1882 was a boom year in Barnes County. Everyone was busy doing his best to get in on the ground floor of something big, including the promoters of land for homesteading as well as those far-seeing and ever-optimistic town-site promoters. One such example was that of the much-publicized town-site of "Ashtabula."
On or about March 16, 1882, W. J. Mobridge, who owned much land in the area of the confluence of Baldhill Creek and the Sheyenne River, sold land for a townsite to John I. Hubbard of Fargo for a reputed $1700.00, who then re-sold the property to a group of Fargo speculators for $4000.00.
Later, in March, Surveyor Haines surveyed the townsite of Ashtabula as straddling Bald Hill Creek in Section 4, Township 142, Range 58.
The Fargo Argus, a daily paper. published in Fargo, in the April 26th issue, printed the following article: "Ashtabula - the booming townsite on the limpid Sheyenne, thirteen miles north of the Barnes County Capital - Beats the World -the demand for something new in the interest of speculation with a solid basis, seems to have been made with the opening up of the townsite of Ashtabula, a new future great city, located on the junction of the Baldhill Creek and the Sheyenne River, thirteen miles north of Valley City. The real estate agencies, who have the plats of Ashtabula, have been busy the past day or two, furnishing lots to the far-sighted real estate speculators who seek to make investments that will guarantee a quick and speedy return of their money three and four-fold."
"The town is located in a romantic neighborhood, surrounded by a thickly settled farming community, all fourhanded and enterprising. The watercourses are fringed with heavy belts of timber, and in the center of Ashtabula is a magnificent water power which will soon be utilized to furnish the motive power for a large flouring mill. Besides the business houses heretofore mentioned as being located and in the course to Ashtabula to engage in trade and seek a share in the patronage that comes from as thickly settled a neighborhood as surrounds the town of Ashtabula. The blacksmith shop is soon to be running, the stock of goods to fill up the new store is on the way, and several parties who have bought lots are considering the propriety of erecting a large school building, which will probably be decided upon as soon as the post office is established and opened.
"The Fargo parties who have invested their money and have placed this new town upon the market, will not allow anything to come between Ashtabula and success. Bridges have been ordered across the two streams that form junction there, and several new roads will be opened as soon as the Barnes County Commissioners can act on the petitions to be presented.
"The Ashtabula town plats can be seen at the prominent real estate offices in Fargo, and those who wish to secure a lot or block, which is sure to double, if not quadruple in value before the season is over, should not fail to catch on before the wildest of townsites reaches the second stage of its growth. Ashtabula should not be forgotten; located on the projected line of the Valley City and Turtle Mountain Railroad, only thirteen miles north of the capital of Barnes County, it cannot help but be one of the best townsites ever opened out in the Red River Valley."
A post office was finally established on October 3, 1883 with Andrew T. Anderson as the Postmaster. This was the extent of the development of Ashtabula. The Valley City and Turtle Mountain Railroad, which yeas planned to go from the southern border of Barnes County to the Turtle Mountains, mainly for the large supply of coal available in that region, died a natural death, aided no doubt by the fine hands of the administration of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which itself had designs on a feeder road to the north of Valley City. The plans and hopes of the promoters of Ashtabula died along with the V.C. & T.M.R.R. All that remains is the plat of the city on file in the Barnes County Court House.
Thomas P. Elliott
President
Barnes County Historical Society, Inc.