Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum

The Ottawa portion of the museum features collections of memorabilia relating to Ottawa’s historic past. Located on the Illinois-Michigan Canal, Ottawa was a booming canal town in the 1800s, with industry all along the lateral canal.  The museum exhibits artifacts from the past, including a carriage manufactured by the Gay Buggy Company, pianos from the Weaver Piano Factory, an organ from the Western Cottage Organ, marbles from the Peltier Marble Factory, farm equipment from Porter Manufacturing and King and Hamilton, photographic exhibits from some of our local mansions, a dress worn by a local woman during the first Lincoln-Douglas Debates, held in Ottawa in 1858, and other exhibits.

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