BIOGRAPHY: Peter C. OTT, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 393-4
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PETER C. OTT, an enterprising music-dealer of Dale borough, Cambria county, is a 
son of Charles and Mary Ott, and was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, July 
15, 1863.
     His father was born in Germany on January 6, 1830. He came to the United 
States with his father in 1850, being twenty years of age, and located with him 
in Somerset county, where he and five brothers worked in harmony with their 
father and bought a large farm, and erected an old-fashioned saw-mill, and all 
worked in common until the farm was paid for.
     In 1853 he was united in marriage to Mary, daughter of John and Christina 
Naugle, and worked as a day laborer until he had saved enough money to purchase 
a farm, upon which he spent many years in hard labor. In 1890 he sold his farm 
and moved to the village of Hooversville, Somerset county, and lived there for 
two years. His wife died there at the age of fifty-six years.
     His marriage with Mary Naugle resulted in the birth of seven children, six 
boys and one girl; of these, one boy is dead.
     Peter C. Ott has attained what success is his, in the business world, with 
the aid of but a common-school education. His boyhood days and early manhood 
were spent with his father upon the farm, and also in the lumbering business.
     In 1885 he purchased a saw-mill of his father, and operated it for a term 
of five years, and in the spring of 1890 sold the saw-mill, together with his 
father's farm, came to Johnstown, bought a lot, and erected a house upon it. The 
same year he embarked in the hotel business, and successfully pursued this line 
for four years.
     In 1894, retiring from that kind of work, he disposed of the hotel, and 
embarked in his present form of merchandizing. By close attention to business 
and the exercise of that enterprise and thorough-going spirit so truly 
characteristic of him, he succeeded in building up a large and constantly-
increasing business.
     Mr. Ott finds his political affinity in the principles and policies of the 
Democratic party, and is steadfast in the support of the same, in the councils 
and work of which he takes an active and intelligent part.
     In 1893 he served as councilman of Dale borough, and showed that he 
possessed a comprehensive and intelligent conception of the little borough's 
needs, discharging every duty coming within his jurisdiction with satisfaction 
to all. He is also a member of the Democratic county committee, and as such does 
everything he can to uphold and promote in his community the cause of the 
Democratic party.
     Fraternally he is a member of Valley Castle, No. 261, Knights of the Golden 
Eagle, and religiously of the Lutheran church. April 14, 1887, he wedded Lizzie 
Harshberger, a daughter of John and Louvina Harshberger, of Somerset county, and 
four children have been born to their union.
     Herman W. was born March 4, 1888, and died March 2, 1890; Cora May was born 
October 30, 1889; Mabel Edith was born August 9, 1891, and died December 29, 
1893; Harry E. was born July 29, 1893. Lizzie Harshberger, wife of Peter C. Ott, 
was born July 22, 1862.