Ottawa

Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, in the central United States. The population was 11,921 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and most populous city of Franklin County. Ottawa is included in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The town grew up around Ottawa Indian settlements. The tribe lived in the area from 1837 to 1867 and donated land for Ot... more

Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, in the central United States. The population was 11,921 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and most populous city of Franklin County. Ottawa is included in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The town grew up around Ottawa Indian settlements. The tribe lived in the area from 1837 to 1867 and donated land for Ottawa University. The town and university were named for the tribe. The city of Ottawa has a history of flooding due to the Marais Des Cygnes river. One of the first big floods which was noted happened in 1844, twenty years before the city's founding in 1864. No official measurements were taken, though was estimated to be at 40 feet (12 m). A flood in 1928 had a crest point of 38.65 in which 6 people died. Other flood years include 1904, with a crest of 35.8 feet (10.9 m); 1909, cresting at 36.3 feet (11.1 m); 1915, cresting at 31 feet (9.4 m),... less