<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 3(i)


                          CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                          FIRST OTTAWA BANCSHARES, INC.



     FIRST: The name of the corporation is First Ottawa Bancshares, Inc.
(hereinafter the "Corporation").

     SECOND: The address of the corporation's registered office in the State of
Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of
Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such
address is The Corporation Trust Company.

     THIRD: The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or
activity for which a corporation may be organized under the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware.

     FOURTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation is
authorized to issue is Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand (750,000) shares at $1.00
par value.

     FIFTH: The name and address of the Incorporator is as follows:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                  NAME                          ADDRESS
                  ----                          --------
<S>                                             <C>
                  Timothy W. Smith              Winston & Strawn
                                                35 West Wacker Drive
                                                Chicago, Illinois 60601-9703.
</TABLE>

         SIXTH: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the
business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further
definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of
its directors and stockholders:

                  (1) The number of directors of the Corporation shall be such
         as


<PAGE>

         from time to time shall be fixed by, or in the manner provided in, the
         by-laws. Election of directors shall be by cumulative voting.

                  (2) The Board of Directors shall have the power to alter,
         amend, change, add to or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation in the
         manner provided in the by-laws; to fix and vary the amount to be
         reserved for any proper purpose; to authorize and cause to be executed
         mortgages and liens upon all or any part of the property of the
         Corporation; to determine the use and disposition of any surplus or net
         profits; and to fix the times for the declaration and payment of
         dividends.

                  (3) The directors in their discretion may submit any contract
         or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the
         stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the
         purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or
         act that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the holders of
         a majority of the stock of the Corporation which is represented in
         person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat
         (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in
         person or by proxy) shall be as valid and as binding upon the
         Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been
         approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether
         or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack
         because of directors' interest, or for any other reason.

                  (4) In addition to the powers and authorities hereinbefore or
         by




                                       2
<PAGE>

         statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby
         empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things
         as may be exercised or done by the Corporation; subject, nevertheless,
         to the provisions of the statutes of Delaware, of this Certificate, and
         to any by-laws of the Corporation from time to time made; provided,
         however, that no by-laws so made shall invalidate any prior act of the
         directors which would have been valid if such by-law had not been made.

         SEVENTH: The Corporation shall, to the full extent permitted by Section
145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time,
indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto.

         EIGHTH: No director of this Corporation shall be personally liable to
the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary
duty by such director as a director; provided, however, that this Article EIGHTH
shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of
the director's duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a
knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director
derives an improper personal benefit. If the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware is amended to further eliminate or limit the personal
liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation
shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended. No amendment to or
repeal of this Article EIGHTH shall apply to or have any



                                       3
<PAGE>

effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director of the Corporation
for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to
such amendment or repeal.

          NINTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this
 Corporation and its creditors, or any class of them and/or between this
 Corporation and its stockholders, or any class of them, any court of equitable
 jurisdiction within the State of Delaware, may, on the application in a summary
 way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the
 application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under
 the provisions of Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the
 application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers
 appointed for this Corporation under the provisions of Section 279 of Title 8
 of the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors,
 and/or the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the
 case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a
 majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or
 class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this
 Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to
 any reorganization of this Corporation as consequence of such compromise or
 arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization
 shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made,
 be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the
 stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be,
 and also on this Corporation.

         TENTH: The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or
repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the
manner now or hereafter prescribed by law, and all rights and powers conferred
herein on stockholders, directors and officers are subject to this



                                       4
<PAGE>

reserved power.

         I, the undersigned, being the sole incorporator hereinbefore named, for
the purpose of forming a corporation pursuant to the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, do make this certificate, hereby declaring and certifying
that this is my actual deed and that the facts stated herein are true, and
accordingly have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of July, 1999.


                                       /s/ Timothy W. Smith

                                       Timothy W. Smith
                                       Sole Incorporator


                                       5