At one time not many years ago, Ottawa village had a very extensive brick yard, the kilns of which still stand along the railway track, as one enters the village, as so many monuments of a large industry in a superior made building brick. For various reasons, chiefly freight rates and fuel, these works were abandoned, and with it the real business of the village was destroyed. Many workmen were here employed for a number of years and the pay-roll was large and nearly all expended at home. (History of Nicollet and Le Sueur Counties, Minnesota, Volume I, William Gresham, Walsworth Publishing Company, 1916, Page 436)
Another clay deposit near Ottawa was developed a little over half a mile up Cherry Creek and half a mile from the Northwestern Railroad. Mr. Randall, on whose farm the clay occurs, reports that it was tested for 27 feet without reaching the bottom. This clay outcrops in the bed of the creek and there might be some difficulty with the drainage. The St. Paul Fire Brick Company was organized to exploit this deposit and a plant was constructed with a capacity of several million brick per year. No products have been turned out for several years. Probably further work would be successful. (Clays and Shales of Minnesota, Frank F. Grout and E. K. Soper, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1914, Page 124)