General Information

• The Daily Times of Ottawa and The Times-Press of Streator have merged into a new newspaper called The Times.

Location

The Times
110 W Jefferson St.
Ottawa, Ill., 61350

Building and payment hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. - noon Saturday (closed Sundays).

Other Publications

mywebtimes.com: The Times is also posted on-line at www.mywebtimes.com.


Ottawa

• Picturesque Ottawa, at the confluence of the Fox and Illinois Rivers, in north-central Illinois, is the county seat of LaSalle County. Incorporated in 1853, the city derives its name from the Indian term "adawe" (to trade).

• Historic Washington Park, site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, and its rose-bordered walk lead to many historic buildings that face the square. The park is undergoing change, taking it back to early Ottawa, including replica street lights and an old time popcorn wagon. Monuments honor local war casualties and the park reminds visitors of an era long past.

• Among the buildings facing the park is the home of William Reddick. It was bequeathed to the city in 1885 and served as the library until 1975 when the new library was built. It has since been restored and provides offices and meeting facilities for quasi-public groups, including the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• Ottawa is a community of just over 20,000. It's prime location in North Central Illinois, just 80 miles southwest of Chicago on Interstate 80, positions the community in a most advantageous location.

• Situated in the midst of some of the world's richest farmland, an almost daily parade of grain trucks through Ottawa provide direct access to overseas markets via New Orleans for the abundant harvest of corn and soybeans. This commercial waterway system of the Illinois River provides low-cost barge service to local industry. The river is a major link between the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Gulf of Mexico.

• Ottawa has two strong school systems, consisting of four public elementary schools and a public junior high school, and two parochial grade schools. At the secondary level, the public Ottawa Township High School and the private Marquette High offer a range of academic, athletic and extra-curricular opportunities. Cooperation between both systems allows the best of opportunities for all students.

• OTHS houses 1,600 students; Ottawa Grade Schools houses 2,300. Nearly 700 students are enrolled in the private schools.

• The school systems reflect their community's history, using the best of the past and future. Marquette High School, completed in the 1990s, replaced an obsolete structure once housing a school and convent. Lincoln School in the public system combines a century-old building with two new wings. Both systems are using the latest in computer technology.

• Ottawans enjoy clean air, four distinct seasons, a wide variety of leisure activities, beautiful neighborhoods and river recreation. Named the "Town of Two Rivers," Ottawa celebrates each year during Riverfest in mid-summer. Flea markets, street dances, "Taste of Ottawa", parade, fireworks, entertainment and events occur at that time.