Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. It is the county seat of Ashland County. The city is a port on

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 7,908 at the 2020 census, all of whom resided in the Ashland County portion of the city. The unpopulated Bayfield County portion is in the city's southwest, bordered by the easternmost part of the Town of Eileen. The junction of

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...

and

Wisconsin Highway 13 State Trunk Highway 13 (often called Highway 13, STH-13 or WIS 13) is a state highway running north–south across northwest and central Wisconsin. WIS 13 serves as a major north–south route connecting the communities of Wisconsin Del ...

is located at this city. It is the home of Northland College,

Northwood Technical College Northwood Technical College (formerly known as Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College or WITC) is a public technical college with campuses in Ashland, New Richmond, Rice Lake and Superior, Wisconsin. There are also outreach centers in Balsam ...

, and the

Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute is an outreach arm of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. A 1971 environmental conference at Northland with Sigurd Olson as a speaker was the origin of the institute. Robert Matteson was the founder o ...

History

Pre-settlement

Eight Native American nations have lived on Chequamegon Bay. Later settlers included

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

an explorers, missionaries and fur traders, and more recently,

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...

s from the eastern United States who platted and developed the lands, railroaders, shippers,

loggers Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

s, and other

settler A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settl ...

s. Four flags have flown over the area around Ashland from colonial to contemporary times:

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, French,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and American. The area was part of the United States' Northwest Territory. This region was divided into four successive territories for administration before becoming part of the state of Wisconsin:

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a congressional act that President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, ...

, Michigan Territory,

Illinois Territory The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. Its ...

, and

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

. About the time

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

arrived in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

in the late 15th century, the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

people came to the land they called ''Sha-ga-waun-il-ong.'' This term has been translated numerous ways: "lowlands", the "needle", "the region of shallow water", and where "there are large extended breakers". Each is descriptive and suitably accurate. The Ojibwe stayed on Chequamegon Point for nearly a century before leaving. They settled first on

Madeline Island ''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series a ...

and then moved to the Sault Ste. Marie region. French fur traders Pierre d'Esprit, le Sieur Radisson and Medard Chouart, le Sieur des Groseillers were the first Europeans of record to visit Chequamegon Bay. They arrived in 1659 and built what has been called the first European dwelling place in what is now Wisconsin. A historical marker noting this is located at Maslowski Beach on

on the west end of Ashland. The monument was erected in 1929 by the Old Settlers Club. The Ojibwe heartily welcomed the Frenchmen. Five years later, Father

Claude-Jean Allouez Claude Jean Allouez (June 6, 1622 – August 28, 1689) was a Jesuit missionary and French explorer of North America. He established a number of missions among the indigenous people living near Lake Superior. Biography Allouez was born in Saint ...

arrived. A Jesuit missionary, he brought the first word of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

to Wisconsin's shores. Allouez built a chapel not far from the stockade erected by Radisson and Groseillier; he worked and lived at the Bay until 1669.

Settlement

In 1854, Ohioans

Asaph Whittlesey Asaph Whittlesey (May 18, 1826 – December 15, 1879) was the first Wisconsin state legislator from the Lake Superior region. In 1854, he settled the city of Ashland, Wisconsin. Early years of Ashland In 1854, Asaph left La Pointe in a rowboat ...

and George Kilborn set out from La Pointe to explore the head of Chequamegon Bay. Whittlesey built a × cabin in Ashland. His wife, Lucy, and daughter, Eugenia, joined him in August and prepared to winter in their new home. Signs of settlement soon began to take place. The first community dance was held at their house. The Reverend L.H. Wheeler preached the first sermon on the first Independence Day that was observed there. This village was the location of the first post office and polling place for county offices. Sunday school was also conducted on the premises. The Milwaukee, Lakeshore and Western Railroad platted the city in 1885, as railroad construction moved westward. Local landowner Martin Beaser named the settlement Ashland after Kentucky statesman Henry Clay’s residence. Previous names for the area included Bay City, Saint Mark (for Saint Mark's Basilica), and Whittlesey, the latter in honor of initial postmaster Adolph Whittlesey. In the nineteenth century, immigrants to the area included many individuals and families from Germany and northern Europe, as shown by the numerous Lutheran churches in town. Some were initially attracted to agriculture or jobs in the mining industry.

Tar and feather attacks during World War I

During the last year of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, from March–October 1918, six recorded incidents of

vigilantism Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

took place in the Ashland area, committed against men of German descent, who were suspected of pro-German sympathies. In Ashland mobs of masked men abducted individuals at night from their homes, driving each to secluded areas where the men were

tarred and feathered Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and punishment used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a t ...

. A group identifying as the Knights of Liberty claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying in a letter to a local paper, "We have no purpose to do injustice to any man, but we do feel that any

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

able and

seditious Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

acts, or utterances, demand prompt punishment. These cases must not be allowed to run indefinitely, without anything being done. We want action and we want it now." Victims included: * Professor E. A. Schimler, abducted, tarred and feathered on March 31, 1918. Born in Germany, Schimler taught French at local Northland College. He was unable to identify any of his assailants. * Bartender Adolph Anton, taken from his home on April 9, and stripped, tarred and feathered for his suspected "pro-Germanism". Anton claimed to recognize two of the men, Ephraim Gay and George Buchanan, who were arrested, pleaded not guilty, and released on their own recognizance. A municipal judge dismissed the cases at the preliminary hearing in July. Anton left Ashland, moving to

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

. * William Landraint, 62, was seized in front of a downtown hotel by a mob of fifty men who put a bag over his head, handcuffed him, and drove him to the country, where he was tarred and feathered. Of German birth, Landraint was a deputy tax assessor who had been forced out of his job because of prejudice and suspected disloyalty. Despite dozens of witnesses to the kidnapping by unmasked men, none claimed to know any of the participants. Landraint later asked for police protection after receiving a threatening letter. He soon left town for St. Paul, Minnesota. * In early June 1918 Emil Kunze went to Ashland police headquarters to report hearing men outside his home conspiring to tar and feather him for his alleged pro-Germanism. He asked for permission to sleep in the jail. He later quit his truck driving job and left town. * In early July 1918 farmer Martin Johnson of nearby Sweden, Wisconsin was visited at his home by men asking assistance in locating a nearby fishing stream. Once away from the house, they drove Johnson to a secluded area, and stripped, tarred and feathered him. * On October 25, 1918, John Oestrycher, a farmer living eight miles outside Ashland, was tarred and feathered for not buying Liberty Bonds and for being "pro-German." Governor Emanuel Philipp expressed his indignation over these incidents, as well as reports of local ethnic Germans receiving threatening letters. He directed state Attorney General Spencer Haven to launch an inquiry. His investigator found the local citizenry uncooperative, including John C. Chapple, editor of the '' Ashland Daily Press'' and campaign manager for Roy P. Wilcox, a Republican candidate for governor proclaiming his own patriotism. The inquiry found the community generally satisfied with the treatment of the first victims. Haven expressed frustration at the local court, which refused to adjourn to allow the securing of evidence, and at the district attorney, who dismissed the first two cases for lack of said evidence. Haven threatened to send a company of the state guard to maintain law and order in the area. Ultimately no one was convicted for any of the attacks. Two months after the world war ended, newspapers reported that the local Knights of Liberty had disbanded. The ''

Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

'' reported that more than 800 men in Ashland County belonged to the order.

Dates of note

* 1856 — First

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

of Ashland registered * 1870 — First Ashland brownstone quarried and shipped * 1872 — First

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

built by W.R. Sutherland * 1872 — ''The Ashland Weekly Press'' is founded by Sam Fifield. It became a daily paper more than a decade later. The first issue of the '' Ashland Daily Press'' was March 5, 1888. * 1874 — First brewery built, Ashland Brewing Company * 1877 — Wisconsin Central Railroad connected Ashland to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

* 1877 — Chequamegon Hotel opened, one block from current hotel * 1887 — State legislature incorporated the City of Ashland * 1889 — Wisconsin Central Depot constructed * 1892 — Northern Wisconsin Academy opened (now Northland College) * 1892 — Ashland Post Office built * 1904 — Ashland High School opened * 1918 – During the last year of the war, at least six men were individually attacked by vigilante groups acting against ethnic Germans * 1929 — First airport opened * 1940 — WATW radio went on the air * 1970 — Establishment of the

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands (Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior. It is known for its collection of historic ...

* 1972 — Memorial Medical Center opened * 1979 — The Union Depot is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. * 1984 — The West Second Street Historic District is listed on the

. Second Street was later renamed Main Street. * 1998 —

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is a visitor center and natural history museum located west of Ashland, Wisconsin, near the corner of Highway G and U.S. Highway 2. The facility is open seven days per week and offers free admission. F ...

is built * 2009 — Ore dock slated for demolition. Attempts by community members to preserve the historic structure were not successful. * 2014 — The Chapple and MacArthur Avenues Residential Historic District is listed on the

. * 2016 — New fire hall dedicated, replacing the historic, century-old Ellis Fire Station. * 2016 — From July 11 until August, Ashland suffered one of the worst storm seasons in its history. Highways going to

Ironwood Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in E ...

and Marengo were severely damaged, as were portions of infrastructure at Saxon Harbor. Residents reported flooding of many basements by lake and rain waters. Three deaths were reported.

Ore dock

The harbor of Ashland was dominated by the massive Wisconsin Central Railway (later Soo Line)

ore dock An ore dock is a large structure used for loading ore (typically from railway cars or ore jennies) onto ships, which then carry the ore to steelworks or to transshipment points. Most known ore docks were constructed near iron mines on the upper ...

, built in 1916 to load iron ore mined in the area into freighters bound for industrial ports in the Midwest, such as

Ashtabula, Ohio Ashtabula ( ) is a city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and the center of the Ashtabula micropolitan area. It is located at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on Lake Erie, northeast of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, the city ha ...

, where steel was produced.10 Most Endangered Properties
Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, ''Accessed May 7, 2007. The last of what had once been many such docks, the concrete structure is high and wide. In 1925 the dock was extended to ; it was last used to ship ore in 1965. In 2007 the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation named it one of the "10 most endangered historic buildings in Wisconsin", a list intended to stir preservation efforts. The main concrete structure and trestle had slowly deteriorated since the early 1970s because of lack of maintenance and the effects of the environment. A structural inspection completed in 2006 and 2007 concluded that the ore dock had become structurally unsafe and was an imminent safety hazard. On May 14, 2009, the Ashland Planning Commission granted Canadian National Railway approval for demolition of the dock. All material on the ore dock was removed, down to the concrete base. This was completed in 2013. The base of the ore dock remains. The city took ownership of it from Canadian National Railway in May 2014. It is working with a consultant group to design a redevelopment plan for the base of the dock.

Geography

Ashland is located along the south shore of Chequamegon Bay. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Ashland has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Koppen Koppen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Dan Koppen (born 1979), American football offensive lineman * Erwin Koppen (1929–1990), German literary scholar * Luise Koppen (1855–1922), German author * Wladimir Köppen (1846� ...

: Dfb) with four distinct seasons and notably cold winters. Due to the city's proximity to

, it sometimes has lake effect snow storms, with high amounts of snow recorded.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 7,908. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 3,860 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 10.0% Native American, 1.0%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 7.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.8%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 8,216 people, 3,516 households, and 1,942 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 3,864 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.0%

, 0.5%

, 7.5% Native American, 0.5%

, 0.5% from

, and 4.0% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 3,516 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.8% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 13% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,620 people, 3,513 households, and 2,027 families residing in the city. The

was 643.3 people per square mile (248.4/km²). There were 3,777 housing units at an average density of 108.8 persons/km² (281.9 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 90.17%

, 0.32%

, 6.30% Native American, 0.49%

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were

of any race. There were 3,513 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,853, and the median income for a family was $40,549. Males had a median income of $30,122 versus $20,926 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,330. About 7.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 9.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% ages 65 or older.:)

Government

Ashland has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected at-large. In 2014, Debra Lewis was the first woman elected as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

. The city's 11 wards are each represented by an elected

alderperson An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members th ...

(or councilor), elected from single-member districts.Ashland website
City council meetings are held on the second and last Tuesday of the month. Meetings are open to the public, although on occasion the Council may meet in closed session. One of the recent members,

Wahsayah Whitebird Wahsayah Whitebird (born 1992) is a member of the Communist Party of the United States who served from 2019 to 2021 on the City Council of Ashland, Wisconsin, United States. Whitebird is a Native American from the Bad River Band of the Chippe ...

, was one of only two members of the Communist Party USA in elected office during his tenure. Ashland City Hall is housed in the city's first post office, built by the federal government in 1893. It is listed on the

as the "Old Ashland Post Office". The

County Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

is also located in the city. In the

Wisconsin State Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

, Ashland is located in the 74th

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

District, and the

25th 25 (twenty-five) is the natural number following 24 and preceding 26. In mathematics It is a square number, being 52 = 5 × 5. It is one of two two-digit numbers whose square and higher powers of the number also ends in the same last t ...

Senate District, represented by Assembly Representative

Beth Meyers Beth Meyers (born May 29, 1959) is an American social worker and Democratic politician. She has been a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 74th Assembly district, in northern Wisconsin, since 2015. Biography Born in Bayfi ...

and State Senator Janet Bewley. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Ashland is part of

Wisconsin's 7th congressional district Wisconsin's 7th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in northwestern and central Wisconsin; it is the largest congressional district in the state geographically, covering 20 counties (i ...

. The seat is currently held by Tom Tiffany (R).

Economy

A few of the largest manufacturers in the community include: * Bretting Manufacturing, equipment manufacturer * Larson-Juhl, manufacturer of picture frames, a subsidiary of

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...

* H Windows, window manufacturer Many small businesses also make up a large portion of the local economy.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

is an important part of the area's commerce. The summer season attracts tourists for activities on the Great Lakes.

Education

Public schools

* Lake Superior Primary/Intermediate/Charter School * Marengo Valley Elementary School * Ashland Middle School * Ashland High School

Private schools

* Ashland Seventh-day Adventist School * Celebration Christian Academy * Our Lady of the Lake School * Zion Lutheran Christian School

Colleges

* Northland College *

Media

News media

* '' Ashland Daily Press,'' local daily print publication * ''Bottom Line News and Views'' * '' Lake Superior Sounder'' (closed in January 2008)

Radio

* WATW 1400 AM –

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

talk radio *

WUWS WUWS is a public radio station in Ashland, Wisconsin, licensed to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is a network of 34 public radio stations ...

90.9 FM — Ideas network of

Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is a network of 34 public radio stations in the state of Wisconsin. WPR's network is divided into two distinct analog services, the ''Ideas Network'' and the '' NPR News & Music Network,'' as well as the ''All Classic ...

* K210CG FM 91.9, Simulcasting Duluth's

Contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

KDNW KDNW (97.3 FM, "Life 97.3") is a contemporary Christian music radio station located in Duluth, Minnesota, owned and operated by Northwestern Media, a ministry of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, a Christian university in Roseville, Minnes ...

, owned by the University of Northwestern – St Paul * WBSZ 93.3 FM –

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

* WWMD-LP 95.3FM – Christian talk radio (

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

) * WJJH 96.7 FM –

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

music *

WIMI WIMI (99.7 FM, "The Storm") is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Rock format. Licensed to Ironwood, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1974, with its signal covering most of the western Upper Peninsula and the extreme northern portion ...

99.7 FM –

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

music (Broadcast from Ironwood, MI) * W284AN 104.7 FM – News and Classical Musical network of

* WEGZ 105.9 FM – Christian talk radio (broadcast from Washburn, WI) * WNXR 107.3 FM –

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as ...

(broadcast from Iron River, WI)

Television

Stations serving Ashland come from the

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

market: * 3

KDLH KDLH (channel 3) is a television station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, affiliated with The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Superior, Wisconsin–licensed dual NBC/CBS affiliate KBJR-TV, channel 6 (and its Chisholm, Minn ...

(CBS) * 6

KBJR KBJR-TV (channel 6) is a television station licensed to Superior, Wisconsin, United States, serving the Duluth, Minnesota, area as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside The CW Plus, CW+ affiliate KDLH (channel 3). ...

(NBC) * 8

WDSE WDSE may refer to: * WDSE (TV), a PBS member station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States * WDSE-FM, an adult album alternative radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States {{call sign disambiguation ...

(PBS) * 10

WDIO WDIO-DT (channel 10) is a television station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. The station's studios and transmitter are located on Observation Road in Duluth. WIRT-DT (channel 13) in ...

(ABC) * 21 KQDS (Fox)

Transportation

The two major highways in the city are U.S. Highway 2 and

Railroads

The city is one of the northern termini in Wisconsin for the Canadian National Railway (CN), parent company of the former

Wisconsin Central Ltd. Wisconsin Central Ltd. is a railroad subsidiary of Canadian National. At one time, its parent Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation owned or operated railroads in the United States, Canada (Algoma Central Railway), the United Kingdom (DB ...

It took over the former Soo Line tracks in 1987. However, after flooding in 2016 caused substantial damage to bridges south of town, CN discontinued service to Ashland (trains now reach only as far north as Park Falls). While Ashland has not had passenger train service since 1971, both Union Depot and the Soo Line Depot survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Airports

Airports certified for commercial carrier operations near Ashland: * Gogebic-Iron County Airport (about ;

Ironwood, Michigan Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The city is on US Highway 2 across the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan ...

) *

Duluth International Airport : ''For the United States Air Force use of this facility, see Duluth Air National Guard Base.'' Duluth International Airport is a city-owned public-use joint civil-military airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the centra ...

(about ;

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

) * Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (KRHI) (about ;

Rhinelander, Wisconsin Rhinelander is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Wisconsin, Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,285 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History The area that eventually became the city of Rhine ...

) Other public use airports near Ashland: *

John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport is a city and county-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 kilometre, km) southwest of the central business district of Ashland, Wisconsin, Ashland, a city in Ashland County, Wisconsin ...

(KASX) (about ; Ashland, Wisconsin) * Madeline Island Airport (about ; La Pointe, Wisconsin) * Cable Union Airport (about ;

Cable, Wisconsin Cable is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 825 at the 2010 U.S. census. The census-designated place of Cable and the unincorporated communities of Leonards and Radspur are located in the town. Geography Acc ...

) * Park Falls Municipal Airport (KPKF) (about ;

Park Falls, Wisconsin Park Falls is a city in Price County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,462 at the 2010 census. Located in the woods of north central Wisconsin, primarily the Chequamegon National Forest, Park Falls is a small community divided by t ...

)

Public transit

Local transportation is provided by the non-profit

Bay Area Rural Transit Bay Area Rural Transit is a public transportation system in Ashland County, Bayfield County and Price County, Wisconsin. History In 1980 a group of individuals determined to find a solution to the transportation needs of area residents, resear ...

(BART) system, which has bus stops throughout the community. Headquartered in Ashland's Industrial Park, BART also provides transportation to and from other communities in the Chequamegon Bay region, including

Washburn Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influen ...

, and Bayfield. Northern Towns Transport is a regional car service and shuttle provider, connecting Ashland and the Chequamegon Bay area with downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; as well as the

Twin Ports The Duluth MN-WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the weste ...

of Superior, Wisconsin / Duluth, Minnesota and Duluth International Airport.

Churches

* Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauke ...

(WELS) * Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Community * Chequamegon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship * Saron Lutheran Church * Good Shepard Lutheran Church * Zion Lutheran Church * First English Lutheran Church * Salem Baptist Church * Lighthouse Baptist Church * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints * Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses * First Assembly of God Church * Seventh-day Adventist Church * United Methodist Church * First Covenant Church * Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal * Celebration Fellowship * United Presbyterian Congregational Church

Arts and culture

The region is served by the Chequamegon Bay Arts Council, a non-profit organization promoting the arts in northern Wisconsin. The Ashland Chamber Music Society is a volunteer organization that provides a venue for local and regional musicians to perform chamber music in the Ashland area. The Bay Area Film Society is a group of film enthusiasts who sponsor the screening of classic films. The Chequamegon Symphony Orchestra (CSO) provides orchestral concerts to the residents of northern Wisconsin.

Recreation

Natural places in the vicinity include

, the

Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge is part of a large wetland complex on Lake Superior, near Ashland, Wisconsin. These coastal wetlands are a significant part of the wildlife habitat and aquatic resources of the south shore of Lake Superior ...

, and the nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Parks

* Bayview Park, also known as Pamida Beach, contains a swimming beach, bathrooms, fishing pier, picnic area and playground. The 10-mile walking trail that loops Ashland connects to the park."Visit Ashland" website
Bayview Park is the only swim front in Ashland that provides lifeguards in the summer. * Beaser Park * Kreher Park, also known as Sunset Park, contains 33 RV campsites on lake Superior. The park has a swimming beach, playground, showers, dumping station, and firewood. The park connect to the Ashland Waterfront trail. * Maslowski Beach features a shallow, sandy swimming beach, playground, pavilion, bathrooms, changing rooms, pay phone and artesian well. There is also access to Ashland's Lake Front Trail along Chequamegon Bay. * Memorial Park contains a band shell. * Menard Park * Prentice Park is the largest of Ashland's 12 parks, at approximately 100 acres. It is a natural habitat for migrating birds, a nesting ground for mute swans, with hiking trails, artesian wells, a picnic area, a children's playground, and tent camping. Prentice park at one point had a deer herd that was domesticated.

Hiking and biking trails

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center Ashland Wisconsin

* Tri-County Corridor * Lakefront Trail, along Lake Superior * A recreational trail loops around the entire city. * North Country Trail

Boating

* Ashland Marina, located behind the Hotel Chequamegon

Camping

* RV camping is available at Prentice park, and Kreher Park. * Tent camping is available at Prentice Park.

Local attractions

* Ashland Historical Museum *

– a regional information center with natural history exhibits. A branch office of the Wisconsin Historical Society is located upstairs. * The Chequamegon Theatre Association is located in the historic Rhinehart Theatre. * Ashland Chequamegon Bay Golf Course

Events

* Bay Days is Ashland's annual community festival, held in the middle of July. In addition to street vendors and live outdoor music, it includes a "Strongest Man in the Bay Contest" and a Sprint Triathlon. * The Book Across the Bay ski race is held every year in February. The course for the race crosses the frozen Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, starting in Ashland, and ending in Washburn, Wisconsin, Washburn. * The WhistleStop Marathon and half-marathon is held every fall, and draws athletes from surrounding regions. The before-race events include a pasta feed, and live music that night. * Live chamber music concerts performed by the Ashland Chamber Music Society * The annual Red Clay Classics car race held at ABC Raceway * The Ashland Area Farmer's Market is held weekly in the summer on Saturday mornings. * Holiday parades include a Fourth of July parade, a Christmas parade, and a Homecoming parade. * The Ashland County Fair is usually held in September at the fairgrounds in Marengo. * The Chequamegon Bay Bird & Nature Festival is held in May. * The Superior Vistas Bike Tour is held in June. * Garland City Women's Expo is held in November. * Chick-uamegon 5k & 10k run

Notable people

* Ove H. Berg, Wisconsin State Representative * Janet Bewley, member of the Wisconsin Legislature * Abe L. Biglow, Wisconsin State Representative * Bob Blake (ice hockey), Bob Blake, NHL player * Bob Brevak, racing driver * F. Taylor Brown, U.S. Navy admiral * Ray Callahan (baseball), Ray Callahan, MLB pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds * John C. Chapple, Wisconsin State Representative and newspaper editor * Moose Cochran, NFL player * Norm DeBriyn, former head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team * Sean Duffy, U.S. Congressman * Sam Fifield, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, and noted businessman * Moose Gardner, professional football player * Bernard E. Gehrmann, Wisconsin State Representative * Jack Hall (trade unionist), Jack Hall, labor organizer and trade unionist * Morgan Hamm, Olympic Games, Olympic medalist * Paul Hamm, world champion gymnast, Olympic Games, Olympic gold medalist * Everis A. Hayes, U.S. Representative from California * A.R. Johnson (Louisiana politician), Andrew R. Johnson (1856–1933), Louisiana State Legislature, Louisiana state senator from 1916 to 1924 and mayor of Homer, Louisiana, Homer, Louisiana, lived in Ashland while working in the 1890s for the United States Land Office. In 1901, he named the village of Ashland, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Ashland, Louisiana, for Ashland, Wisconsin. * John Kingston, Jr., Wisconsin State Senator * Jim Kisselburgh, football player * Clarence A. Lamoreux, Wisconsin State Senator * Lawrence A. Lamoreux, Wisconsin State Assembly * William D. Leahy, U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral, first military officer to reach a five-star rank; Chief of Naval Operations; Governor of Puerto Rico; U.S. Ambassador to France; White House Chief of Staff for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman * Michael A. McAuliffe, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General * Robert Bruce McCoy, U.S. National Guard Major General * George F. Merrill, Wisconsin State Senator * Jennifer Ouellette, Science Writer * Sigurd F. Olson, author * William Plizka, member of the Wisconsin Legislature * Joe Rogalski, MLB player * Albert W. Sanborn, Wisconsin State Senator * Fritz Scholder, Native American artist * John C. Sibbald, Wisconsin State Representative * John W. Slaby, Wisconsin State Representative * Dave Suminski, NFL player * John Szarkowski, photographer * Justus Smith Stearns, businessman * Daniel Theno, Wisconsin State Senator, Ashland Mayor * A. Pearce Tomkins, Wisconsin State Senator * Harry P. Van Guilder, Wisconsin State Representative

References

External links

City of Ashland

Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
188418861890189519011909

at Wisconsin Central {{Authority control Ashland, Wisconsin, Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Ashland County, Wisconsin Cities in Bayfield County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin Tarring and feathering in the United States Wisconsin populated places on Lake Superior