HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      161

years, one of the few fatalities from this cause in the early history of the
county. At a still later day, subsequent to the time of the founding of
the town, Fred Fender operated a lumber mill here.
    Another industry here, but of short life, was the manufacture of
brick, by Ed Coffey, whose plant was located on the south side of the
town and railroad, who, for one season, bad a contract for four hundred
thousand brick. Population 225.

                            ASHBORO.

    Ashboro, a town and postoffice in Sugar Ridge township, on the
Lower Bloomington road, ten miles south of Brazil and five miles west
of Bowling Green, a station on the Saline City Branch Railroad, founded
by Charles W. Moss, in 1858, so named by T. M. Robertson. As the
pioneer merchant, as well as founder and proprietor of the town, Moss
engaged Robertson as salesman, or clerk, in his store, to whom he com-
mitted, also, the, trust and privilege of naming the postoffice to be estab-
lished. Bringing to his aid the map of the states and the latest postal
guide, Robertson proceeded to make selection and chose Ashboro, from
the, map of North Carolina, up to that time the only office bearing this
name in the country and, strange to say, though half a century has since
elapsed, not another of the name has been added to the list. Though
this place was platted in 1858, it did not appear of record until 1860.
When surveyed, a square of three acres in the center of the plat was dedi-
cated as a courthouse site for the period of ten years, with the view to the
re-location of the county seat. At a later day this plat of ground was
rededicated to public school purposes. The impression used to prevail that
this town came by its name from the circumstance of a survey made to
locate the geographical center of the county, where an ash tree standing
near was designated to mark the spot. The name was also suggested to
the founder by A. W. Lowdermilk, whose people were from Ashboro,
North Carolina, During the time intervening the founding of the town
site and the coming of the postoffice, it was known as “Mosstown,” from
the name of the proprietor, who was operating a saw-mill near the site,
where much of the lumber was produced then used in building in that
locality. The first three purchasers of lots, which they proceeded at
once to improve and occupy, were A. W. Lowdermilk, Israel Krytzer and
Daniel Wright. One of the first buildings was erected by the proprietor
himself, on the southwest corner of the crossing of the Main street, later
known as the “McGinnis Hotel.”
    T. M. Robertson was the first postmaster, whose successors along the
line were Israel Krytzer, John W. McGinnis, James Clark, Mrs. W. N.
Haines, Riley Bryant, Elmer C. O’Brien, William Buyh, Isaac McIlvaine,
George Moss, J. K. Moss, Matt Jones, Howard Miller, David Mayrose,
Laura Ferguson.
    The first merchant was C. W. Moss, succeeded by Max Greenburg,
Duffield & Morgan, James Clark, Samuel C. Mounts, John W. McGinnis,
Myrtle & Wright, John Travis, Ezra Starrett, Henry Haas, John K.
Snyder, William T. Yow, R. Gantz, Fisher & Moss, Charles Thrasher,
Adams & Grimes, O’Brien & Moss, Kylander & Williams, Miller & Moss,
Israel Krytzer, John C. Moss, E. G. O’Brien, Riley Bryant, William Buyh,
J.  K. Moss, Matt Jones, Samuel Tribble, W. T. Slack, M. J. Watt, Robert
Mitchell.
    In the year 1868 J. T. Moss & Co. built a large flouring mill here at
a cost of $9,000, which was operated successfully until the summer of
Vol. I—11