Ashland, Picturesque Vacation Spot in the Foothill

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Ashland City in Jackson County, Oregon, lies near the northern California border nestled in the south end of Rogue Valley, in the foothills of a snowcapped peak, surrounded by mountains. The name Ashland derives from Ashland County, Ohio and Ashland, Kentucky where some of its original settlers and founders Abel Helman, brothers Eber and James Emery, Robert Hargadine and others originally came from.

Originally, what is now Ashland City, is the former ancestral home of the Shasta Indians and a well-known trail among hunters and trappers along the Siskiyou Trail; the Donation Land Act and the discovery of gold near Jacksonville set off an influx of white settlers into the Rogue Valley from other parts of the United States which set off a violent conflict between the settlers and the Shastas until the mid-1850s.

The area officially became known as Ashland Mills in 1855; in 1871, the United States Post Office dropped Mills from its name. In 1872, Reverend Skidmore founded the Ashland Academy, which later became the Southern Oregon Normal School and what is now the Southern Oregon University.

It is an important and strategic rail trade connection between Oregon and California from the 19th century into the first quarter of the 20th century; rail trade greatly contributed to its economy, and made Ashland’s orchard products famous. Most notable is the Ashland peach, which garnered top honors at the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago.

Ashland City is renowned among local and foreign tourists for its Mt. Ashland Ski Resort, Valley Orchards, Rogue River, Rogue River National Forest, Crater Lake National Park, Peter Britt Music Festival, Klamath National Forest, Emigrant Lake Reservoir, Ashland Ice Rink, Stewart State Park, Valley of the Rogue State Park, Casey State Park, and Rogue River Round-Up.

It is also famous for its annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which held its initial performance in the 1993 Fourth of July celebration. The efforts of Angus L. Bowmer paid off as the festival developed to become what is now an award-winning and nationally acclaimed regional theater company. The Shakespeare Festival, which attracts thousands of tourists annually, traces its origins in the Chautauqua movement, which introduced cultural entertainment to rural areas of the country. In that time, residents of Southern Oregon and Northern California travelled to Ashland to watch performers John Phillip Sousa and William Jennings Bryan perform during Ashland Chautauqua's 10-day seasons. At present, the outdoor festival has become a regular attraction in Ashland from February to October, which includes both Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean plays in three venues.

The National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, also in Ashland, is the world's only crime laboratory dedicated to wildlife, and serves law enforcement agencies in the United States and other parts of the world.

The population of Ashland is generally comprised residents who have lived in the area for generations, and émigrés from urban areas of the neighboring states who prefer a more relaxed and better quality of life. Tourism incomes make up a significant portion of Ashland's economy. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, and restaurants support visitors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as well as other attractions in the area. Ashland City’s five largest employers are Southern Oregon University, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland Public Schools, Ashland Community Hospital and the City Government.