Johnny Appleseed was a frequent visitor to the area, in fact, he lived on the grounds that would later become Ashland College.
Ashland College as the university was first known in 1879 was formed as the result of the city's fathers wishing to have an institution of higher learning located within the city and the United Brethren Church. Ashland put together a generous package for the church which included some of the most prime real estate in the town as well as a financial package.
The original community laid out by William Montgomery during the War of 1812 was called Uniontown and it was Daniel Carter who built the first cabin. Like many communities formed in the early 1800s, names would later be changed because the postal service did not want duplicate names. So in 1822 the name was changed to Ashland in honor of Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, Sr. who had an estate near Lexington, Kentucky named Ashland. You might wonder why would a town in northern Ohio name itself after an Kentucky senator's estate?
Well it all has to do with the War of 1812. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, was a big supporter of the war effort. In fact, he was not only a supporter, he was one of the driving forces pushing for the war. But again, why would northern Ohio feel such generosity for a war monger? The answer is that some six years after the war, it became clear to the inhabitants of Uniontown were better off than they were before the war. In other words, they benefited from the war effort in northern Ohio and wanted to show their thanks to the man that was largely responsible for the war.
Leading up to the war and during the war, there were numerous Indian attacks on settlements in the area. After the war, those attacks stopped. Before the war, roads were mostly blazed trails through the area with a few exceptions. After the war, those trails had been improved so travel was easier and safer. There was also big influx of new settlers that brought a new demand for land and resources.
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