Imperial County CA Archives Biographies.....Tout, Otis Burgess 1880 - 
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Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918)

OTIS BURGESS TOUT, editor, and, with Mrs. Tout, proprietor of the El Centro
Progress, came to Imperial Valley in 1907 from Portland, Oregon, where he was
engaged in newspaper reporting. Born in Indiana, May 11, 1880, he followed his
father, who was a minister in the Christian church, through the states of
Missouri, Florida, Kansas and the then territory of Oklahoma. The family came to
California in 1892, went to Oregon in 1899, and to Washington the next year. In
Eugene, Oregon, in 1900-1901, Otis attended the State University. His first
newspaper work was on the Ashland, Oregon, Valley Record. His next was on the
Eugene Morning Register and then on the Eugene Daily Guard. Acting as
correspondent for the Portland Telegram, he was offered a city position by that
paper, which he accepted. Illness caused him to change his occupation to writing
life insurance, and in 1905 he won a trip to Los Angeles. Bad health followed
him until he visited his parents, who were then in Imperial, where J. F. Tout,
his father, was pastor of the Christian church, the second minister to locate in
Imperial Valley, then almost a virgin desert. The desert seemed to be just the
place, for his health improved at once. Mr. Tout accepted a position as foreman
in the office of the Imperial Valley Press in January, 1907, and in April was
offered the management of the Calexico Chronicle, owned by W. F. Holt. In the
county seat fight that followed, Calexico was credited with casting the winning
votes for El Centro, and Mr. Holt, who was backing El Centro, was so gratified
that he presented the Chronicle and the equipment to Mr. Tout. In June, 1909,
Mr. Tout was married to Mrs. Estelle May Downing, of El Centro. She being a
practical printer, they formed a co-partnership in the publishing business that
has endured ever since. They sold the Calexico Chronicle in 1912 and purchased a
defunct printing plant in El Centro, where they started the El Centro Progress
as a weekly. In the fall of that year it was changed to a morning daily and
since that time has been conducted on a broad plan which has commanded extensive
patronage and financial success. Mr. and Mrs. Tout own one of the many handsome
homes in El Centro, located at Fifth and Holt. Both have been in the Valley long
enough to be called pioneers, and have played a foremost part in its
development. Mr. Tout was this year elected Exalted Ruler of the El Centro Lodge
of Elks, No. 1325.

Additional Comments:
From:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918

Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco

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