Bio: William P. Otts, Claiborne Parish, LA
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890
Submitted for the LAGenWeb Archvies by: Gwen Moran-Hernandez, Jan. 2000


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William P. Otts, president of Homer National Bank, Homer, La., was born in 
the Palmetto State, Spartanburg District, September 19, 1814, and is a son 
of William Otts, a native also of South Carolina.  The father was married in 
that State to Miss Delilah Brewton, of South Carolina, and after farming in 
that State for a number of years he removed to Alabama in 1831, and located 
in Butler County.  His death occurred there in 1837.  He was a soldier in the 
War of 1812, and was private secretary of Gen. Thomas Moore.  He was a man of 
fair education, and served his district as surveyor, and also filled other 
positions.  His wife also died in 1837.  Of their family, which consisted of 
nine sons and four daughters, all of whom grew to mature years, only our subject 
and two sisters now survive.  The former passed his youth in Alabama, received 
a limited education, but has improved this to a great extent by study since 
growing up.  He began clerking in Alabama, continued at this for several years 
at old Fort Dale, and then removed to Greene County, of that State, where he 
cultivated the soil for a few years.  In 1852 he removed to Louisiana, Jackson 
Parish, engaged in merchandising at Vienna, and there remained up to 1868.  
In the last of October of that year he removed to Homes and engaged in mercantile 
pursuits, at which he was very successful until 1877.  At that time he sold out 
and embarked in live stock and brokerage business and on the organization of 
Homer National Bank in December, 1889, he was chosen its president.  This bank 
opened for business in March, 1890, and has a capital stock of $50,000 paid up 
capital and opened in a flourishing condition.  Mr. Otts was married in Greene 
County, Ala., on September 2, 1841, to Miss Catherine H. Wilder, a native of 
Greene County, Ala., where she was reared and educated, and the daughter of 
William Wilder.  Mrs. Otts died on February 4, 1889, and was buried in the 
Homer Cemetery.  Mr. Otts has four daughters by this union: Elizabeth Jane 
(wife of Drew Ferguson), Laura F. (widow of Dr. Averyt), Alice A. (wife of 
Dr. Griffin, of Rushton, La.), and Mary D. (wife of Frank Allen, of Homer).  
Mr. Otts' second marriage occurred at Burke Station, Iberia Parish, La., on 
July 11, 1889, to Mrs. Mary J. Reid, a widow and a native of Alabama.  She was 
reared and educated in Minden College, Louisiana, and is a lady of culture and 
refinement.  Mr. and Mrs. Otts are members of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. 
Otts is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having joined that order about 1848.  
He is a Royal Arch Mason, and has served as master and has filled other official 
positions. He represented his lodge in both Alabama and Louisiana.  Although he 
has never taken an active part in politics, he is a strong Democrat and has voted 
that ticket for fifty years.  Mr. Otts is a man of good judgment, is enterprising 
and progressive, and is one of the leading business men of northwestern Louisiana.

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