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LaSalle/Peru
| Marseilles
In 1830, the I&M Canal Commissioners platted two towns – Chicago and Ottawa. Located at the confluence of the Fox and Illinois Rivers, Ottawa prospered because the canal made it possible to transport the sand, gravel and clay that were mined here. By 1900, the pure silica sand mined from the rich pits around the city made Ottawa a leading glass producer.
A varied history
Although the I&M Canal is now dry in this area, Ottawa has two of the canal’s most important landmarks – the huge Fox River Aqueduct and the last remaining tollhouse, a tiny wood frame structure. Ottawa is also proud to be the site of Lincoln and Douglas’
first
historic debate over slavery,the home of prominent abolitionists, the seat
of LaSalle County, and the home of boyscouts founder W.D. Boyce. Scenic
sandstone bluffs and sites rich in the legacy of Native Americans surround
Ottawa.
©2002 Canal Corridor Association