Ottawa in Putnam County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Native Americans in Ottawa

Ohio Historical Marker

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 3, 2009

1. Native Americans in Ottawa Marker

View of front side of historical marker.

Inscription. [Front Side]:

The Ottawa, or "Tawa" Indians had inhabited the Maumee Valley since the middle of the 1700s. By the 1790s, Ottawa settlements included villages along the Blanchard River at the present-day Village of Ottawa. During the War of 1812, Colonel James Findlay destroyed these villages because the Ottawa aided British forces. In 1817, the United States government established a reserve for the Ottawa in exchange for their lands in Northwest Ohio. The reserve encompassed a five-mile square area; its center was the intersection of the Blanchard River and an Indian trace near what is now Old State Route 65. (Continued on other side)

[Reverse Side]:

(Continued from other side) The reserve included the Ottawa villages of Lower Tawas, on Tawa Run, and Upper Tawas, two miles east on the Blanchard River in the vicinity of present-day County Road 8. Near each of these villages were Ottawa burial grounds, which were eventually unearthed by white settlers and residents of the village. The Ottawa ceded their reserve to United States in 1831 and were removed to a reservation in what would become Kansas. The land was auctioned

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off to white settlers in 1833 and the Village of Ottawa was established in 1834.

Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, First Bank of Ottawa, Sky Bank, Union Bank, The Putnam County Genealogical Society, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 3-69.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.

Location. 41° 1.143′ N, 84° 2.954′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Ohio, in Putnam County. It is on West Main Street (U.S. 224) just west of South Walnut Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ottawa OH 45875, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Black Swamp

and in the Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 3, 2009

2. Native Americans in Ottawa Marker

View of reverse side of historical marker

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Honor Their Sacrifice (within shouting distance of this marker); Honor Our Veterans (within shouting distance of this marker); This Plaque (within shouting distance of this marker); V.F.W. Post No. 9142 Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Service Above Self (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Pizza Hut Classic (about 800 feet away); Putnam County World War Memorial Clock (approx. 0.2 miles away); Putnam County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ottawa.

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 3, 2009

3. Native Americans in Ottawa Marker

View of historical marker looking east down West Main Street.

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 3, 2009

4. Native Americans in Ottawa Marker

View of historical marker located in downtown park setting. Note that building to the right of the park as sandbags surrounding its outer perimeter to provide protection from the flood waters of the Blanchard River (located about two blocks to the south).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,024 times since then and 132 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 12, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.