Clay County Alabama History of Ashland ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ Contributed by Linda S. Ayers Jan 2003 Updated March 2005 The Town of Ashland By Mrs. Gifford Ingram ''The act to establish Clay County named James L. Barnhill, A.A. [Augustus A.]West, H.A. Manning, and W.J. [William J] Pearce as commissioners to hold an Election on March 4, 1867, to elect the county officers and to also hold an election for the county seat. The town of Lineville was named as a place of holding courts until a suitable courthouse could be erected. As a result of the contest, a small place selected, to which the name ''Ashland'' was given, so named for the Kentucky home of Henry Clay, for whom the county had been named. In 1867, Thomas Adams represented Clay County at the Alabama Constitutional Convention. Form 1868 to 1872; the state senator from Clay County was Green T. McAfee. Form 1872 until 1876, A. Cunningham was senator. The Representative from Clay in 1868 was T.W. Newsome. The early settlers of Ashland were not owners of Slaves and the farms were worked with white labor. Diversification of crops has long been practiced as well as fruit culture and stock raising. Lineville was the originally served as the county seat, but in a later vote of the people it lost out to a site near the center of the County, and thus Ashland, the present day county seat, was born as was a keen rivalry between Ashland and Lineville. A one-story frame Courthouse was built in early 1867. It was leveled by fire in late 1875 and some Ashland people believed at the time Lineville residents had buried the Courthouse down out of spite. A new brick structure was built in 1878 and served the county for almost 30 years, until the present two-story brick Courthouse was built replaced it in 1906.'' The City of Ashland sits on Township 20, Range 8, and Section 20. Hollingsworth Watts patents 240.47 acres of land on Oct 4, 1860, it is said in 1867 he donated the land that the courthouse sits on. Also Gallant Hardy patented land in Township 20, Range 8, and Section 20 on Jul 15, 1854, and again on Oct 1, 1860 a total of 120 acres, and John R. Burgess patented over 80 acres on Oct 1, 1860. Simeon J. Davis patented over 120 acres on Oct 1, 1860 and 200.47 acres on Sep 20, 1875. Businesses in Ashland in 1870 Archibald Evans Miller B.F. Gozey Dry Goods Dealer E.L. Vardeman Mechanic Moses Moore Blacksmith Sanford Wilkins Dry Goods Dealer Elijah Mitchell Miller William Carton Brick mason J.C. Smith Carpenter M.A. McKinney Carpenter John Ogles Cooper J.J. Hamlin Blacksmith J.J. Jones Cooper J. Day Barron Mechanic William Faison Carpenter Wesley Norred Wagoner R.E. Kennedy Photographer William Cherry Cooper R.M. Adcock Blacksmith H.G. Harris Wagoner Bennett Stansell Boot/Shoe Marker R. Cartwright Carpenter Turner Wright Carpenter James Nelson Merchant Owen K. Waits Physician George Sims Retired Physician S.W, Kingston Grocer W.W. Wilkins Grocer J.M.T. Caldwell Carpenter Zina Bunn Grocer Alex Cantrell Photographer Teachers: Thomas Stansell J.O. Reynolds Nancy Calloway Tolbert May R.T. Slaughter M.W. Haynes J.R. Stockdale Jane Conaway The Ashland Progress was established in 1909, the subscription price was $1.00 per year. The newspaper had 6 columns, and was published every Thursday.