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Public Forum
Ashland has strong history
I love it here, what a great combination of a small town, big city, historical, progressive, modern and just plain great place to live.
Something about Ashland that has boggled my mind in the time I have lived here is the lack of want to hang on to the incredible history this amazing city has.
I’ve done a lot of research on Ashland history. I bought one of the historical homes here and I’m in the process of restoring it to what it once was. Where got me interested in this is the amazing history that this city has. Ashland at the turn of the last century was a bustling and growing place with its own society. Places like Cleveland and other major cities were not overshadowing this small city, as Ashland was thriving on its own, thanks to the manufacturing and other industries that flourished here.
The town’s citizens built beautiful structures in this city as well as a thriving downtown Main Street. I’ve seen pictures of what this town had and has lost, and it is just amazing we have let some of these amazing buildings get razed to make room for so called “progress.” New is not always better! Who can remember the amazing F.E. Myers home on the corner of Center and College, built in 1896, razed in 1975, lost forever. How could this house be demolished? The home at 708 Center Street, the Stubbs House, built prior to 1874, razed in the 1940s, is lost forever. The Dr. Kinnaman house at 619 Center Street, where the Martin House apartments now stand, built prior to 1874, razed in 1965 to make room for the apartment building, another amazing house lost forever. The opera house, lost forever, the original high school, also lost forever. How about the beautiful homes of Claremont? All lost for ever.
I’ve seen some of the postcards that were printed when some of these streets were at their peak. Just amazing! What an amazing, beautiful town this was, and still is, just in different ways. The three historical houses that were lost when the church decided on the land on Center Street for it’s home. Those houses are lost forever, with one being saved, 602, the Frazee house, by a woman that bought it, before it was torn down.
I love this city and the people that live her, this is a warm, friendly, family-oriented and hardworking community. Let’s save old Ashland and at least retain what we have left of our rich history. We’ve lost too much already and we have to put a stop to this “progress.” If you want new, there’s plenty of construction and space east of the city in the sprawling area where the new Walmart is. New homes, new businesses, new everything, but please, save old Ashland, and let is stand to remind our future generations of Ashlanders of the great beginnings this incredible city had.
Please say no to future unnecessary demolitions for the sake of “progress,” like the 408 Center St. Home that is currently under the threat of being razed by the Ashland County Historical Society. They state the house is not worthy of being saved. It was the home of A.N. Myers, a younger brother of the huge manufacturing family that really put Ashland on the map. This home is worthy of being saved! It is part of our children’s future that is being lost to “progress.” Please, help us save old Ashland. For all our sakes.
Raul (R.J.) Torres
Ashland
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