Ashland
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History and attractions Ashland's birth in the mid-1800s followed the construction of a water-powered sawmill and flour mill on the banks of Ashland Creek. Early settlers from Ashland, Kentucky, and Ashland County in Ohio dubbed the nascent town Ashland Mills. The now-defunct mills stood at what is presently the entrance to Lithia Park. Shops and a boarding house soon followed the mills at the current Plaza site. The city's post office officially opened in 1855. By 1859 Ashland had a population of 50 and in 1900 the town had grown to 3,000 - the largest town in Jackson County at the time. Ashland's growth was aided by the establishment of the Ashland College and Normal School in 1872 and the 1893 arrival of Chautauqua, a national traveling lecture series. In 1926, the Ashland college became Southern Oregon Normal School. The Oregon Legislature in 1997 recognized the college's range of programs and depth of service by changing its name to Southern Oregon University. The Chautauqua lecture series drew attendants from throughout Southern Oregon and the city built the Chautauqua Tabernacle to house those guests - it was located where the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's (OSF) Elizabethan Theatre now stands. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing RELATED LINKS REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY PROFILES COMMUNITY LINKS LOCAL NEWS Please support our SPONSORS Asante Health System Ashland Community Hospital Ashland Community Store Ashland Homes Ashland Racquet Club and Fitness Center BiMart Energy Outfitters Gateway Real Estate Greanleaf Restaurant HotSpring Portable Spas John L. Scott Klamath First Lithia Realty - Martino's/Macaroni's Ristorante Patricia Sprague Real Estate Sara Walker Real Estate Associate St. Mary's School Tudor Guild Gift Shop Windemere Van Vleet and Assoc. Welcome | History and attractions | Schools | Government | Transportation | Parks | Senior Services | Health Care