Ottawa is a city in north-central Illinois. It is the county seat of La Salle County, Illinois
The county seat of La Salle County, one of Illinois' largest counties by area, Ottawa is at the heart of corn and soybean farming in North Central Illinois. It is also the site of the Third Appellate District Court for Northern Illinois, and has many historic homes and registered historic landmarks. Recent additions to Ottawa have included renovations to its historic mansion, the Reddick Mansion, and artistic murals throughout the central business district. Several Ottawa businesses have conducted historic renovations of central business properties. Ottawa is known as the scenic gateway to Starved Rock State Park, the most popular state park in Illinois, with some 2 million visitors per year.
The Fox River, which flows through communities like Elgin and Aurora empties into the Illinois in downtown Ottawa.
As of the census of 2000, there are 18,307 people, 7,510 households, and 4,889 families residing in the city. The population density is 964.3/km2 (2,497.9/mi2). There are 8,030 housing units at an average density of 423.0/km2 (1,095.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 95.26% White, 1.37% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 5.21% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,510 households out of which 31.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% are married couples living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% are non-families. 30.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,513, and the median income for a family is $44,435. Males have a median income of $41,943 versus $22,041 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,426. 11.3% of the population and 9.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Ottawa is known for several major reasons.
It was the site of the first of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 during which Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democratic party, openly accused Abraham Lincoln of forming a secret bipartisan group of Congressmen to bring about the abolition of slavery.
Ottawa was also important in the development of the Illinois-Michigan Canal, which terminates in LaSalle, Illinois 12 miles to the west, which linked the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan and Chicago in the 19th century.
A hotbed of the abolition movement and a major stop on the underground railroad, because of its rail, road, and river transportation, Ottawa was the site of a famous abduction of a runaway slave from its courthouse by prominent civic leaders, who stood trial in Chicago for this daring escapade.
Source:
OttawaIL.com
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