The Ashley Family of Jackson County, Minnesota

WELCH ASHLEY (1865), deceased, was one of the founders of the village of Jackson and one of the town's prominent men in the early days. The Ashley family is one of the old American families, Robert Ashley having come to the new world from England in colonial days and settled in Massachusetts. Welch Ashley's grandfather, David Ashley, was born in West- Held, Massachusetts. He was a soldier in the i'rene and Indian war, serving eighteen months. Jle also served seven years in the revolutionary war and was with Colonel Ethan Allen at the capture of Ticonderoga. He rose to the rank of major. Welch Ashley was born in Hancock, Delaware county, New York, on the first day of the year 1807, the son of Forest and Harriett (Welch) Ashley. Forest Ashley was born June 2, 1771, at Piltsfield, Massachusetts, and died in Mainesburg, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1856. He was married in Hancock, Delaware county, New York, in 1704. He was a carpenter by trade.

At an early age Welch Ashley moved with his parents to Troy, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where he lived a number of years. He served as sheriff of Bradford county a number of years. Later he moved to Tioga county, in the same state, where he was married and where he lived until he came west and settled in Jackson county. Mr. Ashley was always very patriotic and a strong union man during the civil war. He contributed to the cause and three of his sons were in the union army.

It was during the month of September, 1865, that Welch Ashley came to Jackson county and bought the old Wood homestead, upon which had been enacted the tragedies of the Inkpaduta massacre more than eight years before. At the time there were only a few families living in the whole of Jackson county, and these only recently returned after the fear of the Indians had been removed.

In 1860 Mr. Ashley and Major H. S. Bailey laid out the town of Jackson, Mr. Ashley being the proprietor of all that portion of the town included in the original plat lying north of White street. About the same time he built the first saw mill erected in the county, which was located on the cast side of the river at the site of the present dam. At this mill much of the lumber used for the construction of the first buildings erected in the new town was sawed and prepared.

From the first Mr. Ashley entered into the business life of the town, taking an active ])art in every movement for the advancement of its interests.. In company with his son, B. \V. Ashley, he built the Ashley House, which ever since has been the principal hotel of the village and is now owned by his grandson, M. 1). Ashley, and, for many years he was its owner. Much of the material used in the construction of this hotel was hauled by team from Slankato. He was also engaged at various times in the mercantile business and in farming. He retained his mental vigor, and in great degree his physical strength until a few days before his death, and his interest in the town which he had founded continued to the last. Mr. Ashley died at his home in Jackson February 23, 1885.

Mr. Ashley was always a strong friend of religion and was a member of the Methodist church. For many years the local Jlethodiat church was largely supported by him and his i.xoellent wife. It was mainly through his efforts that the present church building of that ilenomination was erected, he being not only the largest individual contributor to the fund >subscribed for its erection, but also devoting much of his time to looking after its construction and in the collection and management of the funds subscribed for that purpose, in which matters his experience and sound judgment were invaluable.

Welch Ashley was married in Tioga couTity, Pennsylvania, to Margaret Smith, who survived her husband nearly twenty years and died February 17, 1905. To these parents were born seven children, as follows: George, Benjamin W., Mrs. Margaret Hill, Menzo L., Jesse F., Mrs. Julia F. Downey and John C., all of whom are living except Benjamin W. and George G.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BENJAMIN W. ASHLEY (1866), deceased. Among the men who took the lead in affairs 4n Jackson in the early and later days, and one whose name is inseparably linked with that of the county seat village, was Benjamin W. Ashley, who came to the little village at the time of its birth and continued to make his home in it until his death, which occurred December 19, 1905.

Benjamin W. Ashley was born in Sylvania, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1839. He came to Jackson county in 1866 and in company with his father built the first saw mill that was operated. In 1870, in company with his father, he erected the Ashley house and was its proprietor many years. Mr. Ashley was a man held in the highest esteem and had a host of friends.

In 1864 Mr. Ashley was united in marriage to Juliet Bobbins. She died August 29, 1904, aged over sixty-two years. They were the parents of the following named children: Mark D., Otis M., Mrs. Maud Wold, Virginia, Will W., Mrs. Neva Buraham, Benjamin W., Jr.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

MENEO L. ASHLEY (1866). With the exception of a little less than three years the gentleman whose name heads this sketch has lived in the village of Jackson over forty-three years and has seen it grow from a grass-covered prairie to the substantial city it is today. During these many years spent in Jackson Mr. Ashley has taken a prominent part in the affairs of his village and county and has participated in many of the stirring events of pioneer days.

On July 5, 1847, in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, Menzo L. Ashley was born to Welch and Margaret (Smith) Ashley. In that county he passed his boyhood days, attending the district schools winters and working on the farm during, the summer months. At the age of sixteen and one-half years he entered the army and took part in the closing events of the war of the rebellion. Being under age he was required to secure the consent of his parents before enlistment. January 7, 1864, he enlisted in the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry, and later became a member of company B, of the 97th Pennsylvania volunteer infantry. He served until his muster out at Weldon, North Carolina, August 28, 1865, being finally discharged at Philadelphia a little later.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Jesse Ashley was born in the county 01 Tioga, Pennsylvania, on the 14tii day of August. 1840, the son of Welch and Margaret-Ashley. Up to his.seventeenth year he resided on his father's farm in his native county, where be secured an education in the common schools. Coming to the little settlement of Jackson in the summer of ISBO. he look a position in his father's saw mill, at which laws engaged until he became <if age. When his father platted llic, jackson lownsite..lease assisted the surveyor. James K. Palmer, in the work. In company with Lant Thonu'.s and Pi'ter Kingsley he went to Harden City, si.xtytwo miles distant, in 18(17 for the purpose of bringing back (lour to relieve (he suffering of those who were in need. The country was (looked by meeting snows ami lin party experienced much sufTering on the trip. At Blue Earth it was found necessary to ekMi stroot a boat to ferry the teams over the swollen stream. The party was gone tliirlccn days, but was successful in bringing back the much needed article of food. The (lour sohl for thirteen dollars per hundred weight, which was the actual cost of getting it in.

Upon reaching his majority the subject of this biography purchased a farm in Middletown township and engaged in farming sever.il years. Three years of this time he had a govcrnniciit contract and carried the mail between Jackson and 8t. James. During the time lie live on the farm he held the oft'ices of township clerk, assessor and other offices.

Giving up his farming operations, Mr. Ashley moved to Jackson and for about ten 3'ears conducted a store and meat market. Later he engaged in other mercantile pursuits and became the local agent for the Standard Oil company. A few years ago he gave up active participation in business affairs and now lives a retired life.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LEONARD F. ASHLEY (1860), who owns and conducts a farm just south of the corporate limits of the village of Jackson, has made his home on that farm since he was thirteen years of age. His parents were Leonard and Mary Jane (Wilbur) Ashley, both natives of Pennsylvania and both deceased. In the year 1853 these parents started from their Pennsylvania home for Illinois, where they intended to make their future home, a homestead claim having been previously entered through a brother, Frank Ashley. While traveling through Michigan, enroute to their new home, Mr. Ashley died. Mrs. Ashley continued the journey and made her home on the homestead, upon which her brother-in-law was living.

On this homestead, near the town of Peoria, Illinois, on June 19, 1853, Leonard Ashley, of this sketch, was born. When he was six months old his mother returned to her old home in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, and there Leonard lived until the fall of 1866. On the second day of October, 1866, he and his mother arrived in Jackson county to make their future home, an uncle of our subject, Welch Ashley, having preceded them six months. For a couple of years he attended school — the first season in the school taught by Mrs. B. H. Johnson at the home of her husband, a log building on the east side of the river.

In 1868 Leonard began working on the farm of his step-father, Isaac Wheeler, his mother having remarried. This farm is the one now owned by Mr. Ashley and is on the southeast quarter of section 26, Des Moines township. When Mr. Wheeler became too feeble to care for the farm Leonard took the management and conducted it on shares. Before he had yet reached his majority Leonard purchased a forty acre tract of the 240 acres of the original farm, and upon the death of his mother he became the owner of the rest of the home place, except 80 acres which had been sold.

Mr. Ashley was married in Jackson January 13, 1879, to Mary Thomas who, with one exception, is the oldest living settler of the county. She is the daughter of the late Joseph and Jane Thomas, who became residents of the county in 1858. Mrs. Ashley was born in Montague, Sussex county, New Jersey. To Mr. and Mrs. Ashley have been bom the following children: Louis W., Leslie N., Solon, who died at the ae of nineteen years; Henry, Allison, Mary, Arthur, who died at the age of eleven months.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

MARK D. ASHLEY (1867), proprietor of the Ashley house, Jackson, came to that village with his parents when less than one year of age and the greater part of his life of forty-two years has been spent there. He was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, August 21, 1866, son of the late Benjamin W. and Juliet (Robbins) Ashley. The next spring he came with his mother to the site of the future village, his father and grandfather having come out the year before and platted the village.

In the pioneer village Mark grew to manhood. He was educated in the Jackson public schools, completing his studies with a two years' course in the Curtis Business college of minneapolis and Bowers' Shorthand school of the same city. For a number of years after graduation he was employed in different parts of the country. His first position was with (george M. VanLeiiven, pension attorney at Lime Springs, Iowa. Later he went to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he was a clerk in a lumber, mining and milling company's office. His next position was with the C. B. & Q. railroad, holding a clerkship for a time in the offices at Burlington, Iowa, and later being transferred to the offices at Hannibal, Missouri. From this work he returned to the twin cities and for a number of years held clerkships in different offices in St. Paul and Minneapolis, during the last five years of his residence there being cashier for the Lehigh Coal & Iron company.

In 1898 Mr. Ashley returned to Jackson and for three years engaged in the real estate and insurance business. In 1901 he leased the Ashley house for a term of three years and at the expiration of the lease bought the property and has since conducted the business. The Ashley house is one of the oldest and best known hostelries of southwestern Minnesota. The original Ashley house was built by Benjamin W. Ashley and his father in 1870. It was then a frame building, constructed of native lumber. The Ashley house of today is a handsome brick building, well appointed and modern in every way. Mr. Ashley is the owner of the hotel property and Jackson county farm lands. He has held the office of village recorder and for a number of years was justice of the peace. Fraternally, he is a Mason, Workman and K. P.

In Waseca, Minnesota, on May 13, 1903, Mr. Ashley was united in marriage to Miss Dora M. Child, daughter of the Honorable James E. Cliild, of that city. To Mr. and Mrs. Ashley have been born two children, Juliet Marcia and Miriam Constance.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

OTIS M. ASHLEY (1870), proprietor of a transfer line in Jackson, has been a resident of that village from the time when he was less than one year old. He is the son of the late Benjamin W. and Juliet (Eobbins) Ashley, pioneer settlers of.Jackson. While his mother, who had come to.Jackson county several years before, was visiting at her old home in Mainesburg, Pennsylvania, on the eighteenth day of November, 1869, Otis M. Ashley was born.

The spring following his birth he was brought to the home in Jackson county. Otis was educated in the.Jackson public schools and grew to manhood in that village. At the age of twenty years he went to Duluth and for one year worked in a meat market. Returning to Jackson, he worked one year in an elevator and then for two years drove the mail and passenger bus for his father. At the end of that time he bought the bus line and has ever since conducted it. In addition to this business he clerked in the hotel several years during the time his father was the proprietor. For a number of years he was also the proprietor of a livery stable, but sold out in 1903.

;Mr. Ashley was married February 28, 1907, to Stella May Crane, a native of Iowa, and a daughter of the late V. B. Crane, at one time publisher of the Jackson County Pilot and later postmaster of Jackson.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LOUIS W. ASHLEY (1879), proprietor of a dray line in the village of Jackson, was born in Des Moines township,.Jackson county, September 26, 1879, the oldest son of Leonard and Mary (Thomas) Ashley, who reside just south of Jackson, and who are old settlers of the county.

Louis received his education in the Jackson schools. He worked on his father's farm and at different occupations until reaching his majority. He moved to Jackson in 1900 and for two years worked with the telephone company. In 1902 he engaged in the dray business, which he has since followed. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge and of the Equitable Fraternal union.

Mr. Ashley was married in the comity June 22, 1907, to Lydia Raasch, daughter of the late Carl Raasch and Mrs. Raasch. One child has been born to this union, [name withheld], born January 24, 1909.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.