Ashland

History

Clay County was formed by an act of the Alabama General Assembly on December 7, 1866. Less than a year later, Ashland was established as the county seat on land donated by Hollingsworth Watts for the construction of a courthouse. In 1871 Ashland was incorporated and named for 19th century statesman Henry Clay's Kentucky estate home. During the early years, the town grew very rapidly. The town continued to grow with the opening of Alabama's first graphite mine in 1899. When World War I ended, the market for graphite dropped drastically, thus ending the town's growth phase. The 1930s brought the Great Depression and boll weevil to Ashland that destroyed the cotton industry. Farmers were forced to abandon what had been the community's major industry. Timber, poultry, and cabinet making became the dominant industries by the beginning of the 21st century.

Geography

Alabama State Routes 9 and 77 are the main routes through the city. AL-9 runs through the downtown area, leading northeast to Lineville and southwest to Goodwater. AL-77 meets AL-9 in the downtown area, and leads northwest to Talladega and southeast to Wadley. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of , of which is land and (0.41%) is water. At , Ashland is Alabama's highest-elevated county seat. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ashland has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity