:Ashland, Wisconsin

Eight Native American nations have lived on Chequamegon Bay. Later settlers included European explorers, missionaries and fur traders, and more recently, Yankees from the eastern United States who platted and developed the lands, railroaders, shippers, loggers, entrepreneurs, and other settlers. Four flags have flown over the area around Ashland from colonial to contemporary times: Spanish, French, English and American.

The area was part of the United States' Northwest Territory. This region was divided into four successive territories for administration before becoming part of the state of Wisconsin: Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory, Illinois Territory, and Wisconsin Territory.

About the time Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in the late 15th century, the Ojibwe people came to the land they called Sha-ga-waun-il-ong. This term has been translated numerous ways: "lowlands", the "needle", "the region of shallow water", and where "there are large extended breakers". Each is descriptive and suitably accurate. The Ojibwe stayed on Chequamegon Point for nearly a century before leaving. They settled first on Madeline Island and then moved to the Sault Ste. Marie region.

French fur traders Pierre d'Esprit, le Sieur Radisson and Medard Chouart, le Sieur des Groseilliers were the first Europeans of record to visit Chequamegon Bay. They arrived in 1659 and built what has been called the first European dwelling place in what is now Wisconsin. A historical marker noting this is located at Maslowski Beach on US 2 on the west end of Ashland. The monument was erected in 1929 by the Old Settlers Club.

The Ojibwe heartily welcomed the Frenchmen. Five years later, Father Claude-Jean Allouez arrived. A Jesuit missionary, he brought the first word of Christianity to Wisconsin's shores. Allouez built a chapel not far from the stockade erected by Radisson and Groseillier; he worked and lived at the Bay until 1669.

File:AshlandOreDockWI-055-050507.jpg in 2007, before its demolition.]]

In 1854, Ohioans Asaph Whittlesey and George Kilborn set out from La Pointe to explore the head of Chequamegon Bay. Whittlesey built a {{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}} × {{convert|14|ft|m|abbr=on}} cabin in Ashland. His wife, Lucy, and daughter, Eugenia, joined him in August and prepared to winter in their new home. Signs of settlement soon began to take place. The first community dance was held at their house. The Reverend L.H. Wheeler preached the first sermon on the first Independence Day that was observed there. This village was the location of the first post office and polling place for county offices. Sunday school was also conducted on the premises.

The Milwaukee, Lakeshore and Western Railroad platted the city in 1885, as railroad construction moved westward. Local landowner Martin Beaser named the settlement Ashland after Kentucky statesman Henry Clay’s residence. Previous names for the area included Bay City, Saint Mark (for Saint Mark's Basilica), and Whittlesey, the latter in honor of initial postmaster Adolph Whittlesey.{{cite book |last1 = Gard |first1 = Robert |title = The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names |date = 2015 |publisher = Wisconsin Historical Society Press |location = Madison |isbn = 978-0-87020-707-5 |page = 13 |edition = 2nd }}

In the nineteenth century, immigrants to the area included many individuals and families from Germany and northern Europe, as shown by the numerous Lutheran churches in town. Some were initially attracted to agriculture or jobs in the mining industry.

During the last year of World War I, from March–October 1918, six recorded incidents of vigilantism took place in the Ashland area, committed against men of German descent, who were suspected of pro-German sympathies.

In Ashland mobs of masked men abducted individuals at night from their homes, driving each to secluded areas where the men were tarred and feathered. A group identifying as the Knights of Liberty claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying in a letter to a local paper, "We have no purpose to do injustice to any man, but we do feel that any treasonable and seditious acts, or utterances, demand prompt punishment. These cases must not be allowed to run indefinitely, without anything being done. We want action and we want it now."{{cite news |title = Investigating Feather Party |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119988604/investigating-feather-party/ |work = The Eau Claire Leader |date = April 26, 1918 |page = 3 |oclc = 12868418 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}

Victims included:

• Professor E. A. Schimler, abducted, tarred and feathered on March 31, 1918. Born in Germany, Schimler taught French at local Northland College. He was unable to identify any of his assailants.{{cite news |title = Tar and Feather Ashland Teacher |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119991067/tar-and-feather-ashland-teacher/ |work = The New North |location = Rhinelander, Wisconsin |date = April 4, 1918 |page = 2 |oclc = 12814148 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}
• Bartender Adolph Anton, taken from his home on April 9, and stripped, tarred and feathered for his suspected "pro-Germanism".{{cite news |title = Ashland Man is Punished by Crowd |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119991622/ashland-man-is-punished-by-crowd/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = April 11, 1918 |page = 7 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} Anton claimed to recognize two of the men, Ephraim Gay and George Buchanan, who were arrested, pleaded not guilty, and released on their own recognizance.{{cite news |title = Citizens Block Inquiry, Charge |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119993799/citizens-block-inquiry-charge/ |work = The Wisconsin State Journal |location = Madison |date = April 27, 1918 |issn = 0749-405X |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} A municipal judge dismissed the cases at the preliminary hearing in July.{{cite news |title = Promises More Tar Bees at Ashland |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119991901/promises-more-tar-bees-at-ashland/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = July 18, 1918 |page = 2 |quote = The case was given a preliminary hearing at Ashland on Tuesday and Wednesday, which resulted in the municipal judge dismissing the cases. |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} Anton left Ashland, moving to Gary, Indiana.{{cite news |title = Tar and Feather Artists are Acquitted of Charge |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119989274/tar-and-feather-artists-are-acquitted-of/ |work = The Eau Claire Leader |date = July 18, 1918 |page = 2 |oclc = 12868418 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}{{cite news |title = Happenings of the Week in Wisconsin |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119989837/happenings-of-the-week-in-wisconsin/ |work = The Grand Rapids Tribune |date = July 25, 1918 |page = 2 |oclc = 12201633 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}
• William Landraint, 62, was seized in front of a downtown hotel by a mob of fifty men who put a bag over his head, handcuffed him, and drove him to the country, where he was tarred and feathered. Of German birth, Landraint was a deputy tax assessor who had been forced out of his job because of prejudice and suspected disloyalty.{{cite news |title = Ashland Tells Philipp of 3rd Tar Bee |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10234476/9-may-1918-ashland/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = May 9, 1918 |page = 1 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = April 12, 2017 |via = Newspapers.com }}{{cite news |title = Another Tar and Feather Victim, Third at Ashland |url = https://newspaperarchive.com/crime-clipping-may-09-1918-3758338 |work = The Manitowoc Daily Herald |date = May 9, 1918 |page = 8 |oclc = 14635173 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = NewspaperArchive.com }} Despite dozens of witnesses to the kidnapping by unmasked men, none claimed to know any of the participants.{{cite news |title = Secrecy Will Hamper Taking Bee Evidence |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119992163/secrecy-will-hamper-taking-bee-evidence/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = May 11, 1918 |page = 1 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} Landraint later asked for police protection after receiving a threatening letter. He soon left town for St. Paul, Minnesota.{{cite news |title = No Safety in Ashland for Landraint |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10235086/13-june-1918-william-landraint/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = June 13, 1918 |page = 5 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = April 12, 2017 |via = Newspapers.com }}
• In early June 1918 Emil Kunze went to Ashland police headquarters to report hearing men outside his home conspiring to tar and feather him for his alleged pro-Germanism. He asked for permission to sleep in the jail. He later quit his truck driving job and left town.{{cite news |title = Protection Asked from Mob Violence |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119992703/protection-asked-from-mob-violence/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |agency = Associated Press |date = June 3, 1918 |page = 1 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}
• In early July 1918 farmer Martin Johnson of nearby Sweden, Wisconsin, was visited at his home by men asking assistance in locating a nearby fishing stream. Once away from the house, they drove Johnson to a secluded area, and stripped, tarred and feathered him.{{cite news |title = Fourth Case of Tar Party near Ashland |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119992962/fourth-case-of-tar-party-near-ashland/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = July 3, 1918 |page = 2 |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}
• On October 25, 1918, John Oestrycher, a farmer living eight miles outside Ashland, was tarred and feathered for not buying Liberty Bonds and for being "pro-German".{{cite news |title = Tar and Feather Man near Ashland |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119993502/tar-and-feather-man-near-ashland/ |date = October 26, 1918 |work = The Racine Journal-News |page = 7 |oclc = 15476078 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}

Governor Emanuel Philipp expressed his indignation over these incidents, as well as reports of local ethnic Germans receiving threatening letters. He directed state Attorney General Spencer Haven to launch an inquiry. His investigator found the local citizenry uncooperative, including John C. Chapple, editor of the Ashland Daily Press and campaign manager for Roy P. Wilcox, a Republican candidate for governor proclaiming his own patriotism.{{cite news |first = William T. |last = Evjue |title = Wisconsin Newspapers Must Share Blame for Lawlessness in Many Parts of the State |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26326052/26-july-1918/ |work = The Capital Times |location = Madison, Wisconsin |date = July 26, 1918 |pages = 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26326336/26-jul-1918-p-6/ 6] |issn = 0749-4068 |access-date = December 18, 2018 |via = Newspapers.com }} The inquiry found the community generally satisfied with the treatment of the first victims.{{cite news |title = Finds Ashland Proud of Tarring |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119993945/finds-ashland-proud-of-tarring/ |work = The Wisconsin State Journal |location = Madison |date = April 29, 1918 |page = 6 |issn = 0749-405X |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} Haven expressed frustration at the local court, which refused to adjourn to allow the securing of evidence, and at the district attorney, who dismissed the first two cases for lack of said evidence. Haven threatened to send a company of the state guard to maintain law and order in the area.{{cite news |title = Urges Martial Law for Ashland |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119994063/urges-martial-law-for-ashland/ |work = The Wisconsin State Journal |location = Madison |date = May 10, 1918 |page = 1 |issn = 0749-405X |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }} Ultimately no one was convicted for any of the attacks. Two months after the world war ended, newspapers reported that the local Knights of Liberty had disbanded. The Milwaukee Journal reported that more than 800 men in Ashland County belonged to the order.{{cite news |title = Liberty Knight Order Quits |url = https://newspaperarchive.com/crime-clipping-feb-05-1919-3758326/ |work = The Marshfield Times |date = February 5, 1919 |page = 3 |oclc = 14163323 |access-date = March 1, 2013 |via = NewspaperArchive.com }}{{cite news |title = Mysterious Liberty League at Ashland Has Now Disbanded |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119989463/mysterious-liberty-league-at-ashland-has/ |work = The Eau Claire Leader |date = January 24, 1919 |page = 6 |oclc = 12868418 |access-date = March 1, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}

• 1856 — First plat of Ashland registered
• 1870 — First Ashland brownstone quarried and shipped
• 1872 — First sawmill built by W.R. Sutherland
• 1872 — The Ashland Weekly Press is founded by Sam Fifield. It became a daily paper more than a decade later. The first issue of the Ashland Daily Press was March 5, 1888.
• 1874 — First brewery built, Ashland Brewing Company
• 1877 — Wisconsin Central Railroad connected Ashland to Chicago
• 1877 — Chequamegon Hotel opened, one block from current hotel
• 1887 — State legislature incorporated the City of Ashland
• 1889 — Wisconsin Central Depot constructed
• 1892 — Northern Wisconsin Academy opened (now Northland College)
• 1892 — Ashland Post Office built
• 1904 — Ashland High School opened
• 1918 – During the last year of the war, at least six men were individually attacked by vigilante groups acting against ethnic Germans
• 1929 — First airport opened
• 1940 — WATW radio went on the air
• 1970 — Establishment of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
• 1972 — Memorial Medical Center opened
• 1979 — The Union Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• 1984 — The West Second Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Second Street was later renamed Main Street.
• 1998 — Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is built
• 2009 — Ore dock slated for demolition. Attempts by community members to preserve the historic structure were not successful.
• 2014 — The Chapple and MacArthur Avenues Residential Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• 2016 — New fire hall dedicated, replacing the historic, century-old Ellis Fire Station.
• 2016 — From July 11 until August, Ashland suffered one of the worst storm seasons in its history. Highways going to Ironwood and Marengo were severely damaged, as were portions of infrastructure at Saxon Harbor. Residents reported flooding of many basements by lake and rain waters. Three deaths were reported.

The harbor of Ashland was dominated by the massive Wisconsin Central Railway (later Soo Line) ore dock, built in 1916 to load iron ore mined in the area into freighters bound for industrial ports in the Midwest, such as Ashtabula, Ohio, where steel was produced.{{cite web |url = http://www.wthp.org/10_most.htm |title = 10 Most Endangered Properties |publisher = Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation |access-date = May 7, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070318082625/http://www.wthp.org/10_most.htm |archive-date = March 18, 2007 }} The last of what had once been many such docks, the concrete structure was {{convert|80|ft|m}} high and {{convert|75|ft|m}} wide. In 1925 the dock was extended to {{convert|1800|ft|m}}; it was last used to ship ore in 1965.{{cite news |url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn5302/is_20050527/ai_n24422877/ |title = Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation names state's most endangered buildings |last = Ryan |first = Sean |date = May 27, 2005 |work = Daily Reporter |access-date = May 30, 2009 }}

In 2007 the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation named it one of the "10 most endangered historic buildings in Wisconsin", a list intended to stir preservation efforts. The main concrete structure and trestle had slowly deteriorated since the early 1970s because of lack of maintenance and the effects of the environment.{{cite book |url = http://www.ci.ashland.wi.us/files/Volume%202%20-%20Structural%20Assessment.pdf |title = Structural Condition Assessment Report }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} A structural inspection completed in 2006 and 2007 concluded that the ore dock had become structurally unsafe and was an imminent safety hazard. On May 14, 2009, the Ashland Planning Commission granted Canadian National Railway approval for demolition of the dock. All material on the ore dock was removed, down to the concrete base.{{cite news |url = http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2009/05/15/news/doc4a0d96420c64c838756557.txt |title = So long, oredock ... demolition to begin this month |last = Dally |first = Chad |date = May 15, 2009 |newspaper = The Daily Press |location = Ashland, Wisconsin |access-date = May 30, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090521080413/http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2009/05/15/news/doc4a0d96420c64c838756557.txt |archive-date = May 21, 2009 |url-status = dead }} This was completed in 2013.

The base of the ore dock remains. The city took ownership of it from Canadian National Railway in May 2014. It is working with a consultant group to design a redevelopment plan for the base of the dock.{{cite news |first = Rick |last = Olivo |url = http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/public-views-proposed-ore-dock-redevelopment-concepts/article_82c074ce-f15a-11e5-8df0-a3f214a6e727.html |title = Public views proposed ore dock redevelopment concepts |work = Ashland Daily Press |date = March 23, 2016 |access-date = May 6, 2016 }}{{cite web |author = City of Ashland, Wisconsin |url = http://www.coawi.org/city-departments/planning-zoning-development/current-projects/ |title = Ashland Oredock Project |publisher = City of Ashland, Wisconsin |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180804232709/https://www.coawi.org/city-departments/planning-zoning-development/current-projects/ |archive-date = August 4, 2018 }}

File:Ashland Snow.JPG can accumulate over the long, cold winters.]]

Ashland is located along the south shore of Chequamegon Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|13.70|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|13.42|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.28|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web |title = US Gazetteer files 2010 |url = https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher = United States Census Bureau |access-date = November 18, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date = January 25, 2012 }}

Ashland has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) with four distinct seasons and notably cold winters. Due to the city's proximity to Lake Superior, it sometimes has lake effect snow storms, with high amounts of snow recorded.

{{Weather box

|location = Ashland, Wisconsin (John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1893–present{{efn|Records kept continuously at John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport since October 14, 1998, and at a farm co-op site around Ashland from March 1893 to October 13, 1998. See [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ ThreadEx].}}

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 58

|Feb record high F = 62

|Mar record high F = 84

|Apr record high F = 91

|May record high F = 96

|Jun record high F = 99

|Jul record high F = 107

|Aug record high F = 103

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 94

|Nov record high F = 78

|Dec record high F = 60

|year record high F = 107

|Jan avg record high F = 41.2

|Feb avg record high F = 47.0

|Mar avg record high F = 60.0

|Apr avg record high F = 75.6

|May avg record high F = 84.7

|Jun avg record high F = 89.4

|Jul avg record high F = 90.9

|Aug avg record high F = 89.1

|Sep avg record high F = 85.2

|Oct avg record high F = 77.5

|Nov avg record high F = 59.7

|Dec avg record high F = 45.0

|year avg record high F = 92.9

|Jan high F = 22.3

|Feb high F = 26.6

|Mar high F = 37.8

|Apr high F = 50.6

|May high F = 64.4

|Jun high F = 73.4

|Jul high F = 78.9

|Aug high F = 77.1

|Sep high F = 69.0

|Oct high F = 55.4

|Nov high F = 40.1

|Dec high F = 27.6

|year high F = 51.9

|Jan mean F = 14.0

|Feb mean F = 17.2

|Mar mean F = 27.9

|Apr mean F = 39.5

|May mean F = 51.5

|Jun mean F = 61.0

|Jul mean F = 66.7

|Aug mean F = 65.1

|Sep mean F = 57.4

|Oct mean F = 45.0

|Nov mean F = 32.3

|Dec mean F = 20.1

|year mean F = 41.5

|Jan low F = 5.8

|Feb low F = 7.7

|Mar low F = 17.9

|Apr low F = 28.5

|May low F = 38.6

|Jun low F = 48.5

|Jul low F = 54.5

|Aug low F = 53.2

|Sep low F = 45.8

|Oct low F = 34.7

|Nov low F = 24.5

|Dec low F = 12.6

|year low F = 31.0

|Jan avg record low F = -17.7

|Feb avg record low F = -15.6

|Mar avg record low F = -6.9

|Apr avg record low F = 14.1

|May avg record low F = 25.8

|Jun avg record low F = 34.3

|Jul avg record low F = 43.1

|Aug avg record low F = 40.8

|Sep avg record low F = 30.5

|Oct avg record low F = 21.3

|Nov avg record low F = 5.7

|Dec avg record low F = -10.9

|year avg record low F = -20.6

|Jan record low F = -41

|Feb record low F = -40

|Mar record low F = -30

|Apr record low F = -5

|May record low F = 16

|Jun record low F = 23

|Jul record low F = 32

|Aug record low F = 29

|Sep record low F = 12

|Oct record low F = 0

|Nov record low F = -16

|Dec record low F = -32

|year record low F = -41

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.64

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.70

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.12

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.26

|May precipitation inch = 3.45

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.92

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.93

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.44

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.03

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.83

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.55

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.98

|year precipitation inch = 27.85

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 6.7

|Feb precipitation days = 6.2

|Mar precipitation days = 7.8

|Apr precipitation days = 10.0

|May precipitation days = 12.1

|Jun precipitation days = 12.9

|Jul precipitation days = 12.9

|Aug precipitation days = 13.9

|Sep precipitation days = 12.7

|Oct precipitation days = 11.3

|Nov precipitation days = 8.9

|Dec precipitation days = 7.9

|year precipitation days = 123.3

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=dlh |title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = June 13, 2021 |archive-date = May 9, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210509024006/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=dlh |url-status = dead }}{{cite web |url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094929&format=pdf |title = Station: Ashland Kennedy Mem AP, WI |work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = June 13, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240526060237/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094929&format=pdf |archive-date = May 26, 2024 }}

}}

{{US Census population

|1890= 9956

|1900= 13074

|1910= 11594

|1920= 11334

|1930= 10622

|1940= 11101

|1950= 10640

|1960= 10132

|1970= 9615

|1980= 9115

|1990= 8695

|2000= 8620

|2010= 8216

|2020= 7908

|estyear=2021

|estimate=7918

|estref={{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ashlandcitywisconsin,WI/PST045221 |date = July 1, 2021 |title = Population and Housing Unit Estimates |publisher = United States Census Bureau |access-date = July 15, 2022 }}

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title = Census of Population and Housing |publisher = Census.gov |access-date = June 4, 2015 }}

}}

As of the census of 2020,{{cite web |title = 2020 Decennial Census: Ashland city, Wisconsin |url = https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US5503225&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |access-date = July 15, 2022 }} the population was 7,908. The population density was {{convert|591.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,860 housing units at an average density of {{convert|288.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 80.5% White, 10.0% Native American, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 7.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census{{cite web |title = U.S. Census website |url = https://www.census.gov |publisher = United States Census Bureau |access-date = November 18, 2012 }} of 2010, there were 8,216 people, 3,516 households, and 1,942 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|612.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,864 housing units at an average density of {{convert|287.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 0.5% African American, 7.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 3,516 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.8% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 13% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,620 people, 3,513 households, and 2,027 families residing in the city. The population density was 643.3 people per square mile (248.4/km²). There were 3,777 housing units at an average density of 108.8 persons/km² (281.9 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 90.17% White, 0.32% African American, 6.30% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,513 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,853, and the median income for a family was $40,549. Males had a median income of $30,122 versus $20,926 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,330. About 7.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% ages 65 or older.:)

Ashland has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected at-large. In 2014, Debra Lewis was the first woman elected as mayor. The city's 11 wards are each represented by an elected alderperson (or councilor), elected from single-member districts.{{cite web |author = City of Ashland, Wisconsin |url = http://www.ci.ashland.wi.us/list/5 |title = City Council |publisher = City of Ashland, Wisconsin |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090612075447/http://www.ci.ashland.wi.us/list/5 |archive-date = June 12, 2009 }} City council meetings are held on the second and last Tuesday of the month. Meetings are open to the public, although on occasion the Council may meet in closed session. One of the recent members, Wahsayah Whitebird, was one of only two members of the Communist Party USA in elected office during his tenure.{{Cite web |last = Winger |first = Richard |date = May 7, 2019 |title = Communist Party Member Elected to City Council of Ashland, Wisconsin |url = https://ballot-access.org/2019/05/07/communist-party-member-elected-to-city-council-of-ashland-wisconsin/ |access-date = January 1, 2021 |website = Ballot Access News }}

Ashland City Hall is housed in the city's first post office, built by the federal government in 1893. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Old Ashland Post Office". The County Courthouse is also located in the city.

In the Wisconsin State Legislature, Ashland is located in the 74th Assembly District, and the 25th Senate District, represented by Assembly Representative Beth Meyers and State Senator Janet Bewley.

In the United States House of Representatives, Ashland is part of Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. The seat is currently held by Tom Tiffany.

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A few of the largest manufacturers in the community include:

• Bretting Manufacturing, a manufacturer of paper folding machines {{clarify|date=November 2012}}
• Larson-Juhl, manufacturer of picture frames, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
• H Windows, window manufacturer

Many small businesses also make up a large portion of the local economy. Tourism is an important part of the area's commerce. The summer season attracts tourists for activities on the Great Lakes.

File:Northland College Wheeler Hall.JPG.]]

• Lake Superior Primary/Intermediate/Charter School
• Marengo Valley Elementary School
• Ashland Middle School
• Ashland High School

• Ashland Seventh-day Adventist School
• Celebration Christian Academy
• Our Lady of the Lake School
• Zion Lutheran Christian School

• Northland College
• Northwood Technical College

• Ashland Daily Press, local daily print publication
• Bottom Line News and Views
• Lake Superior Sounder (closed in January 2008)

• WATW 1400 AM – Conservative talk radio
• WUWS 90.9 FM — Ideas network of Wisconsin Public Radio
• K210CG FM 91.9, Simulcasting Duluth's Contemporary Christian KDNW, owned by the University of Northwestern – St Paul
• WBSZ 93.3 FM – Country music
• WWMD-LP 95.3FM – Christian talk radio (Catholic)
• WJJH 96.7 FM – Rock music
• WIMI 99.7 FM – Adult Contemporary music (Broadcast from Ironwood, MI)
• W284AN 104.7 FM – News and Classical Musical network of Wisconsin Public Radio
• WEGZ 105.9 FM – Christian talk radio (broadcast from Washburn, WI)
• WNXR 107.3 FM – Oldies (broadcast from Iron River, WI)

Stations serving Ashland come from the Duluth market:

• 3 KDLH (CBS)
• 6 KBJR (NBC)
• 8 WDSE (PBS)
• 10 WDIO (ABC)
• 21 KQDS (Fox)

File:DSCN4852 ashlandharbor e.jpg toward Lake Superior, with the ore dock in the background]]

The two major highways in the city are US 2 and WIS 13.

The city is one of the northern termini in Wisconsin for the Canadian National Railway (CN), parent company of the former Wisconsin Central Ltd. It took over the former Soo Line tracks in 1987.{{cite map |author = Bureau of Planning |date = February 2005 |url = http://ocr.wi.gov/railmap2005.pdf |title = Wisconsin Railroads |scale = Scale not given |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080625034753/http://ocr.wi.gov/railmap2005.pdf |archive-date = June 25, 2008 }} However, after flooding in 2016 caused substantial damage to bridges south of town, CN discontinued service to Ashland (trains now reach only as far north as Park Falls).{{Cite book |author = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |url = https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/multimodal/rail/northwoods2018.pdf |title = Wisconsin Northwoods Freight Rail Study |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |date = June 2018 |page = 20 }}

While Ashland has not had passenger train service since 1971, both Union Depot and the Soo Line Depot survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Airports certified for commercial carrier operations near Ashland:

• Gogebic-Iron County Airport (about {{convert|54|mi|km}}; Ironwood, Michigan)
• Duluth International Airport (about {{convert|92|mi|km}}; Duluth, Minnesota)
• Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (KRHI) (about {{convert|119|mi|km}}; Rhinelander, Wisconsin)

Other public use airports near Ashland:

• John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) (about {{convert|2|mi|km}}; Ashland, Wisconsin)
• Madeline Island Airport (about {{convert|17|mi|km}}; La Pointe, Wisconsin)
• Cable Union Airport (about {{convert|37|mi|km}}; Cable, Wisconsin)
• Park Falls Municipal Airport (KPKF) (about {{convert|58|mi|km}}; Park Falls, Wisconsin)

Local transportation is provided by the non-profit Bay Area Rural Transit (BART) system, which has bus stops throughout the community. Headquartered in Ashland's Industrial Park, BART also provides transportation to and from other communities in the Chequamegon Bay region, including Washburn, and Bayfield.

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Indian Trails.{{cite web |url = https://www.indiantrails.com/sites/default/files/media/Documents/1491_June2023.pdf |title = Indian Trails Schedule 1491 |access-date = July 20, 2023 }}

Northern Towns Transport is a regional car service and shuttle provider, connecting Ashland and the Chequamegon Bay area with downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; as well as the Twin Ports of Superior, Wisconsin / Duluth, Minnesota and Duluth International Airport.

• Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS){{cite web |title = Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church |url = http://www.ashlandtrinitylutheran.org/ }}
• Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Community
• Chequamegon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
• Saron Lutheran Church
• Good Shepard Lutheran Church
• Zion Lutheran Church
• First English Lutheran Church
• Salem Baptist Church
• Lighthouse Baptist Church
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
• First Assembly of God Church
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• United Methodist Church
• First Covenant Church
• Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal
• Celebration Fellowship
• United Presbyterian Congregational Church

The region is served by the Chequamegon Bay Arts Council, a non-profit organization promoting the arts in northern Wisconsin.

The Ashland Chamber Music Society is a volunteer organization that provides a venue for local and regional musicians to perform chamber music in the Ashland area.

The Bay Area Film Society is a group of film enthusiasts who sponsor the screening of classic films.

The Chequamegon Symphony Orchestra (CSO) provides orchestral concerts to the residents of northern Wisconsin.

Natural places in the vicinity include Lake Superior, the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, and the nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

File:Band Shell.JPG

• Bayview Park, also known as Pamida Beach, contains a swimming beach, bathrooms, fishing pier, picnic area and playground. The 10-mile walking trail that loops Ashland connects to the park.{{cite web |title = Attractions |url = http://www.visitashland.com/attractions/index.php?category=attractions |work = Visit Ashland |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101129071012/http://www.visitashland.com/attractions/index.php?category=attractions |archive-date = November 29, 2010 }} Bayview Park is the only swim front in Ashland that provides lifeguards in the summer.
• Beaser Park
• Kreher Park, also known as Sunset Park, contains 33 RV campsites on lake Superior. The park has a swimming beach, playground, showers, dumping station, and firewood. The park connect to the Ashland Waterfront trail.
• Maslowski Beach features a shallow, sandy swimming beach, playground, pavilion, bathrooms, changing rooms, pay phone and artesian well. There is also access to Ashland's Lake Front Trail along Chequamegon Bay.
• Memorial Park contains a band shell.
• Menard Park
• Prentice Park is the largest of Ashland's 12 parks, at approximately 100 acres. It is a natural habitat for migrating birds, a nesting ground for mute swans, with hiking trails, artesian wells, a picnic area, a children's playground, and tent camping. Prentice park at one point had a deer herd that was domesticated.

File:Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center Ashland Wisconsin.jpg is located west of Ashland, along US 2. It houses a geographic and natural history museum, as well as a bookstore and archive office of the Wisconsin Historical Society.]]

• Tri-County Corridor
• Lakefront Trail, along Lake Superior
• A recreational trail loops around the entire city.
• North Country Trail

• Ashland Marina, located behind the Hotel Chequamegon

• RV camping is available at Prentice park, and Kreher Park.
• Tent camping is available at Prentice Park.

File:Ashland WI Depot.jpg

• Ashland Historical Museum
• Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center – a regional information center with natural history exhibits. A branch office of the Wisconsin Historical Society is located upstairs.
• The Chequamegon Theatre Association is located in the historic Rhinehart Theatre.
• Ashland Chequamegon Bay Golf Course

• Bay Days is Ashland's annual community festival, held in the middle of July. In addition to street vendors and live outdoor music, it includes a "Strongest Man in the Bay Contest" and a Sprint Triathlon.
• The Book Across the Bay ski race is held every year in February. The course for the race crosses the frozen Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, starting in Ashland, and ending in Washburn.
• The WhistleStop Marathon and half-marathon is held every fall, and draws athletes from surrounding regions. The before-race events include a pasta feed, and live music that night.
• Live chamber music concerts performed by the Ashland Chamber Music Society
• The annual Red Clay Classics car race held at ABC Raceway
• The Ashland Area Farmer's Market is held weekly in the summer on Saturday mornings.
• Holiday parades include a Fourth of July parade, a Christmas parade, and a Homecoming parade.
• The Ashland County Fair is usually held in September at the fairgrounds in Marengo.
• The Chequamegon Bay Bird & Nature Festival is held in May.
• The Superior Vistas Bike Tour is held in June.
• Garland City Women's Expo is held in November.
• Chick-uamegon 5k & 10k run

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• Ove H. Berg, Wisconsin state representative
• Janet Bewley, member of the Wisconsin Legislature
• Abe L. Biglow, Wisconsin state representative
• Bob Blake, NHL player
• Bob Brevak, racing driver
• F. Taylor Brown, U.S. Navy admiral
• Ray Callahan, MLB pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds
• John C. Chapple, Wisconsin state representative and newspaper editor
• Moose Cochran, NFL player
• Norm DeBriyn, former head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team
• Sean Duffy, U.S. congressman
• Sam Fifield, 14th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, and noted businessman
• Moose Gardner, professional football player
• Bernard E. Gehrmann, Wisconsin state representative
• Jack Hall, labor organizer and trade unionist
• Morgan Hamm, Olympic medalist
• Paul Hamm, world champion gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
• Everis A. Hayes, U.S. representative from California
• Andrew R. Johnson (1856–1933), Louisiana state senator from 1916 to 1924 and mayor of Homer, Louisiana, lived in Ashland while working in the 1890s for the United States Land Office. In 1901, he named the village of Ashland, Louisiana, for Ashland, Wisconsin.
• John Kingston, Jr., Wisconsin state senator
• Jim Kisselburgh, football player
• Clarence A. Lamoreux, Wisconsin state senator
• Lawrence A. Lamoreux, Wisconsin state representative
• William D. Leahy, U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral, first military officer to reach a five-star rank; Chief of Naval Operations; governor of Puerto Rico; U.S. ambassador to France; White House Chief of Staff for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
• Michael A. McAuliffe, U.S. Air Force brigadier general
• Robert Bruce McCoy, U.S. National Guard major general
• George F. Merrill, Wisconsin state senator
• Jennifer Ouellette, science writer
• Sigurd F. Olson, author
• William Plizka, member of the Wisconsin Legislature
• Joe Rogalski, MLB player
• Albert W. Sanborn, Wisconsin state senator
• Fritz Scholder, Native American artist
• John C. Sibbald, Wisconsin state representative
• John W. Slaby, Wisconsin state representative
• Dave Suminski, NFL player
• John Szarkowski, photographer
• Daniel Theno, Wisconsin state senator, Ashland mayor
• A. Pearce Tomkins, Wisconsin state senator
• Harry P. Van Guilder, Wisconsin state representative

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{{Wikivoyage|Ashland (Wisconsin)}}

{{Commons category|Ashland, Wisconsin}}

• [http://www.coawi.org City of Ashland]
• [http://www.visitashland.com/ Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce]
• Sanborn fire insurance maps: [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3588 1884] [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3601 1886] [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3627 1890] [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3660 1895] [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3696 1901] [http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/3738 1909]
• [http://www.wisconsincentral.net/Culture/Culture/AshlandOreDocks.html Ashland Ore Docks history] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603011348/http://wisconsincentral.net/Culture/Culture/AshlandOreDocks.html |date=June 3, 2016 }} at Wisconsin Central

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{{Ashland County, Wisconsin}}

{{Bayfield County, Wisconsin}}

{{Wisconsin county seats}}

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Category:Cities in Wisconsin

Category:Cities in Ashland County, Wisconsin

Category:Cities in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Category:County seats in Wisconsin

Category:Tarring and feathering in the United States

Category:Wisconsin populated places on Lake Superior