By Shelby Sorensen, Zachary Vaccarezza, and Tyler Tocci
Synopsis: Folsom History Staff and Volunteers have recently been working to uncover the history of Ashland Station. What we've found suggests that it's highly likely no train station ever existed in Ashland. Neither local newspapers nor railroad survey maps from the 1860s mention a station in the area. It seems the myth of Ashland Station began in the 1920s, when many communities across the nation were inventing stories of their past to boost local significance or to promote tourism. While no one is truly to blame for this misconception, we all share a responsibility to correct it. This research project is ongoing, and we welcome any input or assistance in helping us set the record straight.
Communities can get history wrong. As surprising as it may sound, it’s true. Whether it’s because part of a community’s collective memory is built on a myth or because crucial details are missing, entire cities can make mistakes. Local history is especially difficult because much of the information is hearsay, passed down from one person to another and spread among citizens. Today, we at Folsom History are correcting a mistake and retelling one of our city’s longest-held myths: Ashland Station.
One of the most common ways that history is passed down to each generation is through oral history. Parents and grandparents share tales of their lives, and children try to absorb and remember as much as they can. Over time, however, these stories can change as information is lost or unintentionally altered, leading to myths and fables. Sometimes, people are fortunate enough to record these stories, but more often, they remain just memories. It’s the job of historians to use primary sources, such as census records and newspapers, to substantiate these stories. Because of this, history is constantly being reanalyzed, not only to correct inaccurate stories that were told but also to include communities that have been overlooked or forgotten.
So, what is wrong with the story of Ashland Station? For many decades, the building has stood towering over The Square (formerly called Pioneer Village). As visitors explored the site, they were told tales of the building being the oldest surviving train station in the West. They were told that Ashland Station existed across the river from Folsom, sat along the short-lived California Central Railroad (CCRR), and was transported to The Square in the 1970s. Although Ashland was a real place, where the Folsom Pavilions shopping center is today, the story surrounding the building has long remained unchecked.(1)
Ashland, as a mining community, was called Big Gulch, Russville, and Bowlesville before it finally settled on the name Ashland. In local newspapers and maps, the location was typically referred to as Ashland, and there was never any mention of a “depot” or “station.” One of the oldest references to a railroad passing through Ashland appears in Theodore Judah’s 1859 report, California Central Railroad: Report of the Chief Engineer on the Progress of Construction and Future Revenue of the Road. However, this report only projected possible revenue from having a stop in Ashland and is not confirmation that a station ever existed there. Additionally, multiple maps from the 1860s, showing railroads passing through the area, do not include a train station in Ashland.(2)
During the 1860s, when the building is claimed to have been a train station, newspapers were the best source of information on local happenings. This included listings of scheduled stops for passenger and freight trains, like the CCRR. However, Ashland Station is absent from these information panels. Furthermore, in articles describing the route of the CCRR, there is no mention of Ashland. An example of this can be found in the Folsom Telegraph on June 1, 1867, where the CCRR is described as, “beginning at or near the center of block 21, in the town of Folsom; running thence across the American River in a northerly or northwesterly direction to the northern line of Sacramento County...”(3)
With Ashland not being included as a stop in multiple newspapers and maps, it raises questions about whether Ashland truly had a train station. After just a few years of operation, in 1868, the tracks for the CCRR were pulled, and the line disappeared, bringing with it the mystery of whether there was ever a stop in Ashland.
Not only is there an issue with claiming the building was a train depot, but there is also a problem with claiming it was along the CCRR. Although the CCRR passed near Ashland, it was the Sacramento, Placer, & Nevada Railroad (SPNRR) that went through Ashland. If the Ashland Station building had been a train station, the SPNRR would have stopped there, not the CCRR.(4)
In an article in the Sacramento Bee on Saturday, July 18, 1925, the myth of Ashland Station makes one of its first appearances. “At a point between Orangevale and Folsom is what is termed the oldest railroad station in California—not the first built—but the oldest of those from the early days, which yet stands.” It goes on to describe the building as a stop along the CCRR line that connected Folsom with Lincoln. The newspaper claims that “pioneers” told them these facts but never explains who these pioneers were or where they got their information. (5)
The article continues by discussing the architecture of the building, stating it has mortise and tenon joints, a popular style used during the mid-1800s. The article also mentions that the lumber used for the building was brought around Cape Horn, South America. At the end of the article, there is a claim that “treasure” was once hidden under the station and never found. (6)
Reading the article, there is a lot missing from the story. We must ask questions like: How often did the train stop at Ashland Station, and why wasn’t it recorded in local newspapers? What boat was used to bring the lumber, and is the manifest available so we can learn about how it was transported to California? Was treasure ever found during the construction of the Folsom Pavilions shopping center?
Over the last year, historians at Folsom History have been grappling with these questions, and sadly, we don’t have evidence to answer them or to substantiate the story of Ashland Station. No ship name was listed as bringing lumber around Cape Horn in the mid-1800s. No map or newspaper states that a train station existed at Ashland. No treasure was reported as being found under the building. This could easily be a case of mixed-up information, as the Folsom Depot and railyard were located just across the river, but we have nothing definitive to confirm this possibility.
While the beautiful mortise and tenon construction is still intact, much of the building has been altered. During the building’s move in 1973 from Ashland to Folsom, the doors and windows were removed, but no notes were made regarding whether they were replaced, or new ones were installed. Doors have since been added and changed. Furthermore, it has been noted that the flooring was completely replaced after the move, along with various areas of concern due to wear and tear on the structure.
It seems highly likely that the myth of Ashland Station was invented around the 1920s. It’s possible that it was created by people attempting to make the building’s history seem more significant than it was, or to elevate their own importance within the community. It’s also equally possible that the myth was created to promote tourism in Folsom.
During this era, many communities across the country sought to increase their tourist appeal. Tourism was quickly becoming a massive industry as more Americans began to own automobiles and had the luxury of covering large distances for leisure and vacation. What better way to increase the allure of your town than to claim a significant “first” or “oldest” in the region, state, or nation? Perhaps someone or a group of people felt that Folsom’s railroad history might attract more visitors, and therefore more business, if they made such a claim. Ashland Station may have been a pawn in this effort.
Now that we know the Ashland building most likely wasn’t a train depot, what exactly was it, and where was it originally located? We don’t fully know. What we do know is that the building existed where the Folsom Pavilions are today, along Folsom-Auburn Road. It’s possible the building was a fruit shed, as the area was home to multiple orchards throughout the 1800s and 1900s.
Without definitive proof that the building was a train station, nor proof that a train ever stopped in Ashland, we at Folsom History can’t stand behind this story. As of now, it appears that our community has unintentionally been repeating a myth that is over 100 years old. None of us are at fault for this, but all of us have a duty to correct these mistakes and pass on a more accurate telling of the building's history to future generations.
For now, Folsom History recognizes the historic nature of the building as an example of 19th-century building practices. We welcome all research to continue uncovering the truth of this building, and we will continue researching it ourselves. One day, we hope to understand how this story came to be and to uncover the true history of the building that will become our historically inspired makerspace.
Acknowledgment: This blog would not have been possible without the tireless work of Folsom History Volunteer, Rodi Lee. Rodi spent numerous hours working alongside Shelby Sorensen to help us uncover the history of Ashland Station. Although there is still more work to be done, we thank Rodi for all she has accomplished with this research.
End Notes:
“Ancient station.” (1925, July 18). The Sacramento Bee, p. 17. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-ancient-station/164563249/; “A visitor’s tour of Folsom.” (1998, April 8). The Folsom Telegraph, p. 8. https://www.newspapers.com/image/387234148/?match=1&terms=Ashland%20
Judah, Theodore. California Central Railroad: Report of the Chief Engineer on the Progress of Construction and Future Revenue of the Road. (1859, July 1).; Elliott, S. G., & Welch, G. W. (1860). Map of central California: showing the different railroad lines completed & projected [Map]. G.W. Welch. https://csl.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CSL_INST/kjolsn/alma990014362490205115; J.P. Robinson, Sacramento Placer & Nevada Railroad: 1st or Lower Division Plan, 1861, Map, California State Archives.
“State of California, County of Sacramento.” (1867, June 1). Folsom Telegraph, p. 2. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=FT18670601&e=-------en--20-FT-1--txt-txIN--------.
Elliott, S. G., & Welch, G. W. (1860). Map of central California: showing the different railroad lines completed & projected [Map]. G.W. Welch. https://csl.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CSL_INST/kjolsn/alma990014362490205115; J.P. Robinson, Sacramento Placer & Nevada Railroad: 1st or Lower Division Plan, 1861, Map, California State Archives.
“Ancient station.” (1925, July 18). The Sacramento Bee, p. 17. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-ancient-station/164563249/.
Ibid.
“Rainbow Bridge.” (1973, August 1). The Folsom Telegraph, p. 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/474825365/.
Comments