Mabel Berra, Opera Singer
Loudonville, Ohio
Come Be a Part
of History
We make Ashland County’s history come alive through education, preservation, and community engagement.
Mabel Berra, Opera Singer
Loudonville, Ohio
Come Be a Part of History
We make Ashland County’s history come alive through education, preservation, and community engagement.
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19th Century
Mother of Pearl
Opera Glasses
19th Century
Mother of Pearl
Opera Glasses
Why Ashland History?
At the Ashland County Historical Society, we’re passionate about bringing history to life in fun and exciting ways for all ages!
At the Ashland County Historical Society, we’re passionate about bringing history to life in fun and exciting ways for all ages!
When you visit our museum, you’ll have a fun experience seeing the beautiful properties and artifacts from Ashland County’s historic past.
When you visit our museum, you’ll have a fun experience seeing the beautiful properties and artifacts from Ashland County’s historic past.
Why Ashland History?
At the Ashland County Historical Society, we’re passionate about bringing history to life in fun and exciting ways for all ages!
At the Ashland County Historical Society, we’re passionate about bringing history to life in fun and exciting ways for all ages!
When you visit our museum, you’ll have a fun experience seeing the beautiful properties and artifacts from Ashland County’s historic past.
When you visit our museum, you’ll have a fun experience seeing the beautiful properties and artifacts from Ashland County’s historic past.
Charles C. Chapman, Attorney &
Co-Founder of the Ashland County Historical Society
Recent Blogs
Ashes to Ashland: The Secret of Savannah
On September 18, 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law. This law required northern free states to assist in the capture and return of former slaves.[1] While many places […]
Ashes to Ashland: Ann “Pee Wee” Petrovic
On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy, bringing the United States into the Second World War. At its peak, the U.S. Armed Forces had […]
Upcoming Events
2025 Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom
Join us and learn about Juneteenth – a celebration of freedom marking the official end of slavery in the United States! This event is free and open to the public.
Happening on the grounds of the Ashland County Historical Society, and in collaboration with Ashland Main 
Street, the Ashland Public Library, and the community’s Juneteenth Committee, participants will engage in an immersive and community-centered event.
What to expect
Participants will hear from historic Ashland County residents, thanks to our living historians who will bring their experiences to life. Hear about the courageous families who helped Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad, the life of a newly freedman who settled in Ashland County, and that of Ashland Superintendent Seth Barber who enlisted in the Union Army to lead his ‘boys’ – his former students during the war. Their stories an more will be shared through these guided tour opportunities.
Tours begin at 4:15, 5:15, and 6:15.
Enjoy a complimentary/free community picnic featuring BBQ (with the fixings!), ice cream, cupcakes, and more. The Ashland Public Library’s Bookmobile will be on the grounds offering books to checkout, children’s activities and ways for even our youngest community members to enjoy.
Questions?
Free parking is available onsite. The event will be at 420 Center Street, Ashland, OH 44805. To learn more, visit our website at www.ashlandhistory.org or call 419-289-3111. We can’t wait to see you!
Street, the Ashland Public Library, and the community’s Juneteenth Committee, participants will engage in an immersive and community-centered event.
What to expect
Participants will hear from historic Ashland County residents, thanks to our living historians who will bring their experiences to life. Hear about the courageous families who helped Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad, the life of a newly freedman who settled in Ashland County, and that of Ashland Superintendent Seth Barber who enlisted in the Union Army to lead his ‘boys’ – his former students during the war. Their stories an more will be shared through these guided tour opportunities.
Tours begin at 4:15, 5:15, and 6:15.
Enjoy a complimentary/free community picnic featuring BBQ (with the fixings!), ice cream, cupcakes, and more. The Ashland Public Library’s Bookmobile will be on the grounds offering books to checkout, children’s activities and ways for even our youngest community members to enjoy.
Questions?
Free parking is available onsite. The event will be at 420 Center Street, Ashland, OH 44805. To learn more, visit our website at www.ashlandhistory.org or call 419-289-3111. We can’t wait to see you!
Polk: The First 100 Years
A retired public school teacher and lifelong resident of Polk, Craig Wiley has a keen interest in local history which began at an early age. From his earliest memories, he recalls hearing his grandparents and other community elders share stories of Polk and Rowsburg. Over the years he has continued to collect stories, facts, photographs, and other ephemera from these two villages and as a result has become somewhat of a local historian–albeit unofficial and unintentional. Wiley even served on the board of the Ashland County Historical Society in the late 1980s.
In 1996 Wiley purchased the derelict Polk Feed & Supply building and began restoring it with the goal/dream of eventually milling flour by steam power there again, as in the early 1880s when it was built. Patient research revealed a surprising amount of fascinating information about the mill’s early days, and Wiley’s industrial arts background enabled him to complete much of the extensive structural work himself. A busy schedule these past 30 years has slowed progress, but the dream of opening an authentic steam flouring mill is still within sight.
Wiley is an active member of the Polk Lions Club and the Polk United Methodist Church, where he has played the organ for 51 years. His greatest passion is teaching, and on many days, you will find him substituting in the Northwestern Local School District.