Edwin Robinson was President of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac (RF&P) in 1846 when he first realized the potential of the 462 acre property the railroad owned at the center of present day Ashland. The property had a mineral spring and was used as a refueling and lumber stop between Richmond and Fredericksburg. Beginning in the late 1840's, Robinson convinced the railroad's directors to develop a resort which they named "Slash Cottage", recognizing the popularity [...]
Born in Emporia, Virginia and educated at Virginia Union University, Eunice Bundy received her Master of Arts from Columbia University in New York City. She came to Hanover County in 1930 as a combined elementary and high school teacher at the Hanover Training School. She was appointed principal in 1936, and remained principal when the school was renamed John M. Gandy School. Her steady leadership helped Ashland and Hanover's African-American community through the difficult years [...]
As President of Randolph-Macon College from 1939 to 1967, Dr. Moreland is credited with building the enrollment, reputation, physical plant, and financial stability of the school. The Moreland era witnessed a tremendous expansion of the college, with almost every campus building east of Henry Street constructed during his tenure, including Fox Hall (1951), Smithey Hall (1952), Blackwell Auditorium (1953), Page Library (1961), Haley Hall (1965), Crenshaw Gymnasium (1965) and Moreland Dormitory (1967). The Moreland era [...]
The Hall of Fame recognized 20 people posthumously who have made significant contributions to Ashland, the state and the nation. These 20 individuals were unveiled during Ashland’s 150th Birthday Grand Celebration on October 18, 2008. C. Hunter Jones 1918-2001 Dr. Robert Emory Blackwell 1854-1938 Dr. J. Earl Moreland 1897-1987 Edwin Robinson 1807-1863 Eunice Daniel Bundy Floyd W. Tucker 1888-1954 Harry V. Smeeman 1890-1929 Henry Clay 1777-1852 Hill Carter 1846-1918 Hugh Stephens Jay Pace 1945-2004 James Napoleon Luck [...]
As a thirteen-year-old, Robert Blackwell came to Ashland on a railroad handcar to begin his education, and his seventy year association with Randolph-Macon College. In 1876, he became Randolph-Macon's English professor. In 1902, the trustees of the college appointed him president, an office that he held until his death in 1938. He was a proper, kind gentleman whose personal philosophy of dignity of all people influenced generations of Randolph-Macon students and Ashlanders.
C. Hunter Jones, a native Ashlander, gave generously of his time and talents to improve the lives of others. He served on the Ashland Town Council for 11 terms (22 years), including terms as Mayor and Vice-Mayor. As PTA President, he was a proponent of adding a 12th grade and consolidating high schools to improve education for all students in Hanover County. He was a founder and the first president of Hanover Country Club and [...]
