Whether Fourth of July festivities on Madeline Island inspired Asaph Whittlesey to establish a new town is uncertain, but on July 5, 1854, he arrived on the southeast shore of Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, built a cabin and founded Ashland. Once his cabin was complete, Whittlesey opened negotiations with the railroad in Chicago to provide an outlet for the area's timber, brownstone and iron ore. Learn More...