Ashland History:
Ashland was originally part of the Town of Holderness. The township of Holderness was granted by the royal governor to a group of proprietors in 1751. But because of the French and Indian Wars, the proprietors were unable to settle the township in the time required by the grant. So the township was regranted under the name of New Holderness in 1761. (The "New" was dropped from the name in 1816.) Factories spurred the growth of a village along the river. In 1849, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad connected the village to national markets. Commerce flourished in the village, as stores were established to serve the mill workers. The village developed its own institutions. The interest of the industrial and commercial villagers diverged from those of the farmers in the rest of the town. So, in 1868, the southwest corner of Holderness was incorporated as the new town of Ashland.
For more history on the town of Ashland:
http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/grafton/History_Ashland_NH.txt
Check out the town of Ashland's homepage for more local information:
http://ashland.nh.gov
Town Reports:
Click on the following link to the University of New Hampshire's Library to view The Town of Ashland's Annual Reports:
http://www.library.unh.edu/digital/islandora/solr/search/%2520/1/category%3ANH%5C%20Cities%5C%20%2526%5C%20Towns~slsh~Ashland%2A~/dismax
Historical Newspapers
Historical Newspapers at the Ashland Town Library
Plymouth Record:
1888-1897, 1899-1910, 1912-1915, 1917-1919, 1923 & 1924, 1926-1928, 1930-1934
Ashland Item:
1891-1893, 1896-1899
Newspapers are available for use inside the library. Because of the fragile paper and bindings of the old newspapers, we are unable to put them in the copier.
Genealogy
The Ashland Town Library has Heritage Quest Online available. Please inquire at the library for a user name and password.
Ashland Genealogy Society
Bob Hicks PO Box 116 Ashland, NH 03217 rbhicks.geo@yahoo.com
Records are kept at the Ashland Town Library for use inside the library. Contact the Genealogy Society for assistance.
Ashland Historical Society
David Ruell PO Box 175, Ashland, NH 03217
Reuben Whitten
1816 Year without a Summer
In 2016, Ashland NH commemorates the 200th Anniversary of “1816 The Year Without A Summer” when New Holderness citizen Reuben Whitten shared his wheat crop with his neighbors who had no crops that year. Ashland will recognize his generosity and this bicentennial milestone by restoring the house that Reuben Whitten built and where he dried his precious wheat crop. Civic Beautification for 2016 will include a 'snow and ice' theme with plantings and artisan snowflakes decorating the town. There will be two community events; Sunday June 5th First Frost Ice Cream Social at 2PM and Saturday August 27th Whitten Wheat Festival and Community Stone Soup at 4PM, both being held at the Whitten House Museum, 2 Pleasant Street. The Reuben Whitten House Project (RWHP) will be underway 2014 - 2016 for celebrations in 2016 when Ashland NH will honor and publicize our neighborly ancestor and this moment in our town's history. The Ashland Historical Society's Reuben Whitten Committee is currently preparing the property and raising the $40,000 needed to undertake the home's renovation.
For more information on Reuben Whitten:
http://www.reubenwhitten.org
Ashland was originally part of the Town of Holderness. The township of Holderness was granted by the royal governor to a group of proprietors in 1751. But because of the French and Indian Wars, the proprietors were unable to settle the township in the time required by the grant. So the township was regranted under the name of New Holderness in 1761. (The "New" was dropped from the name in 1816.) Factories spurred the growth of a village along the river. In 1849, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad connected the village to national markets. Commerce flourished in the village, as stores were established to serve the mill workers. The village developed its own institutions. The interest of the industrial and commercial villagers diverged from those of the farmers in the rest of the town. So, in 1868, the southwest corner of Holderness was incorporated as the new town of Ashland.
For more history on the town of Ashland:
http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/grafton/History_Ashland_NH.txt
Check out the town of Ashland's homepage for more local information:
http://ashland.nh.gov
Town Reports:
Click on the following link to the University of New Hampshire's Library to view The Town of Ashland's Annual Reports:
http://www.library.unh.edu/digital/islandora/solr/search/%2520/1/category%3ANH%5C%20Cities%5C%20%2526%5C%20Towns~slsh~Ashland%2A~/dismax
Historical Newspapers
Historical Newspapers at the Ashland Town Library
Plymouth Record:
1888-1897, 1899-1910, 1912-1915, 1917-1919, 1923 & 1924, 1926-1928, 1930-1934
Ashland Item:
1891-1893, 1896-1899
Newspapers are available for use inside the library. Because of the fragile paper and bindings of the old newspapers, we are unable to put them in the copier.
Genealogy
The Ashland Town Library has Heritage Quest Online available. Please inquire at the library for a user name and password.
Ashland Genealogy Society
Bob Hicks PO Box 116 Ashland, NH 03217 rbhicks.geo@yahoo.com
Records are kept at the Ashland Town Library for use inside the library. Contact the Genealogy Society for assistance.
Ashland Historical Society
David Ruell PO Box 175, Ashland, NH 03217
Reuben Whitten
1816 Year without a Summer
In 2016, Ashland NH commemorates the 200th Anniversary of “1816 The Year Without A Summer” when New Holderness citizen Reuben Whitten shared his wheat crop with his neighbors who had no crops that year. Ashland will recognize his generosity and this bicentennial milestone by restoring the house that Reuben Whitten built and where he dried his precious wheat crop. Civic Beautification for 2016 will include a 'snow and ice' theme with plantings and artisan snowflakes decorating the town. There will be two community events; Sunday June 5th First Frost Ice Cream Social at 2PM and Saturday August 27th Whitten Wheat Festival and Community Stone Soup at 4PM, both being held at the Whitten House Museum, 2 Pleasant Street. The Reuben Whitten House Project (RWHP) will be underway 2014 - 2016 for celebrations in 2016 when Ashland NH will honor and publicize our neighborly ancestor and this moment in our town's history. The Ashland Historical Society's Reuben Whitten Committee is currently preparing the property and raising the $40,000 needed to undertake the home's renovation.
For more information on Reuben Whitten:
http://www.reubenwhitten.org
