Ashland Wisconsin has gone through many changes throughout the years. The following article is based on research regarding the founding of Ashland, WI, including this article from the Ashland Press newspaper, May 3, 1910.
Ashland Wisconsin’s history as a town site began on July 5, 1854. On this day, George Kilburn and Asaph Whittlesey set out from La Pointe in a rowboat to inspect the bay area, intending to establish a town at or near “Equadon,” meaning “the head of the bay.”
By 5 p.m., after taking soundings along the south shore, they landed at the western edge of present-day Ashland. As Whittlesey stepped ashore, Kilburn declared, “Here’s the place for the big city,” and handed him an ax, honoring him with the first tree cutting. This tree became part of the foundation for the first building, located near today’s Beaser Avenue and Front Street. The building measured 14×10 feet, had one door facing south, and a window on the north side overlooking the bay.
The second house built on the site was 13×15 feet, one story high, and was intended to be a storehouse. Completed on September 12, 1854, it was located on Lot 5, Block 6. The Whittleseys also lived in this building for a time. The lower floor was made of puncheons, providing thorough ventilation, and the attic had a chicken roost accessible from outside via an inclined pole.
The first steamboat, the Sam Ward, landed at Ashland on September 7, 1854. The captain invited La Pointe residents to join him on an excursion and delivered freight to “Asaph Whittlesey, Ashland, Wis.” The steamer anchored at the foot of Main Street (now Beaser Avenue), and the freedom of the city was extended to the passengers by Major Whittlesey.
At that time, the nearest neighbors were in Odanah, 11 miles away with no direct trail. Despite the isolation, the settlers envisioned a prosperous future for Ashland. The town site fever had grown into a mania, and nearby lands were rapidly claimed by pre-emptors.
The Whittleseys’ third home, completed in November 1854, was a 20×30 feet structure built by Whittlesey himself. His wife assisted in raising the building and adjusting the joists for the second story. This house became the most aristocratic in the area, with lumber floors and a kitchen with a “mud oven” and chimney. The family’s living situation improved when Mrs. Whittlesey’s father, Mr. Haskill, joined them, claiming land that later became the city’s center.
As winter approached, the settlers needed ample provisions for six to seven months. Local stores in La Pointe and Bayfield were also short on supplies. A messenger was sent by canoe to Ontonagon, Michigan, where Martin Beaser agreed to send winter supplies despite the November storms. Beaser, an expert sailor, delivered the supplies himself, joining the partnership in the town site. He received a three-quarter interest in the town site in exchange for the supplies and other necessary costs. Beaser made Ashland his home and encouraged others to join the settlement.
Judge Schuyler Goff, the first county judge for La Pointe County, became the trustee for the settlers, overseeing the entry of nearly 300 acres under town site laws. His successor, Joseph McCloud, made deeds for most of the lots to the occupants and owners. McCloud was Ashland’s first practicing attorney and later lived on Basswood Island for over twenty years.
The first post office in Ashland was established on March 12, 1885, in the Whittleseys’ third house, where it remained until November 1858. The first dance and the first Fourth of July celebration in Ashland took place in this house. The Fourth of July celebration in 1855 included reading the Declaration of Independence by Asaph Whittlesey, an oration by A. W. Burt, singing, amusements, and dancing. Seventeen adults and eight children attended, entertained by vocal selections from Adam and Conrad Goeltz. The Goeltz family was also noted for having the first baby girl born in the new town, who was later given a town lot by Martin Beaser.
On March 12, 1855, a petition was sent to Washington to establish a post office in Ashland, La Pointe County, Wis., and appoint Asaph Whittlesey as postmaster. However, due to an existing Ashland post office in the state, the new office was named “Whittlesey.” The post office was re-established in 1871, with James A. Wilson appointed as postmaster.
In 1855, Dr. Edwin Ellis settled on land east of the Whittleseys, creating a plat for the town of “Bayport.” Despite initial hardships and some settlers leaving, the plat was later revived as the Ellis Division of Ashland. The first annual town meeting in 1858 addressed various bills, including one from Asaph Whittlesey for 75 cents, which was rejected. Edwin Ellis and Rev. L. H. Wheeler’s highway work bills were also rejected. It was resolved that one shilling per hour be allowed for highway work.
The first frame house in Ashland was built in 1858 by E. F. Prince at the corner of Beaser Avenue and Second Street. In April 1872, Sam S. Fifield established the Press building, where Ashland’s first newspaper was published. On April 15, 1872, over 150 citizens gathered to witness the groundbreaking for Ashland’s first railroad connection, marking a significant step toward the town’s growth. Despite having fewer than 200 residents, mostly living in cabins or tents, the railroad connection assured a bright future for Ashland.
