Ashland’s remarkable journey
Originally, what is now Ashland, Oregon was a Shasta Indian village resting on a mountain stream at the foot of the Siskiyou Mountains. In 1852, a new population migrated in to take advantage of the U.S. government's offer for "free" land. These new settlers began a journey that has been filled with challenges and imagination.
The founders began with a plaza that attracted a community. Then they built a college. And they built a Chautauqua center to share cultural experiences. Before long, there was a town park around the huge Chautauqua hall. By the start of the 20th century, the little mill town had become a bustling railroad hub, shipping fruit all over the country.
None of these efforts were easy. Fire burned down half of the town plaza, the college closed three times before catching hold, and the railroad eventually abandoned Ashland. These struggles only make the story more valuable. It tells how a community with strong vitality will flower not just with prosperity but in the face of adversity, too.
