![]() Reddick Mansion is now one of the largest surviving homes in Illinois to predate the Civil War. In 1855, while serving in the Illinois State Senate, Reddick commissioned the construction of a large Italianate house for the then-large sum of $25,000. Reddick was elected by a large majority and held the office of sheriff for four consecutive two-year terms. Reddick was a popular choice due to his large stature and courageous manner. During a citizens' meeting, a local political leader, Washington Armstrong, suggested that farmer William Reddick be elected sheriff. In 1838, workmen from the canal project were causing public unrest. Ottawa was also important in the development of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which terminates in LaSalle, Illinois, 12 miles to the west. Joseph Stout and James Stout, later stood trial in Chicago for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Three of the civic leaders, John Hossack, Dr. 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. Citizens in the city were active within the abolitionist movement. The John Hossack House was a "station" on the Underground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation. 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 the site of the first of the Lincoln–Douglas debates on August 21, 1858. The North Portage Trail connected the site over land and water to the Chicago River. Here the river was reliably deep enough for canoes. ![]() ![]() 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. ![]()
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