The City of Ashland was created from three earlier entities: the Town of Ashland, Bay City, and St. Mark. The Town of Ashland was first established in 1854 by Asaph Whittlesey and George Kilborn of La Pointe. The township was platted that year and the first post office was established in March 1855 under the name Whittlesey, there already being an Ashland in the state at that time. In 1856, Bay City and St. Mark (later known as the Vaughn Division) were platted. In that same year, hard economic times came to the region, and many residents left Ashland for La Pointe, which became the county seat. The last resident, Martin Beaser, left in 1866. In 1871, the railroad came to Ashland, and the town was reborn. The post office was reestablished under the name Ashland, and in 1872 reconstruction of the town began. In 1873 the county seat moved back to Ashland, and in April 1887 the City of Ashland was incorporated by the State. The mayor-council form of government was used except for 1913-1919, when it had a commission system. There were multiple attempts in the 1940s to shift the government to a manager system, and since 1994 the city has had both a Mayor and a City Manager.
