Genest Ottignon, Westwood's first fire chief.
-
Recent Comments
T.T. on Site Updated Joe Oettinger on Genest Ottignon T.T. on Happy 115th Birthday West… Jim Turse on Civil War Veterans Steve Belkin on Fleeced by the Police. dick on Cigarette Butts are Litte… Josh Turse on Aaron Turse Bill Bergen on Genest Ottignon B.D. on Motorcycle Noise. Bill Bergen on Welcome to Sign City USA. gary on Welcome to Sign City USA. Mr. Westwood on Westwood Memorabilia John H. on Westwood Memorabilia JimC on Welcome to Sign City USA. Joe Oettinger on Aaron Turse -
Since 2/14/04:
Free counters provided by Andale. 
MSNBC National News- Ill. prison eyed for Gitmo detainees November 15, 2009The Obama administration may buy a near-empty prison in rural Illinois to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay along with federal inmates, a White House official says.
- Report: Health bill would reduce senior care November 15, 2009The House plan to slash $500 billion from Medicare may also curb access to providers, nonpartisan agency says.
- Mom of missing 5-year-old girl charged November 15, 2009The mother of a 5-year-old girl who disappeared in N.C. was charged with human trafficking and other offenses, but officials said they still did not know the girl's whereabouts.
- Medicare paid $47 billion in suspect claims November 15, 2009The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient's condition.
- Gitmo detainees finally get day in court November 15, 2009Dozens of terror suspects are pleading for their freedom from the Guantanamo Bay prison, sometimes even testifying on their own behalf by video from the U.S. naval base in Cuba.
- Parties split on N.Y. trials of alleged terrorists November 15, 2009Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and other Republicans say that putting suspected terrorists on trial in New York creats unnecessary security issues.
- Funerals held for some Fort Hood victims November 14, 2009Several victims of the Fort Hood shooting rampage were being remembered Saturday during funeral services.
- Madoff's Mets jacket sells for $14,500 November 15, 2009Items once belonging to Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff and his wife fetched as much as 20 times their estimated value at a New York City auction on Saturday.
- 2012 already? GOP wannabes jockey early November 15, 2009At least a half-dozen Republicans are in the early stages of campaigning for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama in his expected re-election race.
- 3 medical crew die in helicopter crash November 14, 2009A medical helicopter crashed early Saturday north of Reno near the Nevada-California state line, killing three crew members aboard, officials said.
- Overdue books returned — 51 years later November 15, 2009A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.
- Swim club in bias lawsuit to file bankruptcy November 14, 2009A suburban swim club accused of discrimination last summer after revoking the memberships of mostly black and Hispanic children plans to declare bankruptcy, a newspaper reported Saturday.
- Ice addict aims for poles, Everest in one year November 14, 2009An ice addict is starting his mission to become the first person to trek to the South Pole, North Pole and Mt. Everest all in one year. The goal? To raise awareness about climate change.
- Urn with veteran’s ashes stolen November 15, 2009An urn containing the ashes of a decorated Korean War veteran has been stolen from a van the soldier's family rented to attend his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Ill. prison eyed for Gitmo detainees November 15, 2009
2 responses so far ↓
Bill Bergen // October 2, 2008 at 7:03 pm |
The Westwood Public Library has a very good book entitled, The Ottignon Family History. This 1997 work provides a lot of background on Genest Ottignon, as well as other Ottignons. The media coverage of Genest’s 1926 funeral is especially impressive. Check it out.
Joe Oettinger // August 4, 2009 at 2:19 pm |
Genest M. Ottignon (1840-1926) was one of the most colorful characters in early Westwood history. He served in the Union Army during the War of the Rebellion. In June, 1873, he operated a livery stable at the approximate location of the present Westwood train station building. In August, 1873, he was captain of Westwood’s baseball team, the actives. In 1874, he was on the village of Westwood’s Independence Day committee. From 1875 to 1881, he was proprietor of the Westwood House, a tavern-hotel located at the northeast corner of present day Westwood Avenue and Broadway. In June, 1889, he opened a planing and molding mill with A. Waldron. When the local Farmers’ Game Protective Association was organized in October, 1890, he was elected the association’s first president. From May, 1892 until around March, 1894, when the village of Westwood was still a section of Washington Township, he served as a Justice of the Peace of Washington Township. When the village of Westwood organized a fire department on February 10, 1894, he was one of its original members, and was elected its first foreman. When the Board of Education for the Borough of Westwood organized around July, 1894, he served on the first Board of Education. In 1896, he was Westwood’s Road Commissioner. When the Borough of Westwood established its first Municipal Court on May 1, 1898, he was the first Justice of the Peace. On June 23, 1899, after the Mayor and Council gave him an electric lighting franchise, he established the Union Electric Lighting Company, and built an electricity generating plant on his millwork property at the southeast corner of Park and St. Nicholas avenues. In April, 1902, he was appointed to a committee of the newly formed Calvary Baptist Church for the purpose of securing a lot on which to build a church. He was also a member of the Westwood Cornet Band, and a real estate developer.