Otto Kochtitzky Papers, 1850-1935

<P>Otto Kochtitzky was born May 4, 1855, near South Bend, Indiana, to Oscar von Kochtitzky and Caroline Shidler Kochtitzky. His father was a member of an old Silesian or Polish aristocratic family of some political influence. His family moved to Missouri when Otto Kochtitzky was a child. Otto Kochtitzky attended public schools at Lebanon and Jefferson City and at the age of 16 he taught school in Laclede County. In 1875, he was sent by his father, who at that time was a land commissioner in the state department, to southeast Missouri to investigate the swamp lands of Pemiscot and New Madrid Counties. In 1881, he was placed in charge of the survey of the Little River Valley and Arkansas Railroad, built from New Madrid, Missouri, to Malden, Missouri. This was the first railroad constructed in that district and it became a link of the Cotton Belt. After this road was sold to the Cotton Belt he was made topographical engineer on the survey. In 1883, he entered the grain business at Malden, but remained in this only a short time. On November 11, 1883, he married Miss Isabella Wade. In 1901, he moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where he carried on a land trading business. In 1907, he was made the chief engineer of the Little River Drainage District in southeast Missouri, where he prepared plans for the drainage system. He invented a walking excavator for ditching. Although he served his official connection with the drainage district before the actual construction of the ditches began in 1914, he maintained close contact with the construction. Otto Kochtitzky died in June 1935.</P>

<P>Collection includes correspondence; engineering notes, newsclippings, maps, blueprints, deeds, contracts, insurance and tax papers, plats, photographs, drawings, ledgers, and journals concerning his work in reclaiming land in southeast Missouri swamps, records concerning the Chautauqua Club, Cape Girardeau, 1907.</P>

<P>21 boxes; 1 oversize folder; 19 volumes</P>

<P>Cite as: Otto Kochtitzky Papers, Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis.</P>

奥托·科赫蒂茨基于1855年5月4日出生于印第安纳州南本德附近，其父奥斯卡·冯·科赫蒂茨基系一古老西里西亚或波兰贵族家庭成员，颇具政治影响力。科赫蒂茨基家族在奥托幼年时迁至密苏里州。奥托·科赫蒂茨基在利巴嫩和杰弗逊城接受公立学校教育，16岁时开始在拉克莱德县担任教师。1875年，其父时任州政府部门土地专员，派其前往密苏里州东南部调查佩米斯科特和新马德里县的湿地。1881年，他被任命负责从密苏里州新马德里至马登的Little River Valley和Arkansas铁路的测绘工作。这是该地区第一条铁路，成为棉花地带的一部分。铁路出售给棉花地带后，他被任命为测绘部门的总地形工程师。1883年，他在马登进入粮食行业，但仅短暂停留。1883年11月11日，他与伊莎贝拉·韦德小姐结婚。1901年，他迁至密苏里州凯普吉拉多，在那里从事土地交易业务。1907年，他被任命为东南密苏里州Little River排水区首席工程师，负责排水系统的规划。他发明了一种用于沟渠挖掘的步行挖掘机。尽管他在1914年沟渠实际施工前就与排水区保持官方联系，但他始终与施工保持密切沟通。奥托·科赫蒂茨基于1935年6月去世。</P>

<P>本收藏包括信函、工程笔记、新闻剪报、地图、蓝图、地契、合同、保险和税务文件、地籍图、照片、图纸、账簿和日记，记录了他在东南密苏里州湿地土地复垦工作中的相关事务，以及1907年关于凯普吉拉多Chautauqua俱乐部的记录。</P>

<P>藏品数量：21个盒子；1个大号文件夹；19卷。</P>

<P>引用格式：奥托·科赫蒂茨基档案，密苏里历史学会档案，圣路易斯。</P>
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