Outskirts Press, INC.

Ottawa, Illinois, A Special Town

Judges from the “America in Bloom” association recently promoted Ottawa, Illinois to its Circle of Champions. Through the years, the city was declared Best in the Country for Heritage Preservation, Most Dynamic Transformation of a Downtown Treescape, and other equally prestigious awards. The honors the city has received caused the judges to place our town with 26 others throughout the United States in their Circle of Champions. This small book shares information about Ottawa, its origins and development, the events that shaped its history, and some of the disasters that have occurred. Details about the first Lincoln/Douglas Debate and the Illinois & Michigan Canal are included. Today, Ottawa is a vibrant community with beautiful tree-lined streets and bump-out curbs. It’s filled with colorful plants and flowers. A dozen professionally designed historical murals are in different locations around town; details are presented about the murals. Speculators have produced plans for Ottawa’s future, and those plans are included. Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame and William D. Boyce, who started Boy Scouts in America, were part of a group of special people who called Ottawa home. Biographies of some of Ottawa’s celebrities are shared in the last chapter. The book is presented to the tourist who might want to know about our town. It’s also presented to Ottawa’s residents, who want to learn some of Ottawa’s past, present, and future achievements and events.