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Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census.
The city is situated at the junction of U.S. Route 2 and Wisconsin Highway 13. It is the home of Northland College and the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute.
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Four flags have flown over the area around Ashland: Spanish, French, English and American. Eight different Indian nations have lived on Chequamegon Bay. Later settlers included European explorers, missionaries and fur traders, and more recently, Yankees who platted and developed the lands, railroaders, shippers, loggers, entrepreneurs, and other settlers. The area was part of the original Northwest Territory and was subsequently part of four successive territories before becoming part of the state of Wisconsin: Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory, Illinois Territory, and Wisconsin Territory.
About the time Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World, the Ojibwe 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 about a century before leaving, first to settle on Madeline Island and then to move to the Sault 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 Wisconsin. A historical marker is located at Maslowski Beach on U.S. Route 2 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 arrived. A Jesuit missionary, he brought the first word of Christianity to Wisconsin's shores. Allouez built a chapel not far from Radisson's and Groseillier's stockade and remained at the Bay until 1669.
In 1854, Ohioans Asaph Whittlesey and George Kilborn set out from La Pointe to explore the head of Chequamegon Bay. Whittlesey built a 10 ft (3.0 m) × 14 ft (4.3 m) cabin in Ashland. His wife, Lucy, and daughter, Eugenia, joined him in August and prepared to winter in their new home. Signs of civilization quickly followed. 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. It was the location of the first post office and polling place for county offices. Sunday school was also conducted on the premises.
Other dates of note:
The harbor of Ashland is dominated by the massive Wisconsin Central Railway (later Soo Line) ore dock, built in 1916 to load iron ore mined in the area into freighters bound for ports in the Rust Belt.[3] The last of what were once many such docks, the concrete structure is 80 feet (24 m) high and 75 feet (23 m) wide and in 1925 the dock was extended to 1,800 feet (550 m); it was last used to ship ore in 1965.[4] 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.[4] The main concrete structure and trestle has slowly deteriorated since the early 1970s because of lack of maintenance and the effects of the environment.[5] According to a structural inspection completed in 2006 and 2007 by Westbrook Associates, the ore dock has become structurally unsafe and an imminent safety hazard. On May 14, 2009, the Ashland Planning Commission granted Canadian National approval for both a site plan for the demolition and a right-of-way license for a haul route. Canadian National (CN) has hired Minnesota-based Veit & Company to manage the demolition. All material on the ore dock will be removed down to the concrete base.[6] Demolition was originally expected to be complete by December 2010, however a permitting dispute delayed action and as of Spring 2011 demolition had not yet begun.[7] [8]
Ashland is located along the south shore of Chequamegon Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.7 square miles (35.4 km²). 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (1.98%) is water.
There are four distinct seasons, with notably cold winters. Due to its proximity to Lake Superior, lake effect snow is sometimes a phenomenon in Ashland.
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,620 people, 3,513 households, and 2,027 families residing in the city. The population density 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% White, 0.32% African American, 6.30% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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 for the city was $16,330. About 7.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% ages 65 or older.
The region is served by the Chequamegon Bay Arts Council, a non-profit organization promoting the arts in northern Wisconsin.
Ashland was a filming location for the 1998 movie A Simple Plan.
Great cuisine is available at a wide array of dining establishments. A complete listing is located at Visitashland.com
Ashland's movie theater is located on Main Street West, near the library.
Outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant in the Ashland area, and the city is surrounded by much natural beauty. There are many unique natural places in the vicinity, such as Lake Superior, the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, and the nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Bill Whalen was elected mayor in the 2010-04-06 local election, replacing Ed Monroe, who did not seek re-election.
City Council meetings are currently held on the second and last Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm, in the Council Chambers room at City Hall (located at 601 Main Street West).[17] All meetings are open to the public, although on occasion the Council may meet in closed session to discuss a subject permitted by the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law to be held in closed session. The city is divided into 11 wards, each of which is represented by an elected alderperson (or councilor).[18]
Also in Ashland, is the County Courthouse, located at 201 Main Street West.
A list of local city ordinances/laws is located at the City Website.
In the Wisconsin State Legislature, Ashland is located in the 74th Assembly District, and the 25th Senate District, represented by Assemblyman Janet Bewley, and State Senator Robert Jauch.
In the United States House of Representatives, Ashland is served by Sean Duffy, of Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. The U.S. Senators representing Wisconsin are Herb Kohl and Ron Johnson.
The two main manufactures of products in the community include Bretting Manufacturing (who manufacture equipment), and Larson-Juhl (a subsidy of Berkshire Hathaway, that manufactures picture frames).
Other main employers include the schools and colleges, as well as Memorial Medical Center and Wal-Mart. Many small businesses also employ a good portion of the population.
Ashland is also home to an office of The Job Center of Wisconsin, located at 101 Main Street West.[19]
Stations serving Ashland come from the Duluth market:
The two major highways in the city are U.S. Highway 2 and Wisconsin Highway 13. The city is one of the northern termini in Wisconsin for the Canadian National Railway, parent company of the formerWisconsin Central Ltd., which assumed the former Soo Line tracks in 1987.[20]
Airports certified for carrier operations near Ashland:
Other public-use airports near Ashland:
Local transportation is provided by the non-profit Bay Area Rural Transit (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, and Bayfield.
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