Ashville in St. Clair County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

John Ash

(Nov. 30, 1783 - April 1, 1872)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020

1. John Ash Marker

Inscription. In 1817, John and Margaret Ash, their children, and the Rev. Thomas Newton, Margaret's father, were part of a wagon train traveling west on the old Montevallo Road. In Beaver Valley, between Ashville and Odenville, their three-year-old daughter, Betsy Ann, died after falling from their wagon. Reluctant to leave their daughter's grave behind, the family settled in Beaver Valley, where John Ash purchased land and built a substantial home in 1818. It is the oldest extant structure in what would become St. Clair County that same year. John Ash subsequently served as a senator in the territorial assembly, and in numerous other positions, including county commissioner, judge, and state senator. When Ashville was incorporated in 1822, it was named for John Ash in honor of his many contributions and became the county seat.

Margaret M. "Peggy” Ash (b. May 15, 1792) died on January 21, 1855; John Ash lived another eighteen years. Both are buried in Liberty Cemetery in Odenville, where Rev. Thomas Newton served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church. The family donated these original grave covers to the Ashville Museum and Archives.

Erected 2018

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

by Alabama Historical Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1817.

Location. 33° 50.023′ N, 86° 15.088′ W. Marker is in Ashville, Alabama, in St. Clair County. It can be reached from 8th Street 0.1 miles south of 8th Avenue. Marker is located on the northeast side of Ashville City Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 211 8th St, Ashville AL 35953, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama and in the Birmingham Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020

2. John Ash Marker

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Dalco Obed Langston (within shouting distance of this marker); Assassination Site of Sgt. E. Frank Harrison (approx. ¼ mile away); The Dean / Inzer House (approx. ¼ mile away); A County Older Than The State, St. Clair (approx. 0.3 miles away); John Looney House (approx. 3½ miles away); Reeves Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery (approx. 4.1 miles away); Historic Reeves Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery (approx. 4.1 miles away); Union United Methodist Church (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ashville.

John Ash Grave Cover image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020

3. John Ash Grave Cover

Margaret M. "Peggy" Ash Grave Cover image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020

4. Margaret M. "Peggy" Ash Grave Cover

John Ash House image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Alabama Heritage

5. John Ash House

Constructed around 1818, the house began as a two-room log cabin with a sleeping loft. Later, it was expanded and “Victorianized.” Inside, however, one of the original rooms preserves its early appearance, with wide board walls and floors, a low, beamed ceiling, and original windows flanking the fireplace. — Alabama Heritage

Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,525 times since then and 152 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 17, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.