BIO: John Otto WITMAN, Dauphin County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, page 356.
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  WITMAN, JOHN OTTO, was born January 11, 1802, in Reading, Pa.; died 
April 12, 1884, in Halifax, Dauphin county, Pa.; son of Benjamin Witman 
and Margaret Otto.  He was educated at private schools and the Reading 
Academy.  He was a clerk in the surveyor general's office under Gabriel 
Hiester, during Governor Shulze's administration; studied medicine 
under Dr. Luther Reily, attended lectures at University of Pennsylvania 
in 1826-27; was physician to the Dauphin county almshouse in 1827-28; 
received the honorary degree of M. D. from the University of Maryland 
in 1843; commenced the practice of medicine in Harrisburg in 1827, and 
continued till 1832, when he removed to Gratz, Dauphin county, Pa., 
where he practiced till 1837, when he returned to Harrisburg and 
associated himself with Doctors Luther Reily and E. L. Orth, which 
continued until 1840; then removed to Halifax, Dauphin county, Pa., 
where he continued in an active and extensive practice till the fall of 
1870, when bodily infirmity compelled him to relinquish all except 
office work.  Dr. Witman married, April 17, 1828, Caroline Orth, 
daughter of Henry Orth, born 1810, in Harrisburg, and died there 
January 10, 1848.  They left several children.