halls. Dining
room and parlor space were later converted into additional rooms. A
sign painted on the bricks on the side along the railroad attracted new
arrivals. This two-story brick building features paired windows and has
a prominent four-bay front porch with tapered wood columns, A
low-pitch roof and brick detailing. Craftsman-style exposed rafter tails
outline the porch and the entire building. Several managers operated
the hotel, and the property remained in the Ott family until 2002  when
Mr. & Mrs. Mc Cain purchased the hotel.

Recorded Texas Historical Landmark - 2005
Wow !! Can you ever imagine being the person who is so old that they
don't know when their birthday is, but knows how old they are ?  Here
at the Historic Ott Hotel we had that kind of dilemma of not knowing the
actual opening date just knowing we were born in 1928.














Due to this photo we have determined that the opening date was
sometime after August 9th, 1928. Looking at the stage of construction
we have come up with December 31st as our birthday.  We are really
excited about our past and the future to come.
services.html
                          WEDDING BELLS
                            ARE RINGING
                                 AT THE
                   HISTORIC  OTT  HOTEL

1945 MR. & MRS. DEMPSEY HENLEY     HONEY MOON

2002 LINDA TARRANT
& JOE KENT                                         DINNING ROOM    

2005 DORTHY (PEANUT)
& WYNDAL NUGGENT                         LOBBY

2006 ALANNA McCAIN
& JACOB WILLIAMSON                        FRONT PORCH

2009 SHIELA DANURAND
& CHARLES MARLIN WILLIAMS           LOBBY

2009 SEPTEMBER                                    WEDDING PARTY
                                            HONEY MOON
At a time when the trains where moving west and a weary traveler
wanted a good bed, a hot meal, and a warm bath, the OTT Hotel
meant civilization.
The OTT Hotel is the oldest remaining building on Travis Street in
Liberty, Texas. Liberty is located in the southern part of Liberty
County at the gateway of the Big Thicket and Seven Pines area.
Liberty Texas the home of the OTT Hotel is the third oldest city in
Texas. Liberty, Texas was established on March 30, 1831 five years
before Texas declared it's independence from Mexico. Liberty's
original name under Mexican rule was "ATASCOSITO".
The land that the OTT Hotel sits on today was originally owned by
Old Mexico.
The OTT Hotel was built in 1928 by contractor Eliza Burch. Eliza
Burch died on November 11, 1957 in Liberty County. Mr. Burch built
the OTT Hotel for Mr. John Joshua Ott and his wife Mrs. Salie
Wiggins Ott.
John Joshua Ott was born February 13, 1867 in Louisiana to Mr. Isxic
Isaha Ott (father) and Mrs. Sara Mizelle Ott (mother). Salie Wiggins
Ott was born on May 22, 1874 in San Jacinto County, Texas. Salie
was six years old on the 1880 U.S.A. Census Report.
John and Salie where married in March 15, 1894.
John Joshua Ott was laid to rest on March 7, 1939 at Lourel Lynn
Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.
Salie Wiggins Ott was laid to rest on July 18, 1963. She was buried
next to her husband at the Lourel Lynn Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.
In 1831, Mr. James B. Woods purchased block # 31 lot # 3 in the
down town district of the City of Liberty, Liberty County, Texas. In
1903 there was great excitement in Liberty over the Batson oil
boom. Tycoons ans oil speculators came from North,South, East,
and West. There was no train to Batson. It was located in the
southwestern Hardin County, and Liberty was one of the nearest
train stops and the quickest route to the new discovery of "liquid
gold". The travel to and through Liberty was a sizable increase in
local business for hotels, restaurants, hacks and other enterprises.
In 1914 B.M. O'Brien owned lot # 3 until 1919 when Mr. E.W. Pickett
also purchased part of block # 31 lot # 3. Both of these men held
ownership of this land until 1926. When Block # 31 lot # 3 was sold to
Mr. A.L. Kayser.
On January 27, 1928 the land was purchased by Mr. John Joshua Ott
and Mrs. Salie Ott. Then block # 31 lot # 3 was cleared for
construction of the Ott Hotel. An article was printed by The Houston
Press Newspaper out of Galveston, Texas along with a photo of the
new "Modern" 50 room Ott Hotel on August 8, 1928. Showing the
finishing touches to the front of the Ott Hotel.
The Ott Hotel was built in 1928 because of the "boom town" growth
Liberty and Liberty County where experiencing. The population of
Liberty was on the incline in 1920, with 1117 listed on the U.S.
Census Report. In 1925 oil in commercial quantities was discovered
in South Liberty, centered on a high sandy ridge atop a coastal salt
dome about four miles south of the courthouse on the league of land
granted by Mexican government to Matthew G. White in 1831.Only a
few landowners, including the Allen Barretts and the large Mitchell
family, lived in the area at the time, but within a few months at least
fifty frame buildings lined the streets. On a small scale, it was
another overnight town like Spindle Top, Sour Lake, and Batson. The
field is still producing from the original sands and through deeper
development in more recent years. By 1973, it had produced
74,087,103 barrels of oil, making it one of the most prolific salt dome
fields on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The first well was drilled by
Liberty Oil Company was sunk in the fall of 1903. Mr. Pickett was
president of the oil company.
On June 30, 1942 Price Daniel ( Governor of the State of Texas)
purchased part of block # 31 lot # 3 in the City of Liberty. Mr. Dainiels
held block # 31 lot # 3 until November 30, 1956.
The Houston Press Newspaper from Galveston Texas reported Mr.
And Mrs. Ott were from Conroe, Texas. This is only half true. The Ott
had purchased a boarding house in Conroe, Texas some time before
the Ott Hotel was built. It was also said that Mr. Ott owned a small
hotel in Dallas, Texas as well. The Ott Hotel has a variety of on site
managers over the years.
The Ott estate was divided between their grandchildren, Patricia Lee
O' Dell , Walter B. Lee III of Harris County, Texas and Ann Hardy
Prince of Spring , Texas. Granddaughter Ann Prince purchased the
other grand children's shares of the Ott Hotel. Ann Prince of the
Woodlands became sole owner in 1997.
On January 11, 2002 Mr. Kelly David and Susan Elaine Mc Cain
purchased the Ott Hotel. The Ott Hotel went into major restoration.
The Ott Hotel Has been restored to the 1928 interior. The hotel is a
prime example of 1920's modern architecture, a favorite style used
during the development of South Texas. The hotel is a two story
ship lap structure with high 10 foot ceilings, and five column porch
that covers the main entrance. But one of the most distinctive
external features is the building's fifty eight rectangle windows
placed for air flow ( remember the Ott Hotel did not have air
condition until 1980). So travelers could enjoy the breeze and watch
the bustling train depot from the windows of the grand front porch.
The interior of the hotel reflects the past with airy ten foot ceilings,
original wall trim, wall color, and wooden floors. The upstairs
contains hotel rooms, and a bath at the middle of the long hall. One
bath for the men and one for the ladies. Most of the furniture from
the early years of the hotel is here, reflecting years of hard work.
The second floor is accessible by a staircase from the first floor
lobby. The downs stairs area featured a spacious lobby with the
original 1928 front counter along with original hotel registers, still in
existence, record for posterity the names of train crews, oil field
workers, salesman, and governors - a microcosm of the history of
the area and mini museum of the history of the Ott Hotel along with
history, photos of Liberty, Texas from the past and artifacts left from
travelers from years ago. More rooms, a washroom, and office
space round out the first floor. The dining room was closed as the oil
boom brought many restaurants to the town. Family style meals
gave way to the newer style eatery. The need for rooms was great
so there fore, the dining room was portioned into a small apartment.
The parlor was turned into an office.
The Ott Hotel is distinguished for it's historical significance and
architectural design. Historically, it is a vivid reminder everyone
especially to many in the community of Liberty of the enterprising
spirit of the pioneers who came to South Texas. As for today, the Ott
Hotel still stands and operates as the original design it was built for.
Thee Ott Hotel is still a functioning train hotel. The Ott Hotel Still
stands only 14 feet from the railroad tracks and 150 feet from the
original train depot ( which is still standing today) the hotel radiates
a distinct aura of the past. You can almost hear the old steam engine
and smell the coal, and step back to a time when the innocence was
still innocent to that so special place that Norman Rockwall took us
with his art work.
Maybe not all innocence was lost, because today as well as in 1928
when the OTT Hotel opened it's doors, you can still stand on the
grand five column porch and watch the trains travel past 20 times a
day and know the past and the present are not all that different.  
HISTORY 101  
HOW THE OTT HOTEL CAME TO BE ?
WHY SHOULD  WE
PRESERVE  
HISTORIC PLACES?

If we wish to have
a future with
greater meaning,
we must concern
ourselves with the
total heritage of
the Nation and all
that is worth
preserving from
our past as a
living part of the
present.

The Historic  
Preservation  Act of
1966
Reaffirmed in 1992

by the United
States Congress:

" The spirit and
direction of the
Nation are founded
upon reflection in
its historic heritage.
The historical and
cultural
foundations of the
Nation should be
preserved as a
living part of our
community life and
development in
order to give a
sense of orientation
to the AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
Historic properties
significant to the
Nation's heritage
are being lost or
substantially
altered, often
inadvertently, with
increasing
frequency.
The preservation of
this irreplaceable
heritage is in the
public interest so
that its vital legacy
of cultural,
educational,
aesthetic,
inspirational,
economic, and
energy benefits will
be maintained and
enriched for future
generations of
Americans."
THANK YOU
FOR VISITING OUR SITE AT
THE HISTORIC OTT HOTEL.


TOURS CAN BE BOOKED
THUR THE OFFICE PLEASE
CALL
936-366-3832

OPEN TOURS ARE HELD
ON
SATURDAY
 ONCE A MONTH
A
T  7PM JUST CALL FOR
DATE.

PRICE  OF ALL TOURS
 IS
$10.00 PER PERSON .

TOUR TAKES ABOUT 2
HOURS.


TO BOOK A H
AUNTED
ROOM YOU MUST TELL THE
OFFICE YOU WANT A
HAUNTED ROOM OR YOU
MAY BE PUT IN A REGULAR
HOTEL ROOM.

EACH HISTORIC ROOM HAS
1 DOUBLE BED. ONLY TWO
PEOPLE TO A ROOM.
PRICE OF ROOMS ARE
$60.00 W/TAX

JUST LIKE THE EARLY
1900'S
NO PHONES
NO T.V.
NO COMPUTERS
ECT.
YOU GET THE IDEA !!!
BATHROOMS ARE IN THE
HALLWAY !!!!!!
          THE
 HISTORIC OTT               
 
       HOTEL
WILL BE HOSTING
THE FOLLOWING
GROUPS IN 2012.

NO INVESTIGATION
GROUPS THIS YEAR.
LAST GROUP WAS ON
HALLOWEEN 2011.



WE HAVE HAD A GREAT
TIME WITH ALL OUR
GUEST AT THE HOTEL.
A LOT OF STRANGE
PHOTOS HAVE BEEN  
PLACED ON THE LOBBY
COMPUTER  THIS PAST
YEAR.


WE HERE AT THE
HISTORIC OTT HOTEL
ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE
NEW YEAR.
JUST A FEW NEW PHOTOS FROM SPRING BREAK 2011.

MOVING ORB BY THE HOTEL DOOR IN UPSTAIRS HALL WAY.

GHOSTLY APPARITION IN HALLWAY,