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History in
a Pecan Shell
Ashland came into
being in the mid 1840s as a marketing point for regional plantations.
There was a post office established in the mid 1890s but under the
name of Asbury, Texas.
At this point the community had just over 100 people with two doctors
and two churches as well as the essential general store.
The community (and post office) were renamed to the present name in
1902. The community’s high-water mark was reached about 1914 when
the population reached 250 with as many as four stores serving the
residents.
A decline occurred after WWI
and the post office closed its doors. The population was down to 175
by 1933 and it continued to fall drastically. By the mid 1940s it
was a mere 20 residents. Only a church, cemetery and scattered houses
remained by the 1990s and the photographer reports that during his
visit in 2011 even the church is now gone.
In recent years the population has doubled to around 45 residents.
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Country road
in the piney woods of Ashland
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, July 2011
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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