| Ashland, Oregon |
Article Index for Ashland |
Website Links For Ashland |
Information AboutAshland, Oregon |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ASHLAND, OREGON | |
| ashland, oregon | |
| jackson county, oregon | |
| cities in oregonashland, oregon | |
| jackson county, oregon | |
| cities in oregon | |
| cities in oregon | |
|
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon , near Interstate 5 and the California border, and nestled in the south end of the Rogue Valley . It was named after Ashland County, Ohio , point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky , where other founders had family connections. It officially became a town with the name Ashland Mills in 1855. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,522. It is the home of Southern Oregon University and the nationally renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival . Ashland is also remarkable for being very politically liberal. It gave the hypermajority of its vote to Democrat John F. Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. This potentially makes it more Democratic than Portland , and more Democratic than any city in Oregon and neighbouring Washington outside of Seattle, Washington , which cast 80.61% for Kerry compared to Ashland's 80.60%. HISTORY Prior to the arrival of settlers in mid- 1800s , Shasta Indians lived in the valley along the creek approximately where Ashland is located. Early hunters and trappers, following the Siskiyou Trail , passed through the site in the 1820s. In the early 1850s , the Donation Land Act brought many white settlers into the Rogue Valley and in conflict with its native people. These often violent clashes continued until 1856. Gold was discovered near and his brother James, Robert Hargadine and others. In order to capitalize on mining in nearby Jacksonville, Helman and the Emerys established a lumber mill on Ashland Creek (then called Mill Creek). During the 1860s and 1870s the community grew, establishing a school, churches and other businesses. In 1871 the Post Office dropped "Mills" from Ashland's name. The Following Year Reverend Skidmore founded the Ashland Academy--it eventually became Southern Oregon University. In December of 1887 , Portland, Oregon and San Francisco were joined by rail at Ashland. Until 1926 , when most rail service began taking a different route (east through Klamath Falls to avoid the steep grade through the Siskiyou Mountains ) Ashland thrived on rail trade. This was especially the case with orchard products, such as the famous Ashland peach, which won top honors at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois . In 1908 , the Women's Civic Improvement Club petitioned for the creation of a park--Ashland Canyon Park--along Ashland Creek. The discovery of Lithia water around the same time led to a plan to establish a mineral spa at the park. Using the resulting funding, the town engaged John McLaren , landscape architect of San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park , to design the park. This also resulted in a name change, first to Lithia Springs Park and then to Lithia Park . During the Fourth Of July celebration in 1935 , Angus L. Bowmer arranged the first performances of what would become the Oregon Shakespeare Festival . The festival grew during the 1900s , and has become an award-winning and nationally-known regional theater company. INSTITUTIONS AND CULTURAL EVENTS Southern Oregon University, a public four-year university, offers programs in science and liberal arts. It has an enrollment of 5700 students, and offers graduate programs in business, education, and the arts and sciences. Ashland is well-known for its annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which brings thousands of visitors to the city every year. The festival has grown from a summer outdoor festival to a season which stretches from February to October, incorporating Shakespeare and non-Shakespeare plays in three theaters in a repetory format. The National Fish And Wildlife Forensics Laboratory , located in Ashland, is the world's only crime lab dedicated to wildlife, and serves law enforcement both within and without the United States . |
|
|