Ashland is a home rule-class city in Boyd County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, United States. The largest city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon a southern bank of the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

at the state border with

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and near

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. The population was 21,625 at the 2020 census. Ashland is a principal city of the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area, referred to locally as the "Tri-State area", home to 359,862 residents as of 2020. Ashland serves as an important economic and medical center for northeastern Kentucky.

History

Ashland dates back to the migration of the Poage family from the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

via the

Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains, near the junction of the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. It is famous in American colonial history for its rol ...

in 1786. They erected a homestead along the

and named it Poage's Landing. Also called Poage Settlement, the community that developed around it remained an extended-family affair until the mid-19th century.''A History of Ashland, Kentucky, 1854–2004''. Ashland Bicentennial Committee. 2004. January 2, 2007. In 1854, the city name was changed to Ashland, after

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

's Lexington estate and to reflect the city's growing industrial base. The city's early industrial growth was a result of

the Ohio The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

Valley's

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry in the production of steel which is obtained by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with silic ...

industry and, particularly, the 1854 charter of the Kentucky Iron, Coal, and Manufacturing Company by the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in the ...

. The city was formally incorporated by the General Assembly two years later in 1856. Major industrial employers in the first half of the 20th century included

Armco AK Steel Holdings Corporation was a steelmaking company headquartered in West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio. The company, whose name was derived from the initials of Armco, its predecessor company, and Kawasaki Steel Corporation, was a ...

, Ashland Oil and Refining Company, the

C&O Railroad The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond t ...

, Allied Chemical & Dye Company's Semet Solvay, and

Mansbach Steel Mansbach is a village and a municipal district of Hohenroda in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in eastern Hesse, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most popul ...

Geography

Ashland is located at (38.464017, −82.641571). It lies within the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of the Western Allegheny Plateau. 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.30%, is water.

Cityscape

Ashland's central business district extends from 12th Street to 18th Street, and from Carter Avenue to Greenup Avenue. It includes many historically preserved and notable buildings, such as the

Paramount Arts Center The Paramount Arts Center is a historic theater located in Ashland, Kentucky, in the United States. Listed as the Paramount Theatre on the National Register of Historic Places, this theater is an important part of theater in Kentucky. History ...

and the Ashland Bank Building, which is built to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

height and style standards and serves as a reminder of what Ashland leaders hoped it would become.

Climate

Ashland is in the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

zone, and distinctly experiences all four seasons, with vivid fall foliage and occasional snow in winter. The average high is 88 °F in July, the warmest month, with the average lows of 19 °F occurring in January, the coolest month. The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F in July 1954. The lowest recorded temperature was −25 °F in January 1994. Average annual precipitation is , with the wettest month being July, averaging .

Demographics

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 21,981 people, 9,675 households, and 6,192 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,763 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.84%

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 on ...

, 2.30%

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 ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.22% 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 1.12% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 were 0.59% of the population. There were 9,675 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,309, and the median income for a family was $40,131. Males had a median income of $35,362 versus $23,994 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 $19,218. About 14.0% of families and 18.4% 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 28.3% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

AK Steel

American Rolling Mill Co. (ARMCO) opened its steel mill, Ashland Works, in 1922. The facility grew to cover along the Ohio River. It set world records in production, and eventually employed about 7,000 people. Local

scrap Scrap consists of Recycling, recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap Waste valorization, has monetary ...

drives were held during World War II to support production at the plant.

ARMCO Steel AK Steel Holdings Corporation was a steelmaking company headquartered in West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio. The company, whose name was derived from the initials of Armco, its predecessor company, and Kawasaki Steel Corporation, was a ...

partnered with Kawasaki Steel Corporation in 1994. AK Steel eventually purchased Armco Steel Inc. At one time Armco employed over 4,000 people at its West Works, Foundry, and Coke Plant. AK Steel employed under 1,000 after the closing of the Foundry and Coke Plant and the downsizing of its West Works. AK shut down completely in 2019.

King's Daughters Medical Center

King's Daughters Medical Center King's Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) is a hospital system based in Ashland, Kentucky which is the city's largest employer at over 4,000 employees, generating more than $200 million in payroll a year.Moses, Emily B. "Expansion project at KDMC on ...

is the fourth largest hospital in Kentucky, the 465-bed not-for-profit institution is the city's largest employer at over 4,000 employees."About KDMC." King's Daughters Medical Center. December 31, 2006 . It offers numerous inpatient and outpatient services for the region.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events and fairs

* The Festival of Trees occurs at the

every winter * Poage Landing Days * Summer Motion * Winter Wonderland of Lights * Firkin Fest craft beer festival

Historical structures and museums

The

, an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

style movie theater built in 1930, is located on Winchester Avenue. The converted theater serves as an important venue for the arts in eastern Kentucky and the neighboring sections of

and

. It is well noted for its Festival of Trees event during the winter season. The Paramount is also devoted to teaching children the importance of the arts. Summer classes are offered for school-age children. Also along Winchester Avenue is the

Highlands Museum and Discovery Center The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center is a heritage center and science center located in Ashland, Kentucky, United States. The museum displays exhibits on local history and specialized science displays for children along with providing edu ...

. Among its numerous exhibits, one about Country Music Heritage pays tribute to the music artists from along

U.S. Route 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has sinc ...

in Kentucky. Two locals,

The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most success ...

from Ashland, and

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

from nearby

Flatwoods Flatwoods, pineywoods, pine savannas and longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem are terms that refer to an ecological community in the southeastern coastal plain of North America. Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by wildfire or prescribed fire an ...

, are included. The Pendleton Art Center, formed in 2005, is located within the downtown. The works produced include paintings, stained glass, carved gourds, and wood carvings by local artists. They are displayed at the Pendleton the first Friday and Saturday of every month and at other times by appointment. The Jesse Stuart Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the literary legacy of

Jesse Stuart Jesse may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jesse (biblical figure), father of David in the Bible. * Jesse (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Jesse (surname), a list of people Music * ''Jesse'' (a ...

and other

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

n writers, was at one time located within an earshot of the Pendleton Arts Center. Jesse Stuart, a well-known 20th-century author, was from nearby

Greenup, Kentucky Greenup is a home rule-class city located at the confluence of the Little Sandy River with the Ohio River in Greenup County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,188 at the 2010 census. Greenup is one of three county seats in the Com ...

Parks and recreation

Ashland boasts a Central Park. In July 1976, a new park at the former Clyffeside Park was envisioned. Named after Commissioner Johnny Oliverio, it features several baseball diamonds, and is located along Winchester Avenue near 39th Street. In 2004, the AK Steel Sports Park was constructed along Blackburn Avenue in South Ashland. The sports-oriented park features several baseball diamonds, soccer fields and an incomplete skate park.

Government

Local government

Ashland is governed by a City Manager form of government."Ashland Police Department." Ashland Police Department. December 30, 200

The government switched from a council-manager to a city commissioner-manager form of government in 1950. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer for the city who reports to a Board of Commissioners. Department heads ranging from the Police to Public Works report to the City Manager. The City Manager is currently Michael Graese. The Mayor of Ashland, Kentucky, Mayor of Ashland is elected for a four-year term and is not term-limited. The mayor presides over City Commission meetings, is a voting member of the City Commission and represents the city at major functions. The current mayor is Matt Perkins. Ashland's current City Commission members are Mayor Matt Perkins and Commissioners Josh Blanton, Amanda Clark, Marty Gute and Cheryl Wooten Spriggs. In 1925, a new city hall was erected at the corner of 17th Street and Greenup Avenue.

Federal representation

The

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

operates the

Federal Correctional Institution, Ashland The Federal Correctional Institution, Ashland (FCI Ashland) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in the unincorporated area of Summit in Boyd County, Kentucky, approximately outside the city of Ashland. It is operated ...

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

Boyd County,Admissions & Orientation (A&O) Handbook
" Federal Correctional Institution, Ashland. 1 (1/51). Retrieved on February 1, 2011. "The Federal Correctional Institution of Ashland, Kentucky, is located five miles southwest of Ashland in Summit, Kentucky." southwest of central Ashland. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

operates the Ashland Post Office and the Unity Contract Station. The

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (in case citations, E.D. Ky.) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises approximately the Eastern half of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The United States Cour ...

maintains courtroom and office facilities in the Carl D. Perkins United States Courthouse & Federal Building in downtown Ashland.

Education

All public schools within city limits are operated by the

Ashland Independent School District The Ashland Independent School District is a school district based in Boyd County, Kentucky. The district serves the area within the city limits of Ashland, save for a very small part in the Fairview independent district and a tiny area in the ...

. Public schools outside of city limits are operated by the Boyd County School District and the Fairview Independent School District. Some portions of the city limits are in the Boyd and Fairview school districts. Ashland has five public elementary schools, Hager Elementary, Oakview Elementary, Crabbe Elementary School, Poage Elementary and Charles Russell Elementary. Hatcher Elementary closed its doors in Spring 2010. Its students and much of its resources were consolidated with the other elementary schools in Fall 2010.
Mike, James. "Goodbye to Hatcher." ''The Independent''. May 30, 2010. Access date: June 5, 2010. The former Hatcher Elementary building now serves as the Ashland Independent Schools Central Office. There is one public middle school, Ashland Middle School, formerly known as George M. Verity Middle School and Putnam Junior High School. The campus is home to Putnam Stadium which serves as the home field for Ashland Tomcats high school and middle school football. One public high school serves the city of Ashland: Paul G. Blazer High School, named after philanthropist and founder of

Ashland Inc. Ashland Global Specialty Chemicals Inc. is an American chemical company which operates in more than 100 countries. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company traces its roots back to the city of Ashland, Kentucky, where it was headquarter ...

Paul G. Blazer Paul Garrett Blazer (September 19, 1890 – December 9, 1966) was President and CEO of Ashland Oil and Refining Company (Ashland, Inc.) located in Ashland, Kentucky. Early life Blazer was born on September 19, 1890, in New Boston, Illinois to Pre ...

. The high school is home to the Ashland Tomcats and Kittens athletic teams. The Ashland Tomcats football program has achieved 11 state championships. The Ashland Tomcats (boys') basketball program has accomplished 1 national championship, 4 state championships, 32 regional championships, and 55 district championships. The Ashland Tomcats and Kittens (girls') soccer teams play at the Ashland Soccer Complex at the high school. The school's marching band competes in the AAA class of th
Kentucky Music Educators Association
KMEA). The marching band is commonly called "The Pride of Blazer" for its excellent performance in many KMEA marching band competitions. Westwood, an unincorporated community just outside the Ashland city limits, is served by the Fairview Independent School District. The district operates Fairview High School, grades 6-12, and Fairview Elementary School, grades K-5. The Boyd County Public Schools serves the rural part of Ashland and the remainder of Boyd County. It has four elementary schools, those being Ponderosa Elementary, Cannonsburg Elementary, Catlettsburg Elementary and Summit Elementary. Boyd County Middle School serves grades 6-8, while Boyd County High School serves grades 9-12. The two private schools serving the Ashland area are th
Holy Family School
and the Rose Hill Christian School. Holy Family is affiliated with Holy Family Catholic Church and currently offers K–12 education. Rose Hill is affiliated with the Rose Hill Baptist Church and also offers K–12. Post-secondary educational opportunities include

Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC) is a public community college in Ashland, Kentucky. It is an open-admissions college and part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. It was founded in 1938 to allow students the o ...

which has multiple campuses within the city.

Morehead State University Morehead State University (MSU) is a public university in Morehead, Kentucky. The university began as Morehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a two-year residential ea ...

also has a satellite campus located in Ashland. Ashland has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, a branch of the Boyd County Public Library.

Media

Newspapers

Ashland is home to two newspapers: ''The Independent'' and ''The Greater Ashland Beacon''. '' The Daily Independent'' is a five-day morning

daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

which covers the city and the surrounding metropolitan area. In addition, it offers national, state and regional news/sports coverage via reprints of Associated Press and

CNHI CNHI, LLC (formerly Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.) is an American publisher of newspapers and advertising-related publications throughout the United States. The company was formed in 1997 by Ralph Martin,

wire reports and columns. The newspaper is often called "The Independent" or the "Ashland Daily Independent" by locals, as these were its former names. One of the paper's claims to fame is the first printings of a supposed image of Jesus in the clouds of Korea in 1951. Ashland's other newspaper is ''The Greater Ashland Beacon''. It is a free weekly circular published in full color every Tuesday. "The Beacon", as it is known by locals, is "hyper-local," meaning it is exclusively dedicated to covering the community. Highlights include, but are not limited to, local events, sports results, outdoor recreation and personal interest articles and columns penned by freelance Ashland-area journalists and quasi-celebrities.

Radio

Television

Ashland residents receive their network television primarily from stations in Huntington and

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

. In addition,

WKYT WKYT-TV (channel 27) is a television station in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW. The station is owned by Gray Television, and maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Winchester Road (US 60) near I-75 on ...

, the CBS affiliate in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

, is shown on

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...

in Ashland when its programming is different from Charleston's CBS affiliate WOWK. There are also two television stations licensed to Ashland itself. Those are:

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

Located just north of the city in

Worthington Worthington may refer to: People * Worthington (surname) * Worthington family, a British noble family Businesses * Worthington Brewery, also known as Worthington's * Worthington Corporation, founded as a pump manufacturer in 1845, later a dive ...

is the

Ashland Regional Airport Ashland Regional Airport is a public use airport in Worthington, Greenup County, Kentucky, owned by the Ashland Regional Airport Board. It is located six nautical miles (11 km) northwest of the central business district of Ashland, a city ...

. This airport is used for general aviation. The then-named ''Ashland-Boyd County Airport'' opened in 1953 and featured a . runway with a . clearance. Tri-State Airport, located in nearby Ceredo, West Virginia, provides commercial aviation services for the city.

Rail

Amtrak serves Ashland with the three-days-a-week ''Cardinal'', connecting New York City, Washington, Charlottesville, VA,

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, and Chicago. Westbound trains are scheduled to stop Sunday, Wednesday, Friday in the late evening. Eastbound the stops are early morning Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. The Amtrak station is located at the

Ashland Transportation Center Ashland Transportation Center is an intermodal transit station in Ashland, Kentucky. Jointly operated by the City of Ashland and CSX Transportation, it currently serves Amtrak's ''Cardinal'' train as well as the Ashland Bus System and Greyhound ...

, formerly the

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond t ...

freight depot, located on 15th Street near the

. It does not have an Amtrak ticket counter or QuikTrak ticket machine, but E-tickets can be obtained from either Amtrak's website or mobile app. The C&O freight depot, constructed in 1906 on the former Aldine Hotel site,Chappell, Edward A. "A historic preservation plan for Ashland, Kentucky." City of Ashland, April 1978. January 2, 2006. had become an abandoned derelict. Then in the late 1990s it was renovated to become the city's unified transportation hub. The former C&O passenger depot, at 11th Street and Carter Avenue, had been completed in 1925 but abandoned in the 1970s in favor of a downsized depot in nearby Catlettsburg. The rail lines to the building have since been removed. Today the building itself serves as the downtown branch of

PNC Bank The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (stylized as PNC) is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of ...

. Passenger rail service was moved from Catlettsburg to the Ashland Transportation Center in March 1998.

Bus

Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge and Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

is the sole provider of intercity bus transportation out of Ashland. It operates out of the

, along with the Ashland Bus System that provides five local bus routes.

Roads

Ashland is served by US 23 and US 60, several state routes, and is in close proximity to US 52 and Interstate 64. The state routes include: * KY 5 never enters the city limits of Ashland, however does serve a sizable area surrounding the city. * KY 168 crosses through the south Ashland region and is referred to as Blackburn Avenue and South Belmont Street. * KY 766 Connects US 60 and 13th Street with KY 5 * KY 1012 is known as Boy Scout Road. * KY 1134

Law enforcement

In the late 19th century, what is now the Ashland Police Department was organized when the town was still known as Poage's Landing. The first executive officer was a town

marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

, who was soon replaced by a professional police department. The city of Ashland currently has 49 sworn officers, three civilian employees who function as administrative support and six parapolice who handle tasks that do not require the services of a sworn officer.

Health care

In addition to

, another hospital, the Ashland Tuberculosis Hospital, was located on a hill above U.S. Route 60 in the Western Hills section of the city and opened in 1950."A history of Ashland, Kentucky, 1786–1954." Ashland Centennial Committee. 1954. January 2, 2007. It featured 100 beds and served 18 eastern Kentucky counties. It has long since been closed due to the discovery of antibiotics that successfully treat tuberculosis, eliminating its necessity. The facility has since been used as a state office building and is now owned by Safe Harbor, a secure domestic violence shelter and advocacy center.

Notable people

Claria Horn Boom Claria Denise Horn Boom (born 1969) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. She is a member of the United St ...

, U.S. federal judge *

, country music singer, born and raised in Flatwoods, Kentucky, just outside Ashland * Trace Cyrus, musician *

Mark Fosson Mark Steed Fosson (May 16, 1950 – November 2, 2018) was an American singer-songwriter and American primitive guitarist who grew up in eastern Kentucky, where he began writing songs while he was still in his early teens. He got his start in t ...

, musician/songwriter * Leigh French, actress * Gina Haspel, director of Central Intelligence Agency * Jillian Hall, WWE Diva *

Mabel Hite Mabel Hite (May 30, 1883 – October 22, 1912) was a vaudeville comedian and musical comedy actress. Life and career Hite was born in Ashland, Kentucky May 30, 1883, the daughter of Lewis and Elsie Hite. Her family relocated to Pocatello, Ida ...

, vaudeville and musical comedy performer * Chris Jennings, running back for NFL's Cleveland Browns *

, country music duo of mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna * Allison Anders, filmmaker and director * Steve Kazee, Broadway and film actor * Sonny Landham, actor and former Kentucky gubernatorial candidate * Michele Mahone, entertainment reporter, NINE Network, Australia *

Venus Ramey Venus Ramey Murphy (September 26, 1924 – June 17, 2017) was an American beauty pageant contestant, and later an activist. She won the Miss America competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 9, 1944. Early life Ramey was born in S ...

, first red-haired

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

in 1944 *

Charlie Reliford Charles Harold Reliford (born September 19, 1956) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). After working in the National League (NL) from 1989 to 1999, he worked throughout both leagues from 2000 to 2009. He wore uniform numbe ...

, Major League Baseball umpire *

Julie Reeves Julie Reeves (born June 18, 1974) is an American country music recording artist and radio personality. She has had three hit singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart with two of those singles charting in the Top 40. Reeves was form ...

, country music singer *

Jay Rhodemyre Jay Rhodemyre (June 29, 1923 – June 7, 1968) was a former center in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1948 NFL Draft and would play four seasons with the team. Rhodemyer att ...

, former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

center *

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...

, leader of the Manson Family, killer * Don Robinson, former Major League Baseball pitcher *

Robert Smedley Robert Smedley (born June 25, 1963 in Ashland, Kentucky) is an American retired professional wrestler and author, better known by his ring name Bobby Blaze. He gained the majority of his in-ring success performing for Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SM ...

, professional wrestler for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment as Bobby Blaze * Jean Bell Thomas, proprietress of American Folk Song Festival in Ashland area 1930 - 1972 * Alberta Vaughn, actress *

Brandon Webb Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Webb pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but ...

, pitcher for Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, 2006 National League

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...

winner *

Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and 7 more after his death. ...

, country music singer * Chuck Woolery, game show host

In popular culture

* Ashland, Kentucky is mentioned at the beginning of Part 4 Chapter 2 in

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...

. * Ashland, Kentucky is mentioned as the location of the Rebel-Georgian Coalition camp in the NBC television series Revolution Episode 1.17 "The Longest Day" first aired May 13, 2013.

References

* Historical populations from ''A history of Ashland, Kentucky, 1786-1954'', Ashland Centennial Committee, 1954, and ''Ashland City Directory'', 1985.

External links

City of Ashland official website

Ashland Alliance
(Chamber of Commerce)
Ashland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

{{authority control Cities in Boyd County, Kentucky Eastern Kentucky Coalfield Populated places established in 1854 Kentucky populated places on the Ohio River Coal towns in Kentucky 1854 establishments in Kentucky Cities in Kentucky