ASHLAND, a city in the northern part of Wisconsin, U.S.A., on the Chequamegon bay, an arm of Lake Superior; at an altitude of 66o ft., about 6o m. E. by S. of Duluth and Su perior; county seat of Ashland county. It is on Federal high way 2, and is served by the Soo, the Chicago and North Western, and the Northern Pacific railways, and by lake steamers. The high points in the city command a view of the picturesque Apostle islands, outside the bay, which were formerly a rendez vous of the Ojibway Indians. The population of the city in 1920 was 11,334; in 1930 it was 10,622.
The harbour has a controlling depth of 20 ft., and a navigation season from April 13 to Dec. 7. In 1927 the commerce of the port amounted to 7,917,676 tons of vessel traffic, valued at 2 74,3 26, and 4, 20o tons of rafted logs. The bulk of the vessel traffic consisted of shipments of 7,088,863 tons of iron-ore from the Gogebic range, and receipts of 668,600 tons of coal. The shipping has more than doubled in tonnage since 1900, but the manufactures and the population have declined. In 1927 the output of the 23 manufacturing establishments was valued at $1,490,370. Northland college (Congregational; chartered 1907) is established here.
Ashland was settled about 18S4, incorporated as a village in 1863, and chartered as a city in 1887.