The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-21
ASHLAND ITS PAST
AND ITS FUTURE /
Beautiful, Intellectual,and
Vigorous is the Shaded
Little Town.
PURE WATER AND
BRIGHT LIGHTS
Rapid Transit Between the Lit
tie Town and Big Richmond
Soon to Be Inaugurated.
New Water Works
and Sewerage y
System.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch

q Z 4 i. i. l-
Especial to The Times-D ispatchl S
ASHLAND, VA, July 2o.--The past,
present and future OF Ashland has
much more than an ordinary slgnih-
canoe. 5s
Nature has smiled on the place and s.
favored 1T In many ways. dispensing
her particular blessing In the form
of oak groves. The homes of a re-
tired and smple.living community are
sattractively nestled among these oak
groves. Just little over fifteen miles
from Richmond, this pretty little SUI
burbanttllege town Is located. Slashes RI
and unsightly hollows have been turn
ed into gardens Of beauty. The little
town of two thousand people presents
an enviable view to most towns of
its size. Situated on a plateau 222
feet above sea level, and higher than
the highest church steeple in Rich- 4
| mond, 1t offers an ideal place for resi-
lsdence. Without exception, unless
williamsburg should 10y claim, 1t is
the best shaded town in Virginia.
intellectual Atmosphere.
A striking characteristic OF Ash
| land Is the intellectuality2 OF its att
atmosphere. In this land of money wor-S
shippers here is one at least green
4 spot where the lover OF books can
lead the intellectual life serene in the
consciousness that brains are more
4 highly esteemed than dollars. Poverty
i is positively a sign of gentilityH In
Ashland. For admission to the best
society of Ashland, the possession OF
i money is not the first, nor the second,
nor the third requisite. IN fact IT.
i gcuts no figure at all. The town had
4 its inception and birth way back in
4 1851, when a bunch of highly respect
! able and comfort-1oving railroad Off
& cials concentrated here, AZ and IT has
II always been aArend e2Vousso of such peo-4
3Eple. Ever since Rando pit Macon COLI
klege came here in II IS S.fssAshland sha! /
). been H a congenial home for refined,s
Il cultivated people of very mode ra to-
n means. In an old manuscript Of the
q late Professor Charles Morris. at one
i time the distinguished director of the
chair of Latin In the college. your
q correspondent came across the follow
ling sketch Of the town, which has
never before been published.
Ancient Record.
4 ashland and the slashes. II any
man had told me the f1rstatime I pass
. ed along by Langford's# Crossing into
81 Ashland through the almost unbroken3
4 forest, with the water splashinG over
my horse.s hoofs In the level sandy.
Il road. that even that poor and I'M Z
s promising district should become the
n Auburn, sweete village OF the plain
learning, the home Of elegance, re-
y finement and bauty, I should have.
had out at once a commission de-
4 |lunatico and him assigned to Will
a liamsburg. First there was a build
& ing called Slash Cottage, with q few
II outhouses, which was used by the
Richmond, fredericksburg and Poto-
mac Railroad Company. as 4 a meeting
!, place for the directors cf@the COM
I pany. This was the beginning. a be-
Z ginning whose surroundings were
t slashes and unbroken forests But
/ William Edwin Robinson. the presi-
S dent Of the railroad company took q
. fancy to this place. and like o second
y Peter the Great, he resolved to round
: a city In marsh. Lots were sold and
: assigned to different parties. houses
S vent up, people came In. A hne hotel
$ was built. an object OF wonder to all
Q slash CATS The trains stopped for
o breakfast and dinner at this hotel
n and did a cracking business. With
: the coming of the college,. the village
{ took on new growth. The railroad and
the race course had been It's primary
y Impulses. religion, learning and re-
=. finement became It's last and best pro-
3 moters, until now no sWeeter place
It exists In all the county,
!. rhe "FnssinE Throng."
:, This article must necessarily dea
g largely in the past" for Ashland Is
now In the transiIory era OF passing
+ from the past to the future, which Is
3 very apparent. and especially to tbs
- older families such as the Nolleys, thu
= Taylors. tho Tillers. the Leakes anC
the SCOTS. Soma Of these older fam.
= lilies have been here continuously since
IS 1851. IT might be said 5okingly tina
n Ashland has been more identified witt
the United States. for 1t Is CAREFUL,
r estimated that since 1885 moro people
30 have passed 1t and observed 1t from
NJ car windows and moro people hav'
n enjoyed the privilege OF q pass" oyel
8, its railroad than any other town II
as this country. The town was originally
20 called Adams shanty," and after TIL
lc Richmond, fredericksburg and Poto
10 mac Railroad was chartered and com
20 menced In 1894. It was for many year
ic known as .'Slash Cottage" until one o
III 1.-THE presidents Of the road changed y
BIO to ashland" In honor OF the countr.
es homo In Kentucky OF Henry Clay
whose birthplace IL near here. a Yer,
ad Interesting and amusing railroad seized
by ule, by the way Is to be seen IN tn
he company's offices OF this railroad u
IT. which tho announcements Is made tia
ed the rapid transit can DO guaranteed o
ad ltwaiva days ana thirteen hours he
no tween New Orleans and NeW York b!
en- this route. embracing stays coaches
es steam road. steamboat ana prtyat
tYl conveyance. Ashland has always heel
*, favored by this road. All OF the lan'
rio on which, the town is now located a
awtone time belonged 20 Ppesident Rob
inson. who offered many induceaient
to the public TO locate and heild there
!, :. Anyone building q house MI foNr room
u was not only gipeasa decd tn tn
slana, mt pfasidaa IiLs = ns s' a W.
"a