From Hollingsworth Watts' courthouse land donation to hometown manufacturers like Wellborn—how Ashland helped shape Clay County. Where Ashland began: a county seat anchored by a courthouse Ashland is the county seat of Clay County in east-central Alabama—often remembered as the "City of Friends." The town's origin story is tied to the creation of Clay County in December 1866 and the subsequent selection of a central county seat. Founder spotlight: Hollingsworth Watts Local history records credit Hollingsworth Watts with donating the land used to establish the courthouse site—helping set the physical "center" where Ashland would grow. Ashland was later incorporated in 1871 and named after Henry Clay's Kentucky estate, "Ashland." The Clay County Courthouse: Ashland's signature landmark In many Alabama courthouse towns, t...