Ashland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the MetroWest region. The population was 18,832 at the 2020 United States census.
History
18th–19th centuries
The area now known as Ashland was settled in the early 18th century and inhabited prior to that by the Megunko Native Americans, to which Megunko Hill owes its name. Previously known as "Unionville", Ashland was incorporated in 1846, bearing the name of statesman Henry Clay's Kentucky estate. It is considerably younger than many of the surrounding towns, as Ashland's territory was taken in near-equal parts from the previously established towns of Hopkinton, Holliston (previously of colonial era Sherborn's territory), and Framingham.
The construction of the Boston & Worcester Railroad, later the Boston & Albany, in the 1830s was key to the early development of the town. Decades later, two other rail lines opened stations in Ashland. Along with the Sudbury River, the railroad helped to attract numerous mills to develop a bustling boot and shoe industry. However, by constructing three reservoirs along the river in 1878, the Boston Water Board inadvertently stymied further growth, most notably by halting the construction of the Dwight Printing Company's granite mills. Although the mills closed, starting in the 1890s the Hopkinton Railroad Company, providing a connection to Milford, and the Natick Street Railway, which operated streetcars between the towns of Sherborn, Framingham, and Natick, offered service in Ashland. These rail lines were gone by the 1920s, rendered obsolete by automobiles. Warren founded Telechron, which, in partnership with General Electric. At its height in the 1950s, Telechron employed 2,000 people, or roughly one-third of Ashland. GE manufactured electric clocks in Ashland until 1979, when it sold to Timex. Thirteen years later, the Telechron plant was closed for good. A Warren Synchronizing Timer is on display at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington D.C., and the high school sports teams are called "The Clockers".
20th century
For most of the 20th century, Ashland's population remained slow in growth, until the post-war boom beginning in the 1950s. During that period, Ashland grew from a far-removed rural town west of Boston to a primarily residential suburb by the 1980s. Over time, many farms and open spaces have given way to housing, although some untouched land still remains, including the Ashland Town Forest, Ashland State Park, Warren Woods, and land comprising the beach and dam portions of Hopkinton State Park.
Two members of the Ashland Police Department have died in the line of duty. Cadorette's partner, Robert Gonfrade, was also shot during the incident, but managed to return fire, resulting in the death of the man who had shot Cadorette.
Four members of the Ashland Fire Department have died in the line of duty. On August 21, 1963, three members of the department—Chief Charles Moran, Lt. Norman E. Barry, and Firefighter John Rebenacker—were killed when a fuel tank exploded while they were providing mutual aid at a fire in neighboring Framingham. Firefighter Edward J. Bessey