It is named in honor of Colonel Samuel Ashe, a Revolutionary War soldier, judge and governor of North Carolina. Located in the Appalachian Mountains, the average elevation is about 3,000 feet. The mean temperature is 67 degrees F. in summer and 34 degrees F. in winter. The hilly, mountainous terrain yielded an abundance of wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat and vegetables and offered land for pastures and meadows on which great numbers of cattle were raised.
Agriculture continues to be the largest industry in the county.
Major farm commodities include livestock, burley tobacco, Christmas trees and greenery, and a variety of horticulture crops. Ashe County mountain pastures are a valuable resource for livestock, dairy, and forage production. For over 50 years the Ashe County Cheese Company has been producing cheese in the mountain community of West Jefferson, the only cheese plant in the Carolinas. The production of Christmas trees and greenery has become the largest agricultural enterprise in the county. Since its beginning in the early 1960s, Christmas tree farming has expanded until there now are approximately 800 growers.