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Ashland City in the "Good Ole Days"
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town is located on the north side of the Cumberland River, on a regularly
inclined plane from the base of the high hills and the river. The court
house is two-thirds of a mile from the river landing at the foot of
Cumberland Street. Two public sales of town lots were made the first
October 6, 1856, and the other November 1, 1858. At these sales sixty-five
lots were sold for the aggregate amount of about $10,000. The lots were
sold on twelve months’ time, and the purchase money, when collected, was
paid into the county revenue, as required by law. The first lot sold was
No. 9, and it was purchased by Joseph Willis for $155. The lowest price
paid for a single lot was $32, and the highest, $400. Thomas N. Hooper
purchased Lot No. 2 for $400. The most liberal purchasers at these sales
were G. W. McQuary, B. F. Binkley, William Stewart, J. T. Carney, Cooper
Gupton, A. H. Williams. G. W. Connell, David Nichol, A. F. Carney, Thomas
N. Hooper and W. H. Townsend. The balance of the town lots were sold from
time to time at private sale.Among the first to build houses and take up
their residence in the town were James Smith, Jesse Shadoin, John C. Hale,
J. N. Alley, Arnold Allen and A. J. Bright.
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| For the full text of Goodspeed's
"Cheatham County History of Tennessee"
CLICK HERE |
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To visit the Cheatham County Gen
Web Page CLICK HERE |
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an act of the General Assembly, passed December 3, 1859. Ashland became
incorporated as a city under the name of Ashland City, the original name having
been only Ashland. The act provided that a mayor and six aldermen should be
elected, and at the election held in January, 1861, for that purpose, W. C.
Charlton was elected mayor and John C. Hale, G. W. McQuary, W. W. Sanders, Jesse
Chadoin and James Gray were elected aldermen. In a few years the city officers
grew negligent and failed to meet and perform their duties as such, their
record showing that the last meeting held by them was in April, 1870. By an act
of the General Assembly, passed March 29, 1883, the act of incorporation was
repealed and the charter abolished.
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history of Ashland City begins and is connected with the organization of the
county. It was surveyed and platted in 1856 under the direction of the
commissioners appointed by the first county court for that purpose. The public
square on which the court house stands is 300x600 feet. and the town lots are of
various sizes—some 50x135 feet, some 50x150 feet and some 50x300 feet, there
being 160 in all.
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the erection of the public buildings the reader is referred to that heading. In
1856 David McKelly and William De Munbreun opened the first blacksmith shop in
the town. The first merchants were Burk & Yergin, who opened a general store in
the temporary court house, on the corner of Main and Cumberland Streets. W. W.
Sanders opened a general store in 1858. G. W. Hale, J. N. Allen and Arnold Allen
were also merchants before the war. In 1860 J. J. Lenox commenced merchandising
in a general store, and in 1865 his store, building and goods, located on the
corner of Main and Cumberland Streets, were consumed by fire. He immediately
purchased goods and opened a new store, and in 1868 formed a partnership with
William W. Sanders under the firm name of Sanders & Co., and this firm has
continued in business ever since. They are the leading merchants and have a
capital of $15,000 invested in the business. E. B. Carney & Son were in
mercantile business from 1867 to 1877. Wilson Maxey was a merchant in the decade
of the sixties. The first boot and shoe shop was opened in 1857 by J. N. Alley.
J. W. Smith opened a boot and shoe shop about the year 1867. W. 0. Morgan, the
only boot and shoe-maker now in the town, opened his shop in 1879.