ASHBORO, INDIANA

     Ashboro, a town and post office in Sugar Ridge Township, on the Lower Bloomington Road, ten miles south of Brazil and five miles west of Bowling Green, a station on the Saline City Branch railroad, founded by Charles W. Moss, in 1858, so named by T. M. Robertson.  As the pioneer merchant, as well as founder and proprietor of the town, Moss engaged Robertson as salesman, or clerk, in his store, to whom he committed, also, the trust and privilege of naming the post office to be established.  Bringing to his aid the map of the states and the latest postal guides, Robertson proceeded to make selection and chose Ashboro, from the map of North Carolina, up to that time the only office bearing this name in the country and, strange to say, though half a century has since elapsed, not another of the name has been added to the list. Though this place was platted in 1858, it did not appear on record until 1860.  When surveyed, a square of three acres in the center of the plat was dedicated as a courthouse site for the period of ten years, with the view to the re-location of the county seat.  At a later day this plat of ground was rededicated to public school purposes……The name was also suggested to the founder by a. W. Lowdermilk, whose people were from Ashboro, North Carolina.  During the time intervening the founding of the town site and the coming of the post office, it was known as “Mosstown,” from the name of the proprietor, who was operating a saw-mill near the site, where much of the lumber was produced then used in building in that locality.  The first three purchasers of lost, which they proceeded at once to improve and occupy, were a. W. Lowdermilk, Israel Krytzer and Daniel Wright.  One of the first buildings was erected by the proprietor himself, on the southwest corner of the crossing of the Main Street, later known as the “McGinnis Hotel.”

     T. M. Robertson was the first postmaster, whose successors along the line were  Israel Krytzer, John W. McGinnis, James Clark, Mrs. W. N. Haines, Riley Bryant, Elmer G. O’Brien, William Buyh, Isaac McIlvaine, George Moss, J. K. Moss, Matt Jones, Howard Miller, David Mayrose, Laura Ferguson.

     The first merchant was C. W. Moss, succeeded by Max Greenburg, Duffield & Morgan, James Clark, Samuel C. Mounts, John W. McGinnis, Myrtle & Wright, John Travis, Ezra Starrett, Henry Haas, John K. Snyder, William T. Yow, R. Gantz, Fisher & Moss, Charles Thrasher, Adams & Grimes, O’Brien & Moss, Kylander & Williams, Miller & Moss, Israel Krytzer, John C. Moss, E. G. O’Brien, Riley Bryant, William Buyh, J. K. Moss, Matt Jones, Samuel Tribble, W. T. Slack, M. J. Watt, Robert Mitchell.  Read more about Ashboro on pages 161 & 162 in Travis, Vol. I

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