Ashland City, Tennessee

Ashland City is a town in and the county seat of Cheatham County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,541 as of the 2010 census.

History

Ashland City was created in 1856 as a county seat for the newly established Cheatham County. The county's commissioners purchased the initial 50 acres (0.20 km²) of land (now the courthouse square) from James Lenox, and a temporary courthouse was erected shortly thereafter. The temporary structure was replaced by the present courthouse in 1869. Ashland City was officially incorporated in 1859.

The first major industry in the Ashland City area was the forge operated by Montgomery Bell at the Narrows of the Harpeth, several miles to the southwest, which was established in 1818. In 1835, Samuel Watson established a gristmill and powder mill along Sycamore Creek, just north of Ashland City. Watson's mill developed into one of the largest powder mills in the South, making it a target during the Civil War. The mill continued in operation under various owners until 1904.