Early Settlement and Development

Many of the first white settlers in the Ashland area were Revolutionary War veterans who had served on the Sullivan Expedition in 1779. Isaac Baldwin, Green Bently, and Abner Wells, along with two of his sons, settled there in the 1780s. By 1800, there were log cabins, a store, a tavern, and a sawmill in the area that is now Wellsburg. The first schoolhouse was built in 1803 with Caleb Baker as the teacher. Regular postal service was established in 1824 when the Berwick to Newtown Turnpike was completed. The Erie Railroad came through the town in 1849, bringing with it more people and business opportunities.

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Ashland

Original Sullivan’s Monument The monument commemorating Sullivan’s Campaign of 1779 stands within the town of Ashland. The original monument, built in 1879, collapsed in 1911, and was replaced by the current one.
Berwick Turnpike, late 19th century The Berwick Turnpike was chartered in 1806 to connect Berwick, Pennsylvania to Newtown, New York, passing through Ashland along the way. It officially opened in 1824. Photograph courtesy of the Ashland Historical Society
Ashland School No. 2 In 1892, Ashland had four districts each with its own schoolhouse. The average student attendance was 197 and there were six teachers.
Old Lowman Whiskey bottle In the early 1790s, Jacob Lowman set up the first commercial distillery in the area. The distillery operated until the Civil War when high taxes forced the business to close. In 1902, Ed Lowman, Fred Ferris, Fred L. Thomas, and Nathan Blostein incorporated the Old Lowman Distilling Company, and produced whiskey using Jacob Lowman’s original recipe at their distillery in Lowman. The business closed for good in 1918 when Chemung County went “dry” for prohibition.
Cigar mold, late 19th century Tobacco was first introduced to Ashland growers in 1858. By 1891, 100,000 pounds of tobacco was being produced annually by local farmers. This cigar mold is from the old Hammond House near the power station on Lower Maple Avenue.
Tobacco knife

Early Settlement and Development

Original Sullivan’s Monument

The monument commemorating Sullivan’s Campaign of 1779 stands within the town of Ashland. The original monument, built in 1879, collapsed in 1911, and was replaced by the current one.

Berwick Turnpike, late 19th century

The Berwick Turnpike was chartered in 1806 to connect Berwick, Pennsylvania to Newtown, New York, passing through Ashland along the way. It officially opened in 1824. Photograph courtesy of the Ashland Historical Society

Ashland School No. 2

In 1892, Ashland had four districts each with its own schoolhouse. The average student attendance was 197 and there were six teachers.

Old Lowman Whiskey bottle

Cigar mold, late 19th century

Tobacco was first introduced to Ashland growers in 1858. By 1891, 100,000 pounds of tobacco was being produced annually by local farmers. This cigar mold is from the old Hammond House near the power station on Lower Maple Avenue.

Tobacco knife