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Village History

Editor Street

Editor Street

Hexter Building

Hexter Building

Hexter & Co.

Hexter & Co.

Hotel Ashland

Hotel Ashland

Hexters & Co.

Hexters & Co.

Train Crossing

Train Crossing

Inside Hexters

Inside Hexters

Jone's snow

Jone's snow

Ashland Baptist Church Children.jpg

Ashland Baptist Church Children.jpg

Rearick Home 3.jpg

Rearick Home 3.jpg

Old School.JPG

Old School.JPG

Old City Hall.JPG

Old City Hall.JPG

School Cornerstone.jpg

School Cornerstone.jpg

IM000747.jpg

IM000747.jpg

Hexter Family.jpg

Hexter Family.jpg

Ashland Snowstorm.jpg

Ashland Snowstorm.jpg

Hexter Grand Opening.jpg

Hexter Grand Opening.jpg

Brownback1.JPG

Brownback1.JPG

IM000750.jpg

IM000750.jpg

IM000454.jpg

IM000454.jpg

IM000720.jpg

IM000720.jpg

Ashland Rail Yard.jpg

Ashland Rail Yard.jpg

Ashland Farmers Elevator Office

Ashland Farmers Elevator Office

Editor Street 1.JPG

Editor Street 1.JPG

Bank Building.jpg

Bank Building.jpg

Ashland Students1911.jpg

Ashland Students1911.jpg

Ashland Students 1906.jpg

Ashland Students 1906.jpg

Hexter & Co.2.jpg

Hexter & Co.2.jpg

B&O 1891 Route Map

B&O 1891 Route Map

B&O Timetable.jpg

B&O Timetable.jpg

IM000455.jpg

IM000455.jpg

Hexter2.jpg

Hexter2.jpg

Fred Hexter.jpg

Fred Hexter.jpg

Cheetham Library.jpg

Cheetham Library.jpg

Hexter4.jpg

Hexter4.jpg

Hexter3.jpg

Hexter3.jpg

Harness Shop.JPG

Harness Shop.JPG

Inside Skiles & Rearick.jpg

Inside Skiles & Rearick.jpg

Baptist Church Interior.jpg

Baptist Church Interior.jpg

Brownback Exterior.JPG

Brownback Exterior.JPG

Image-36.JPG

Image-36.JPG

Image-02.JPG

Image-02.JPG

Editor Street2.jpg

Editor Street2.jpg

Ashland High School.jpg

Ashland High School.jpg

IM000757.jpg

IM000757.jpg

Editor Street Snow.JPG

Editor Street Snow.JPG

Skiles & Rearick Check.jpg

Skiles & Rearick Check.jpg

Artcraft Theater

Artcraft Theater

School.JPG

School.JPG

Ashland Basketball Team 1934-35

Ashland Basketball Team 1934-35

Cubs player.JPG

Cubs player.JPG

Baseball Team.JPG

Baseball Team.JPG

Basketball Team.JPG

Basketball Team.JPG

Dr. Lind Nurse.JPG

Dr. Lind Nurse.JPG

Editor House2.JPG

Editor House2.JPG

North Editor Street.jpg

North Editor Street.jpg

Dr. Lind.JPG

Dr. Lind.JPG

IM000710.jpg

IM000710.jpg

IM000712.jpg

IM000712.jpg

Judy Fulton Band.JPG

Judy Fulton Band.JPG

Sentinal Bldg. 2.jpg

Sentinal Bldg. 2.jpg

Old Hotel2.jpg

Old Hotel2.jpg

IM000752.jpg

IM000752.jpg

Ashland Farmers Elevator

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

 

 

 

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