Born: 1881, the son of Sidney Edwin Otis and Ellen Whitman
Died: January 1961, buried in Harrietstown Cemetery
Married: Clara P. possibly Duprey b.~ 1888, divorced in Dade, Florida in 1952 cert #7036
Children: Estelle M. Otis b.~1913 in 1940 she was doing fashion work in Manhattan
Matt Otis, proprietor of Lake Clear's general store, advertised "Chicago dressed beef, native lamb, veal, and poultry, fresh eggs, butter, milk and cream, along with fish and game in season." Free delivery was offered to all camps. (See Lake Clear.) Lewis Spence wrote about Matt Otis in his memoir, A Mountain View, pages 122-25, including "the most memorable story about Matt . . . his remarkable rescue, in 1903 or 1904, of Howard Bucknell, Howard's bride of ten days or so, and his brand-new mother-in-law." Spence's grandfather, John R. Dunlap, hired Otis as a guide at his first camp on Gilpin Bay in the 1920s. Spence states that his grandfather held Otis in high esteem.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, Friday April 15, 1910
Matthew W. Otis has purchased the well-known Adirondack summer resort at Lake Clear, known as "Rice's," which was recently sold at a referee's sale, paying about $8,000 for the property. He intends to put a new manager in charge of the hotel, and open it later on for the accommodation of the summer business.
Lake Placid News, October 5, 1917
M. W. Otis of Lake Clear has received instructions from the War Department at Washington to start enlisting men in the 20th Engineers for forestry service. Mr. Otis wants to raise a company of 250 men in this section if possible. George Lyeth, jr. of Lake Clear has the honor of heading the list of the men enlisted in this company.
Plattsburgh Press Republican, Wednesday, October 1, 1947
SARANAC LAKE. — A contract for the pouring of a concrete foundation for the support of a steel hangar at the Saranac Lake airport was awarded last week to Matthew W. Otis of the firm of Otis and Elliott, Lake Clear.
