Ottville, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ottville, Illinois
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 Ottville, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Ottville, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Bureau |
| Elevation | 653 ft (199 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 815 & 779 |
| GNIS feature ID | 415240 |
Ottville is a small, quiet place in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community. This means it is a settlement that does not have its own local government. Instead, it is part of the larger county.
Ottville is located in the northern part of Illinois. You can find it northwest of a town called Spring Valley. It is also southeast of another community named Seatonville.
Contents
The Story of Ottville
Who Started Ottville?
Ottville was founded by a man named William Ott. He was born in 1805 and lived until 1871. William Ott was not just the founder; he also served as the community's postmaster. A postmaster is the person in charge of a local post office. They make sure mail gets delivered.
What Was Ottville Like?
Long ago, Ottville was a busy and growing village. It had many important places that people needed.
- It had a blacksmith shop, where metal tools and horseshoes were made.
- There was a post office, which helped people send and receive letters.
- A church provided a place for worship and community gatherings.
- A sorghum mill was used to process sorghum, a plant similar to sugarcane, to make syrup.
- An ice house kept food and other items cold before refrigerators were common.
- There was also a public school, where children in the community learned.
Why Did Ottville Change?
Ottville was once a thriving place, but it started to decline. The main reason was the lack of a railroad. In those days, railroads were very important for transporting goods and people. Towns with railroads grew quickly. Ottville did not have a railroad line. Because of this, other nearby communities that did have railroads became more successful.
The public school in Ottville eventually closed. Its last student graduated in May 1955. This marked the end of an era for the small community. Today, Ottville remains a quiet, unincorporated area, a reminder of its past as a busy village.
