Let's Celebrate Ashland's 150th Birthday !
Throughout 2008, Ashland, Virginia, will be commemorating its 150th
anniversary with many celebratory events and activities. Residents,
organizations and businesses are encouraged to create new events or build
upon existing ones and let us know about them.
This special anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate Ashland’s history and heritage and to foster a sense of pride in our community. Join us as we celebrate the contributions of the individuals and organizations that make up the Town’s diverse community. 2008 is our year to promote and celebrate inclusiveness, community leadership and positive contributions to the Town and its quality of life. We look forward to celebrating Ashland’s 150th birthday with you! - Rob Stiles, President, Team 150
The Hanover High Tea was a grand success! CLICK HERE for more photos.
upcoming events
May 15, 2008 - Ashland, Ashland!: A Presentation of Ashland History with Rosanne Groat Shalf at 7:00 p.m. in the Ashland Library Multipurpose Room. Ms. Shalf will present a lively, entertaining, and informative history of the town of Ashland, VA. Refreshments served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library. (804) 798-4072.
May 17, 2008 - Spring into Summer Plaza Street Party Family fun. Come party away the evening in the “Center of the Universe.” Games for the kids, food, beverages and dancin’ in the street, $. Richard S. Gillis Library, 6:30pm-10:00pm. (804) 798-8130.
June 7, 2008 - 26th Annual Ashland Strawberry Faire. Enjoy fresh picked strawberries, or enjoy them in one of the delicious recipes cooked up by the food vendors. Strawberry shortcake, hundreds of booths, arts and crafts, and entertainment, free. Randolph Macon College, 9:00am–5:00pm. (804) 798-8289.
ashland 150 news
Talk on Ashland's history and architecture is May 15
May 8, 2008 - (Greg Glassner, Herald
Progress) Ashland's history as seen through its architecture will be
presented by author and historian Rosanne Groat Shalf at 7 p.m., Thursday,
May 15, at the Richard S. Gillis Jr./Ashland Branch of the Pamunkey Regional
Library...
First Ashland Street Party set for May 17
May 8, 2008 (Herald Progress) The
Ashland Street Parties are planned for the third Saturday in May, July and
September. The Street Parties have gained momentum and their reputation
precedes them for family fun. The gates open at 6 p.m. May 17 at the plaza
and parking area adjacent to the Richard S. Gillis/Ashland Branch of the
Pamunkey Regional Library, right in the heart of old town Ashland...
Cycling the rails in Ashland
May 13, 2008 (Angela Woodford,
Mechanicsville Local) “We wanted a ride that would appeal to not only
cyclists, but to people who just want to get out and ride, such as kids and
families,” said Clunker Cruise organizer Joel Street, who came up with the
idea as a way for his business Cobblestone Bicycles to join in anniversary
festivities...
NEW! Hall of
Fame Nominations Sought!
Team 150 is seeking nominations for
the Hall of Fame. If you would like to posthumously nominate someone,
CLICK HERE FOR CATEGORIES AND GUIDELINES.
Selected individuals will be recognized at the Grand Celebration on October
18, 2008.
The
Commemorative Anniversary Posters are in!
Hot off the presses! If you
would like your own Commemorative Anniversary poster,
Train Town Toy
&
Hobby will have some in early June.
Designed by Ashland's own Christiane Riederer, the posters are wonderfully distinctive. Thanks, Christiane!
The larger posters (18" x 24") cost $15.00. Checks may be made payable to "Ashland Foundation." Call Jim Donlin for more information 798-0330.
where in ashland is this?
How well do you know Ashland?
How well do you pay attention to your surroundings?
Thanks to
photographer Duane Berger, we
have a new way to celebrate Ashland. Every two weeks, a picture of a small
detail of a building, landscape, or feature found somewhere in Ashland will
be published on the birthday website, the Herald Progress, and posted in
several locations around town.
Place your guess, along with your name and email address or phone number, in the designated box at the Ashland Library or email your guess to Betty Perkinson at ashlandwhereisit@aol.com. If there is more than one correct entry, names will be placed in a bowl, and the name of the winner will be drawn. By identifying him/herself at The Club Car, the winner will receive a free ice cream cone (they will know the name of the winner. Happy sleuthing! CLICK HERE for pictures and a listing of winners.
committee meetings - all are welcome
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Did you know? Ashland once had an electric trolley line from England Street into Richmond? Frank Jay Gould built the Richmond Chesapeake Bay Railway in the early 1900s as a part of a larger project that never realized its full potential. The line stopped in Ashland. By 1907 the electric line took Ashland passengers on a 40-minute trip from the mustard colored station on England Street (where the post office is today) into Richmond to the terminal at Broad and Laurel Streets. For a time, electricity generated by the trolley powered the town of Ashland. By 1917, Gould wanted out of the enterprise and sold the business to local investors. It became the Richmond-Ashland Railway. Ashlanders were passionate about the trolley. Dorothy Jones called it "a famous institution." The car made stops at Francis Street and Ashcake Road, then at Gwathmey and Elmont and Cedar Lane. It stopped at Yellow Tavern and at Lakeside and Bellevue Avenues A schedule for the 1908 trolley reads: "Cool-Clean-Comfortable Electric Trains. No smoke. No cinders. Elegant Cars. Rock Ballasted Track." The trolley had its last run in 1938 and Ashlanders mourned its loss. The trolley is remembered by the Ashland Trolley Park located at the intersection of Gwathmey Church Road and the Ashland-Richmond Trolley Line, in Ashland. An approximate one-mile section of the historic Ashland-Richmond Trolley Line has been dedicated as a greenway. The corridor has been cleared and maintained as a natural surface trail and a greenway to be used by local citizens, school groups and the public at large. For more information read "Rails in Richmond" by Carlton McKenney. See also Rosanne Groat Shalf's "Ashland, Ashland: The Story of a Turn-of-the-Century Railroad Town." CLICK HERE for previous Did You Knows |
Team150: Thursday, May 29 at 7:00pm; Ashland P.D.
honorary chairs
Robert Lindgren, President of RMC and Faye Prichard, Ashland Town Mayor.
special anniversaries
There are many other special anniversaries in 2008. For a listing, check out the ANNIVERSARY PAGE. Is your organization celebrating a special anniversary? Please let us know! Contact Lorie Foley at lorie@townhound.com.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Henry Clay High School 50th Class Reunion is scheduled for September 13, 2008. Details to follow...
PLANT 150
PLANT150 is our effort to plant 150 trees in Ashland to honor our 150th Anniversary! CLICK HERE for more information about PLANT 150 or contact Monica Klisz at kliszfamily@verizon.net or 798-1366.
PLANT 150 is also sponsoring the GREAT TREES OF ASHLAND to honor the trees that make the Center of the Universe such a special place. Share your fondest memory involving a tree, showcase a unique tree in Ashland, show us your tree house, and share your favorite pictures!
PLANT150 will compile all stories and display
them in the Exhibition Hall at the Grand Celebration on October 18, 2008.
Don’t forget to upload photos of the fabled tree! You may submit your story, name, tree’s
location and any pictures to:
lorie@townhound.com or mail your submission to PLANT150 - Great Trees of Ashland PO Box
1600 Ashland, VA 23005.
White Oak beside the Hanover Club's house, behind the Feed Store.