Field with crops being brought in
Jones Boys Grocery
Village History
Editor Street | Hexter Building | Hexter & Co. |
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Hotel Ashland | Hexters & Co. | Train Crossing |
Inside Hexters | Jone's snow | |
Ashland Baptist Church Children.jpg | Rearick Home 3.jpg | Old School.JPG |
Old City Hall.JPG | School Cornerstone.jpg | |
IM000747.jpg | Hexter Family.jpg | Ashland Snowstorm.jpg |
Hexter Grand Opening.jpg | Brownback1.JPG | |
IM000750.jpg | IM000454.jpg | |
IM000720.jpg | Ashland Rail Yard.jpg | Ashland Farmers Elevator Office |
Editor Street 1.JPG | Bank Building.jpg | Ashland Students1911.jpg |
Ashland Students 1906.jpg | ||
Hexter & Co.2.jpg | B&O 1891 Route Map | B&O Timetable.jpg |
IM000455.jpg | Hexter2.jpg | Fred Hexter.jpg |
Cheetham Library.jpg | Hexter4.jpg | Hexter3.jpg |
Harness Shop.JPG | Inside Skiles & Rearick.jpg | Baptist Church Interior.jpg |
Brownback Exterior.JPG | Image-36.JPG | Image-02.JPG |
Editor Street2.jpg | Ashland High School.jpg | IM000757.jpg |
Editor Street Snow.JPG | ||
Skiles & Rearick Check.jpg | ||
Artcraft Theater | ||
School.JPG | ||
Ashland Basketball Team 1934-35 | Cubs player.JPG | Baseball Team.JPG |
Basketball Team.JPG | Dr. Lind Nurse.JPG | |
Editor House2.JPG | ||
North Editor Street.jpg | ||
Dr. Lind.JPG | ||
IM000710.jpg | ||
IM000712.jpg | Judy Fulton Band.JPG | |
Sentinal Bldg. 2.jpg | Old Hotel2.jpg | IM000752.jpg |
Ashland Farmers Elevator |
The Story of Ashland
The following was and excerpt from the Ashland Centennial Book and written by Mrs. Walter Adkins
The Village of Ashland is the youngest born of all the towns and villages in Cass County. In 1857 the Petersburg and Tonica railroad was surveyed through that part of Cass County, and that same year, a land company, composed of James L Beggs, Elmore Crowe, Wm. G. Spears, Gov. Richard Yates, and others laid out the town of Ashland upon lands owned by Beggs and Crowe. It contained 144 blocks besides the public squares and commons. There was but one house on the lands platted. It was the residence of Mr. Crowe.
The name of the new town was taken from the home of the great Kentucky statesman, Henry Clay, who was known as the Sage of Ashland and was the idol of the Whig Party. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, served several months in the Senate, and was three times a candidate for the Presidency. There was always a special reason for his defeat. Once, when told that a certain act of his would lose the election, he said "I would rather be right than President". What a heritage we have in the name of our town.
The name for this new town was universally approved. The men who formed the Land Company were loyal Whigs; and many of the early settlers came from Kentucky. Both groups were united by a desire to honor the Sage of Ashland.
Ashland proved a success that surpassed the best wishes of its friends. The railroad was built as proposed and people came to the town for permanent settlement. They could get to Bloomington, to Jacksonville and even Chicago by the new railroad.
The State road or public highway between Beardstown and Springfield passed through the town, with a first class state line running every day.
About 40 buildings were erected in the town the first year. Crowe, Beggs and Spears; three of the original town proprietors, built the Brick Hotel, which stood at Main and Yates. Blacksmith, wagon and repair shops were built soon after the organization of the town. W.R. Hunter became the first merchant to build a store on Main Street. It was the only general store until 1865. A post office was established November 1857 and D.H. Claypool was the first postmaster.
By 1869 Ashland had reached such a stage of population and business that citizens thought it best to have the village incorporated. A charter was granted by the State on April 19, 1869. The first village officers were; President Stephen Barnes; Clerk W.R. Hunter; Police Magistrate J.G. Smith; Trustees James L. Beggs, A.L. Corson, and J.G. Smith.
In 1871, the railroad known as the B&O was built from Beardstown to Springfield through Ashland and gave to this village an additional opportunity for progress.
Ashland continued to flourish but on September 17, 1887 a fire devastated a major portion of the Downtown area. Ashland, like other places where there are courageous citizens, soon had building of better character above the ashes of the old ones. The next twenty-five years saw the greatest development in the town's history. In 1915 there were four churches, two banks, elementary and high school, one weekly newspaper, three dry goods stores, two drug stores, four groceries, two furniture stores, three grain elevators, three barber shops, two harness shops, two butcher shops, three restaurants, two hotels, two millineries, one book and stationery store, one undertaker, a livery and feed barn, four physicians and one dentist.
Mayors of Ashland
James L. Beggs 1868
Silas Hexter 1889-1890
David Middour 1890-1891
Darwin S. Galley 1900-1901
Silas Hexter 1893-1894
John G. Pern 1894-1895
Silas Hexter 1896-1897
J.B. Lohman 1897-1899
David Middour 1899-1900
Darwin Gailey 1900-1901
Silas Hexter 1903-1905
Mylo Lee 1909-1911
Darwin S. Gailey 1915-1917
F.W. McLaughlin 1917-1919
John Blank 1923-1925
David Wilson 1925-1929
S. D. Danenberger 1929-1935
David Wilson 1935-1949
S. D. Danenberger 1949-1953
Robert Newell 1953-1956
William Quinley 1956-1961
Willard Evans 1961-1981
Bill L. Roth 1981-1992
Keith Gregory 1992-1995
Jim Noel 1995-1998
Keith Gregory 1998-2001
Dave Handy 2001-2013
Terry Blakeman 2013-2016
Kitty Mau 2016-present