This industrial city on the Ohio River serves as the hub for the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Kentucky, and is part of the Tri-State Area, extending into West Virginia and Ohio.
Ashland experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century, driven by the pig iron industry and its role as a riverport facilitating the trade of goods in and out of the region.
While there are indications of prehistoric Native American habitation, the development of contemporary Ashland commenced in 1786, when the Scotch-Irish Poage family settled by the Ohio River, establishing the homestead known as Poage’s Landing.
The legacy of the Poage family continues to resonate in Ashland, commemorated annually during the Poage Landing Days festival in September, among several unique events celebrated in the city.