This last weekend was full of two things: sun and tractors! Congratulations to the Power of the Past team, who pulled off another great community event (lots of photos here). The town was flooded with individuals from states away for the festivities in Forest Park and the excellent rural quality of life. This year was extra special, being the 30th anniversary of the beloved program. Here is to thirty more years of tractor/engine fun!
Downtown Stories Come Alive
Following last week’s Chamber Coffee, the Franklin County Historical Society did not slow down one bit―with two new programs scheduled for this week. On Monday, they had the first edition of what they coined “Buildings on the Brink”. A speaker series that consists of downtown Ottawa building owners who have revived, or are in the process of restoring, these historic structures (picture here). Then on Thursday, they invited folks to move downtown with them on a walking tour, highlighting what makes these downtown buildings unique, and touching on some of the fun stories that go along with them (pictures here). Below, I share more about both of these experiences if you want to learn a little more vicariously through me.
Buildings on the Brink
Here’s a bit more info about this week’s Buildings on the Brink program. The two buildings discussed included 130 S Main Street and 213 S Main Street, owned by Rick Deitz and Eric Duderstadt, respectively (pictures here). 130 S Main currently hosts Jeff Carroll and Ottawa Bike and Trail. A fun fact about this building: it is the oldest existing downtown building in Ottawa (built in 1867). So much so, that its original address wasn’t even 130, but rather 58. Diana shared that before our current system for numbering buildings, they just literally counted as they moved down the street. In the 1880s, the system switched, and so did the address. Rick did a fantastic job talking about his building and sharing his and his wife Diane’s story, which now consists of owning more than a handful of historic buildings in our community. But every story has its origin, and 130 S Main Street was their first. When they bought this building in 2017, nearly 50% of downtown Ottawa was sitting vacant. A pretty astounding fact, knowing how vibrant this five-block strip is today. Though they didn’t invent the idea of restoring historic buildings, they are undoubtedly large players in creating the momentum that we see today. With a passion for riding bikes, the Dietzes met Jeff Carroll when they were restoring the store. Within a day's conversation, they knew that this would be the home of Ottawa’s newest bike shop. And the rest is history!
Eric Duderstadt shared the history behind his building at 213 S Main Street, or what they dubbed “The White Front”, because of the white brick storefront. Fun fact about this building, that white brick is not just painted traditional brick, but rather the brick is white through and through. Eric and his wife, Heidi, purchased this building in 2016, and prior to its purchase, they were not particularly in the market for a commercial space. He shared that at this time, Heidi wanted to start her own private counseling practice. They were thinking about renting a space somewhere, but just through happenstance, started conversations that very quickly turned into a purchase. With the help of his father, Wayne, Eric spent many long nights at 213 as they worked on the tin ceiling, replaced the wood floors, and turned this storefront into what it is today. Heidi runs her practice out of the back office, and the front is where you can find Sutton’s Jewelry, who happen to be celebrating a big milestone anniversary this year (75 years!).
Along with the owner’s testimonies and background, Diana and her team dug up loads of content about the buildings, including info about who owned and operated the spaces throughout the years. They do all this with the goal of elevating the conversation around historic preservation and what it takes to maintain these pieces of living history. It’s important to note that these blurbs are just small samples of the great content that was shared Monday evening. The best part about these programs is that the Historical Society plans on continuing them in the future! Stay tuned for future dates.
From Ornamental Iron to Global Steel: Ottawa’s Hidden History
Diana Staresinic-Deane led three waves of walking tours throughout the downtown last night, while highlighting some of the unique architecture that is ever-present but often overlooked. So many of our downtown buildings have ornamental iron decorating them (picture here). The large majority of these pieces were made right here in town through two different foundries, Ottawa Foundry and Novelty Ironworks. The most common brand you see on our downtown structures, including the Chamber’s building, is from the Ottawa Foundry, which was located just around the corner off Walnut Street. Where the Legacy Square playground sits now, this iron company at one point was working on 140,000 pounds of metal a month at its peak. This included the molds for the decorative work found on historic buildings in Ottawa, which can be seen throughout the entire state. Diana shared that the Ottawa Foundry was quite prolific, and can be seen in dozens of communities that share this piece of history if you’re paying close enough attention. These pieces give these buildings a touch of flair, while also often providing structural support as well.
I found it extremely interesting to hear what happened to this company that played such a significant role in our community for so long. Eventually, the Ottawa Foundry merged, which involved delving into more concrete work than just iron products—though they never fully strayed from their core focus. Then following that transition, they merged again when they got bought out by a company called Ottawa Steel Products. If you’re not familiar, Ottawa Steel is known for creating a revolutionary steel tractor, which is still produced here in Ottawa and distributed on a global stage as Kalmar Ottawa. How cool is that?! If you want to hear more about the history of downtown Ottawa, join Diana on October 16 as she discusses historic undertakers and casket makers to celebrate the spooky season.
Agriculture Up Close
This week, Leadership Franklin County met for its third class period. This month’s focus engaged Franklin County’s largest industry: agriculture. This included visiting New Horizons Ranch, Judd Ranch, listening to a panel of local ag ambassadors, and concluding at Mustang Seed (picture here). Along the way, they learned about the importance of this industry, but also the changes that it's seen over the last few decades. As farming operations are forced to get larger to be sustainable, the nature of running a family farm has changed almost completely. The introduction of technology plays a big role, as well as slimming profit margins. At the start of the class period, participants were asked about their familiarity with ag, and many grew up in settings that weren’t surrounded by those in the industry. As a result, there was much to absorb!
Prior to LFC arriving at Mustang Seed, 3rd graders from across the county engulfed the site as the Franklin County Farm Bureau Association hosted its annual Day on the Farm (pictures here). When speaking with Lisa Rivers, the association’s director, she shared that this day is special for several reasons. One reason is the impactful education that takes place each year. Secondly, when planning an event of this caliber, it truly can’t be done by just one organization. It takes all the local ag partners to step up and play a role to make it happen, along with local businesses that sponsor financially. Whether it’s writing a check, in-kind labor/goods, or active participation and planning, this team effort creates a program that is truly generational. Many who help lead this program experienced it themselves when they were in third grade. It’s really come full circle in such a neat way!
The Gift of Birth, Close to Home
If you need a reason to be proud to live in Ottawa Kansas, AdventHealth Ottawa is giving you a really good one. Beginning next Monday (September 22), local families will once again have the opportunity to welcome their babies right here at home (full press release here)! AdventHealth Ottawa celebrated the reopening of its Family Birth Place yesterday, as hundreds came out to celebrate what was set up as a birthday celebration. They had face painting, bounce houses, cupcakes, and even children’s TV favorite Bluey was on site. It was refreshing to see all the families come out and let their littles run around and enjoy the party. With the help of our new birthing center staff, the AdventHealth executive team, and local elected officials, they cut the ribbon signifying the reopening of this space. More importantly, stating their commitment to families and women’s health in our area (pictures here).
When AdventHealth Ottawa announced that these services would be paused nearly two years ago, there was serious concern throughout the community about how this would impact current/future patients. It was stated that across the AdventHealth Ottawa extended service area, there are over 500 deliveries that take place each year. From the Chamber’s perspective, we want to see our workforce grow and attract young families to our community. From those who already live here, how special is it to say you were born and raised in a community? For those living outside of Ottawa in the surrounding area, the ability to shorten their drive for these services and avoid traveling to the city is a significant benefit. All in all, it was clear to so many what it means to have birthing here in town―and it was obvious to the AdventHealth team, too! The AHO Board, hospital staff, and the AdventHealth network started working right away on how to bridge this gap and bring a vital service back to our local hospital. It didn’t happen overnight; it took a significant amount of manpower and an incredible amount of resources, but it’s back!
The reason this challenge was so immense was not because of the lack of facilities or financial backing from the hospital network; it was finding the right team members to relocate to our area and serve in these critical roles for this department. This gap was filled by four outstanding new doctors, including Dr. Bridget Abney (OB/GYN), Dr. Raven Weiss (Family Medicine/Obstetrics), and Dr. Haley Lowell (Family Medicine/Obstetrics), who are all ready to hit the ground running here in town! They will be joined by Dr. Chase Brown (Family Medicine/Obstetrics), who will round out the labor and delivery program at AdventHealth Ottawa in early 2026. Along with these four, there are currently eleven other full-time clinical positions in the labor and delivery unit. Many of these individuals' positions were with the OB team prior to the pause, and have served in other departments with the intention of it being reopened, as it has. Not only will the Family Birth Place be staffed with skilled personnel, but it will also feature state-of-the-art tools and technology. These cutting-edge additions have been provided by the AdventHealth network, which bore the financial burden, and serve as a perfect example of how this national partnership can significantly impact our rural hospital.
I am proud to live in Ottawa Kansas, and thankful that our community takes access to health care seriously!
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This weekend, Ottawa comes alive with the 38th Annual Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show. I know Over the Road Gang is excited to have the community entrenched in all things classic cars. After a full calendar year of planning, one of our community’s largest events is here (rain or shine). Alongside the 1,000+ cars, some cool attractions to check out include the 1920s-era trolley, courtesy of Franklin County Tourism, for a ride between Forest Park and downtown. While you’re downtown, you can snag a map for Main Street’s Scavenger Hunt running from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. And of course, Saturday night wraps up with the much-loved “Back to the 60’s” Cruise Night, when Main Street fills with classic cars, lawn chairs, and the unmistakable energy of a community (full schedule here). Thank you Over the Road Gang, for making this possible for 38 years in Ottawa!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
