The story
History
19th century
The name derives from the Ottawa tribe of Native Americans, on whose reservation the city was laid out. In the spring of 1864, title to the land was obtained from the tribe through treaty connected to the founding of Ottawa University, the Ottawa having donated 20,000 acres of land to establish and fund a school for the education of Indians and non-Indians alike. The word Ottawa itself means "to trade". In 1867, the Ottawa tribe sold their remaining land in Kansas and moved to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
On the last day of March 1864, J.C. Richmond built the first non-Indian settlement in the new town, at the corner of Walnut and First streets.
Flooding
Ottawa has a history of flooding because of its location straddling the Marais Des Cygnes river. The area's first recorded flood was the Great Flood of 1844. In 1928, a flood crested at 38.65 feet and killed six people. Other flood years include 1904, when water crested at 36 feet and ran to a man's shoulders in the Santa Fe depot; 1909, cresting at 36.3 feet (11.1 m); 1915, cresting at 31 feet (9.4 m), and 1944, cresting at 36.5 feet (11.1 m).
However, it is the Great Flood of 1951 which is the most famous. It was about five inches higher than the 1928 flood. The flood of 1951 affected much of Missouri and Kansas and 41 people died. One-third of Ottawa was covered because of this flood.
It is unlikely Ottawa will suffer major damage due to a flood again thanks to a series of levees and pumping stations built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s, which is part of a larger system of flood systems to regulate the Marais Des Cygnes River to the Missouri River. The levees built along the river are inspected on an annual basis to ensure their quality.
20th century
In 1943, German and Italian prisoners of World War II were brought to Kansas and other Midwest states to help solve the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war. Large internment camps were established in Kansas: Camp Concordia, Camp Funston (at Fort Riley), Camp Phillips (at Salina under Fort Riley). Fort Riley established 12 smaller branch camps, including Ottawa.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ottawa had a population of 12,625, with 5,095 households and 3,095 families.
The population density was 1,223.2 inhabitants per square mile (472.3/km2). There were 5,558 housing units at an average density of 538.5 per square mile (207.9/km2). Of all housing units, 8.3% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.
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The median age was 36.1 years. Of residents, 23.5% were under the age of 18, 11.6% were from 18 to 24, 25.4% were from 25 to 44, 23.0% were from 45 to 64, and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males age 18 and over.
Of the households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.8% were married-couple households, 20.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 29.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0.
98.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.3% lived in rural areas. Among residents, 84.7% were non-Hispanic White.
2016–2020 American Community Survey
The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the percent of residents age 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher was 14.8%.
The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $47,233 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,697) and the median family income was $62,633 (+/- $8,998). Males had a median income of $40,405 (+/- $4,108) versus $28,600 (+/- $4,719) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,282 (+/- $2,999). Approximately, 9.5% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under the age of 18 and 18.8% of those ages 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 12,649 people, 4,998 households, and 3,127 families living in the city. The population density was 1,357.2 inhabitants per square mile (524.0/km2). There were 5,518 housing units at an average density of 592.1 per square mile (228.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 2.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population.
There were 4,998 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.
The median age in the city was 33.2 years. 27% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
From Wikipedia’s article on Ottawa, Kansas, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4