ASHTON, Charles

ASHTON

Posted By: Debbie Clough Gerischer
Date: 11/17/2002 at 10:07:20

CHARLES ASHTON 1823 - ca 1900

CHARLES ASHTON, pioneer preacher and journalist, is a native of Lincolnshire,
England, where he was born June 2, 1823. His parents emigrated to America in
1832, locating on a farm in Richland County, Ohio. Three winter terms at
district school comprised his educational advantages. Early in the fifties
he became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1860 entered
the itinerant work. In 1870 he was transferred from the Central Ohio to the
DesMoines Conference, preaching for nine years in western Iowa. Retiring
from the ministry in 1879, he became editor of the Guthrian, a Republican
weekly newspaper published at Guthrie Center. He was the organizer and first
president of the Gurthrie & Northwestern Railway, now a branch of the Rock
Island, running from Guthrie Center to Menio. Mr. Ashton was appointed a
member of the Iowa Columbian Commission, and as chairman of the
archaeological, historical and statistical committee of the Commission he
wrote and published the "Hand Book of Iowa" of which 25,000 copies were
distributed. He was also superintendent of the horticultural exhibit and
under his direction Iowa made one of the finest promo logical displays at the
exposition. Mr. Ashton has ever been known as an advocate of sobriety, good
government and the promotion of all liberal enterprises.