Explore Ottawa’s history through city’s downtown murals

Spend these last few days of autumn learning more about Ottawa’s history by taking a walking tour of the historical murals painted on buildings throughout the city.

The nine murals highlight Ottawa’s past by showcasing important dates along with the people who once lived in or visited the city.

The first debate for the Illinois Senate between challenger Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Stephen Douglas took place Aug. 21, 1858 in Ottawa, and is reflected in the mural “Day of the Great Debate.” Located at LaSalle and West Jackson streets, the painting by artist Don Gray tells the story of the day, which included a raucous crowd of residents who gathered to support, or heckle, their favorite candidate, according to the Ottawa Visitors Center website.

Another mural, “Imagine and Learn with Bob McGrath,” features the iconic Big Bird character. McGrath was an Ottawa native who appeared in the popular children’s program “Sesame Street.” The mural was designed and painted by Vicki Crone, and is located at Jefferson School, 1709 Columbus St.

“Ottawa’s Earliest Residents,” located at 812 LaSalle St., pays homage to the Native American tribes that originally populated what is now Ottawa. The mural, which was designed and painted by Roger Cooke Fine Arts, illustrates a herd of bison fleeing from the arrows of Native American hunters.

According to the Ottawa Visitors Center, the Brush with History public art program was created to revitalize the city’s downtown area, while creating a unique cultural attraction.

The Brush with History committee organized the mural project in 1993, and the first mural was completed in 2002. There were 10 murals created, but the mural “Ottawa as a Canal Town” was painted over when a new owner bought the building, said Donna Reynolds, tourism operations manager at Ottawa Visitors Center.

Reynolds described all of the murals as “phenomenal” works of art.

“[The murals] are all the true history in Ottawa,” she said. “All the murals you see are based off our residents. Those faces [in the murals] are of people who actually lived here. I’ve lived in Ottawa all my life, and I didn’t know a lot of what’s in the murals. You need to be a tourist in your own backyard. It’s a reflection of the past, the present.”

The two most recent additions to the city are “Revolution,” a 3D mural painted by artist John Pugh that pays tribute to Ottawa’s women shortly after they won the right to vote in 1919, and “Open for Business,” by artist Thomas Melvin, located at The First National Bank building. That mural shows scenes from the bank during The Great Depression, which was the only local bank to survive the crisis of the 1930s, according to the Ottawa Visitors Center.

Anyone interested in taking the walking tour should stop in the Ottawa Visitors Center, located at 1028 LaSalle St., and pick up the Heritage Tour book, which has a map of the murals, as well as information about the city’s history, dining, architecture and more.

“Ottawa is very rich in the arts, and we have talented people here in town,” Reynolds said. “I can’t get over how beautiful these murals are, and they’re even more impressive up close.”

Reservations can be made for a hop-on bus tour of the murals at a cost of $50 per bus, Reynolds said.

For more information about the murals or to book a tour, visit pickusottawail.com.