Ottawa, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Ottawa in May 2008 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: Radium City, The Friendly City, The Town of Two Rivers, The City On Sand, The Town of Stovepipe hats | |
 Location of Ottawa in LaSalle County, Illinois. | |
| Coordinates:41°21′20″N88°49′35″W / 41.35556°N 88.82639°W /41.35556; -88.82639[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | LaSalle |
| Townships | Ottawa,South Ottawa,Dayton,Rutland,Wallace |
| Incorporated | 1853 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.52 sq mi (40.19 km2) |
| • Land | 14.66 sq mi (37.96 km2) |
| • Water | 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2) |
| Elevation | 476 ft (145 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,840 |
| • Density | 1,282.0/sq mi (494.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 61350 |
| Area codes | 815, 779 |
| FIPS code | 17-56926 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396106[1] |
| Website | cityofottawa |
Ottawa is a city inLaSalle County, Illinois, United States, and itscounty seat. It is located at the confluence of the navigableFox River andIllinois River, the latter being a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan atChicago to theMississippi River. The population was 18,840 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of theOttawa, Illinois, micropolitan area.
Ottawa occupies a place on the Illinois River that has long been one end of a portage trail between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan.[3] Here the river was reliably deep enough for canoes.[3] The North Portage Trail connected the site over land and water to the Chicago River.[3]
Ottawa was the site of the first of theLincoln–Douglas debates on August 21, 1858. During the Ottawa debate,Stephen A. Douglas, leader of theDemocratic Party, openly accusedAbraham Lincoln of forming a secret bipartisan group of Congressmen to bring about the abolition ofslavery.[4]
TheJohn Hossack House was a "station" on theUnderground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation.[5] Citizens in the city were active within theabolitionist movement. Ottawa was the site of a famous 1859 extrication of a runaway slave named Jim Gray from a courthouse by prominent civic leaders of the time. Three of the civic leaders, John Hossack, Dr. Joseph Stout and James Stout, later stood trial in Chicago for violating theFugitive Slave Act of 1850.[6]
Ottawa was also important in the development of theIllinois and Michigan Canal, which terminates inLaSalle, Illinois, 12 miles to the west. In 1838, workmen from the canal project were causing public unrest.[7] During a citizens' meeting, a local political leader, Washington Armstrong, suggested that farmerWilliam Reddick be electedsheriff.[7][8] Reddick was a popular choice due to his large stature and courageous manner.[7] Reddick waselected by a large majority and held the office of sheriff for four consecutive two-year terms.[9] In 1855, while serving in theIllinois State Senate, Reddick commissioned the construction of a largeItalianate house for the then-large sum of $25,000 (~$664,619 in 2024).[8]Reddick Mansion is now one of the largest surviving homes in Illinois to predate theCivil War. In 1973, the mansion was added to theNational Register of Historic Places, as part of theWashington Park Historic District.[10]
On February 8, 1910,William Dickson Boyce, then a resident of Ottawa, incorporated theBoy Scouts of America. Five years later, also in Ottawa, Boyce incorporated theLone Scouts of America. Boyce is buried inOttawa Avenue Cemetery. The Ottawa Scouting Museum, on Canal Street, opened to the public on December 6, 1997. The museum features the history of Boy Scouting, Girl Scouting and Camp Fire.[11]
In 1922, theRadium Dial Company (RDC) moved fromPeru, Illinois to a former high school building in Ottawa.[12] The company employed hundreds of women calledRadium girls. These women painted watch dials using a paint called "LUMA", which contained a compound of ZnS(Ag) (Silver activated Zinc Sulfide) and powderedradium, for watch makerWestclox. RDC went out of business in 1936, two years after the company's president, Joseph Kelly Sr., left to start a competing company, Luminous Processes Inc., a few blocks away. The employees of the company suffered radiation toxicity, as chronicled in the 1986 documentary,Radium City.[13] After the plant closed and before it was dismantled, many residents took items from the factory for their homes. This spread the contamination even further. The building materials from the Luminuous Processes building were eventually turned into landfill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began removing contaminated material in 1986.[14]
Sixteen areas of Ottawa are still radioactive.[15] TheUnited States Department of Health and Human Services released a study outlining areas where contamination by radium-226 (Ra-226), as well as emissions ofradon-222 (Rn-222), are at or above normal levels. These areas include homes, public areas, schools, and even a car sales lot that is housed directly over the oldRadium Dial Company site. A score of 28.5/100 or higher qualifies an area for the Superfund National Priority List, and Ottawa's hazardous ranking score is 50/100.[16]
The radium in Ottawa's water supply occurs naturally in water from deep wells across northern Illinois.[17] A reverse osmosis water treatment plant removes the radium so the city's tap water complies with federal regulations.[18]
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Ottawa has a total area of 15.516 square miles (40.19 km2), of which 14.657 square miles (37.96 km2) (or 94.46%) is land and 0.859 square miles (2.22 km2) (or 5.54%) is water.[2]
| Climate data for Ottawa 5SW, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 73 (23) | 85 (29) | 93 (34) | 106 (41) | 107 (42) | 112 (44) | 107 (42) | 103 (39) | 94 (34) | 83 (28) | 71 (22) | 112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 53.7 (12.1) | 57.3 (14.1) | 72.3 (22.4) | 81.8 (27.7) | 88.6 (31.4) | 92.6 (33.7) | 93.6 (34.2) | 92.9 (33.8) | 90.8 (32.7) | 84.3 (29.1) | 69.9 (21.1) | 56.7 (13.7) | 95.5 (35.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 35.1 (1.7) | 47.6 (8.7) | 61.2 (16.2) | 71.7 (22.1) | 79.9 (26.6) | 82.9 (28.3) | 81.6 (27.6) | 76.4 (24.7) | 64.0 (17.8) | 48.5 (9.2) | 35.9 (2.2) | 59.6 (15.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 38.3 (3.5) | 50.3 (10.2) | 61.3 (16.3) | 70.2 (21.2) | 73.7 (23.2) | 71.9 (22.2) | 65.3 (18.5) | 53.3 (11.8) | 40.0 (4.4) | 28.5 (−1.9) | 50.2 (10.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 18.9 (−7.3) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 39.4 (4.1) | 50.9 (10.5) | 60.5 (15.8) | 64.4 (18.0) | 62.3 (16.8) | 54.2 (12.3) | 42.6 (5.9) | 31.5 (−0.3) | 21.1 (−6.1) | 40.8 (4.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −6.0 (−21.1) | −0.8 (−18.2) | 10.9 (−11.7) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 36.8 (2.7) | 47.5 (8.6) | 53.0 (11.7) | 52.1 (11.2) | 40.2 (4.6) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 16.4 (−8.7) | 1.9 (−16.7) | −10.0 (−23.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) | −23 (−31) | −9 (−23) | 12 (−11) | 26 (−3) | 35 (2) | 39 (4) | 33 (1) | 25 (−4) | 13 (−11) | −6 (−21) | −23 (−31) | −26 (−32) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.78 (45) | 1.54 (39) | 2.29 (58) | 3.53 (90) | 4.48 (114) | 4.40 (112) | 3.63 (92) | 3.72 (94) | 3.23 (82) | 3.10 (79) | 2.50 (64) | 1.99 (51) | 36.19 (919) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.2 (23) | 5.2 (13) | 3.3 (8.4) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.8 (2.0) | 4.8 (12) | 23.7 (60) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.7 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 11.6 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 111.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 14.3 |
| Source:NOAA[19][20] | |||||||||||||
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Because of numerous silica sand deposits (Ottawa sand was on board the ill-fatedSpace Shuttle Columbia for experimental purposes) Ottawa has been a major sand and glass center for more than 100 years. Transportation of the sand is facilitated by the navigable Illinois river and theIllinois Railway Ottawa Line. One of its largest employers isPilkington Glass, a successor to LOF (Libbey Owens Ford). Formerly concentrated in automotive glass, the plant now manufactures specialty glass and underwent a $50 million (~$74.6 million in 2024) renovation in 2006. Ottawa sand continues to be extracted from several quarries in the area, and is recognized in glass-making and abrasives for its uniform granularity and characteristics.
SABIC recently(when?) purchasedGE Plastics, a successor toBorg-Warner automotive glass manufacture, operates a large plastics facility in Ottawa, and is a major employer.
Ottawa sand is a standard testing medium ingeotechnical engineering (laboratory demonstrations and research into new technologies).
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 7,736 | — | |
| 1880 | 7,834 | 1.3% | |
| 1890 | 9,985 | 27.5% | |
| 1900 | 10,588 | 6.0% | |
| 1910 | 9,535 | −9.9% | |
| 1920 | 10,816 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 15,094 | 39.6% | |
| 1940 | 16,005 | 6.0% | |
| 1950 | 16,957 | 5.9% | |
| 1960 | 19,408 | 14.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,716 | −3.6% | |
| 1980 | 18,166 | −2.9% | |
| 1990 | 17,451 | −3.9% | |
| 2000 | 18,307 | 4.9% | |
| 2010 | 18,768 | 2.5% | |
| 2020 | 18,840 | 0.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[21] | |||
As of the2020 census[22] there were 18,840 people, 7,764 households, and 4,658 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,214.23 inhabitants per square mile (468.82/km2). There were 9,014 housing units at an average density of 580.95 per square mile (224.31/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.36%White, 2.45%African American, 0.44%Native American, 1.04%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 2.55% fromother races, and 7.13% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 9.50% of the population.
There were 7,764 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.70% were married couples living together, 15.38% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.01% were non-families. 34.31% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.95% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 2.36.
The city's age distribution consisted of 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,544, and the median income for a family was $64,128. Males had a median income of $39,677 versus $26,514 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $28,365. About 13.5% of families and 16.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Ottawa has many historic homes and registered historic landmarks. Recent additions to Ottawa have included renovations to its historic mansion, theReddick Mansion, and artistic murals throughout the central business district. Ottawa is known as the scenic gateway toStarved Rock State Park, the most popular state park in Illinois, with some 2 million visitors per year. TheFox River, which flows through communities likeElgin andAurora, empties into theIllinois in downtown Ottawa. Ottawa is also home to one of the largest skydiving operations in the country, Skydive Chicago.[23][24]
The Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum honors Ottawa resident,William D. Boyce, founder of theBoy Scouts of America.[25]
Jacob C. Zeller founded the Zeller Inn and Court Place Tavern in 1871, at 615 Columbus Street. The original Zeller Inn was demolished in 1982. The Zeller Inn tavern, originally known as the Court Place, still remains, now called Zeller Inn. The courtyard patio area on Columbus street is where the original Zeller Inn stood. The tavern contains the original mahogany bar built by the Sanders Bros in Ottawa, marble counters, tiled floors and walls, stained glass door and light fixtures. It also was known for its Gilded Age brilliance — tiled mahogany bar, carved gargoyles, pressed-tin ceiling and solid oak backbar. The mirror on the bar is the same since its establishment in 1871, which was brought over from the 1800s era European Worlds Fair. Zeller's initials, JCZ, are still visible in a tiled mosaic on the side of the bar and in the glass light domes that hang from the ceiling. This is one of the oldest taverns in Illinois, with original features which remain intact and displays the architectural details prominent in the late 1800s.
Ottawa was served by two local newspapers. The older of the two,The Times, was formed in 2005, when theStreator-basedTimes-Press merged withThe Daily Times, based in Ottawa. It is now anonline newspaper. The second was a weekly newspaper calledOttawa Delivered, which closed in 2012.[26] Ottawa is also served by theNewsTribune ofLa Salle, Illinois.[27]
Ottawa also has three local radio stations,WCMY-AM at 1430,WRWO-LP at 94.5, andWRKX-FM at 95.3.
The Times, based in Ottawa, Illinois, is owned by the Small Newspaper Group Inc. In September 2005, The Daily Times, based in Ottawa, merged with its sister paper, The Times-Press, based in Streator. The paper is now called The Times.
In 1946, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Miller purchased the Peru News-Herald and shortly after also purchased the La Salle Post-Tribune. In 1946 these papers were merged into the Daily News-Tribune. Peter Miller III joined the newspaper operation in 1982 and later changed the name of the publication to the NewsTribune.
Municipalities and communities ofLaSalle County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
