St. John's United Church of Christ Draw Well - Otto, TX
N 31° 27.477 W 096° 49.233
14R E 707085 N 3482412
A capped well is behind St. John's United Church of Christ at 272 FM 2603 at Falls County Rd 165 in rural Falls County, just a little northwest of Otto, TX.
Waymark Code: WM15RAG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/14/2022
Views: 1
This beautiful church is located about 2.7 miles northwest of Otto, and 8.5 miles southeast of Riesel. Otto itself dates to about 1901, although there was settlement in the area in the 1850s. By the 1920s, there were maybe a thousand people here, but the population began to dwindle after the Great Depression and World War II. When the railroad ceased operations here in 1967, Otto's population decline continued, down to just a few hundred, and today, there might be fifty people here.
The church sign indicates that they were established in 1886. While the church is listed on the United Church of Christ website, and they have a presence on Facebook, there's otherwise not much to be found in the way of history. Their sanctuary looks to be at least a hundred years old, perhaps constructed between 1890 and 1910, and the well was probably dug and in use during Otto's glory days. "9.24.1946" is etched on the cap, and while it looks like they covered the entire well with concrete, some of that has peeled away to reveal the original brick.