Ashland Colony.—Within a few months after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill steps were taken at Newport, Ky., to organize a colony for the purpose of founding a settlement in Kansas. Several local meetings were held, but nothing definite was accomplished until about the close of the year 1854. Early in 1855 some 60 persons, most of them from Covington, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio, embarked on the steamboat Express for the new territory. The boat arrived at Kansas City, Mo., in March, 1855. A site had been previously selected on the south side of the Kansas river, near the mouth of McDowell's creek. The original intention was to make the entire trip by water, the colonists believing the Kansas river to be navigable, but upon arriving at Kansas City they found that their boat would be unable to proceed farther. Emigrant wagons and teams were procured for the remainder of the journey, and on April 22 they reached their destination. Many of these colonists were admirers of Henry Clay and the town they laid out was named Ashland, after the great commoner's residence in Kentucky. The name was also given to the township subsequently organized, including the settlement founded by this colony.

The officers of the Ashland colony were: Franklin G. Adams, president; Rev. N. B. White, vice-president; Henry J. Adams, treasurer. Among the members were Matthew Weightman, W. H. Mackey, Sr., and wife, John F. Ross, C. L. Sanford, C. N. Barclay. William Stone and J. S. Williams. A few of the colonists became discouraged and returned to their old homes in Ohio and Kentucky, but the majority of them were prepared to encounter the hardships of pioneer life on the frontier and went bravely forward with the erection of log cabins, etc. Late in December a postoffice was established at Ashland with William Mackey as postmaster, and in March, 1857, the town was made the county seat of Davis (now Geary) county. Several terms of the territorial court were held there by Judge Elmore before the seat of justice was removed to Junction City in Nov., 1860. With the removal of the county seat Ashland began to wane. Some of the leading members of the colony found better opportunities for the exercise of their talents and energies elsewhere, and in time the town of Ashland became only a memory. In 1873 the legislature transferred Ashland township to Riley county.