Amos Ashton
Amos Jonathan Ashton
Amos Jonathan Ashton was the wealthy industrialist who founded Ashton Creek. He was born in Pennsylvania, in 1938, and died in Ashton Creek, Oregon in 1902. He was driven and ambitious, and fashioned himself very much a self-made business man. Stories surrounding his life tell of how he himself worked on the construction sites of early Ashton Creek, specifically the sawmill and his personal residence Ashton Manor. This has been immortalised after his death in a statue in the town's square.
Amos was very successful in his exploits, growing the town well beyond what anyone expected. Despite this he was not unanimously liked by the community. Many saw him as greedy and ruthless, which may very well have been the case. There were even rumors of him having made a deal with the devil for his good fortune. Nonetheless, Ashton believed himself to be a philanthropist, and donated generously to causes in Ashton Creek and the surrounding area.
Physical Description
Amos Ashton was a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing blue eyes and a thick beard, which he kept very well groomed. He had a love of hats, with his particular favourites being stetsons and stovepipes. He claimed that stetson hats were the very image of freedom and the american ideal, while the stovepipe simply showed his great admiration for President Lincoln. He could however also be seen wearing bowlers, and top hats shorter than his Lincoln.Mental characteristics
Personal history
Early Life
Amos was born in the state of Pennsylvania, to wealthy farm owners Robert and Jennifer Ashton. He grew up on their farm, until the age of 23, when he enlisted as a soldier to fight for the union in the American civil war. After the end of the war, Ashton did not return Pennsylvania, instead seeking fortune in New York. Few specifics are known about the following years of his life, though according to the man himself, he slowly worked his way up in a variety of industries and jobs.
Tragically, his entire family died in a fire on their ranch in 1867, which left Ashton with his full inheritance, though he only claimed this in 1870. Through investment in steel and electrical industries, he grew his wealth greatly over the next 9 years. Nevertheless he remained a private person, with little social contact beyond that concerning business.
Founding of Ashton Creek
In 1879, he moved to Portland, Oregon. According to public records, he had barely arrived in Oregon before purchasing the lands that are now Ashton Creek. However he remained in portland for the next two years, only relocating to his own lands in 1881. At that point construction on his private residence had begun, which he moved into before it was fully complete. In 1882 he officially founded the town of Ashton Creek. According to private correspondence with an unidentified local, Ashton had originally planned to name the town "Town of Columbia", but later changed his plans.
Amos Ashton spent the next two decades living in Ashton Creek, during which time he dedicated himself to the growth and development of both the town and his personal fortune. He was known for being heavily involved in the construction of several important buildings in the town, and in the year of the town's founding he established the Ashton Creek Sawmill and the Ashton Lumber Company. In 1886, he expanded his business ventures to include mining, founding the Ashton Mining Company. It is said that Amos Ashton personally struck the earth to mark the spot where the mine was to be dug. In 1888 he set the town hall's cornerstone.
Later Life and Death
Ashton continued to oversee progress in the mines and the expansion of the town. He would often pay visits to the dig sites, and the rest of town. Over time however he came to once again seek out solitude more and more. He never married, and began to neglet his few friendships more and more. His visits became rarer, and eventually he was seen only rarely by anyone who did not staff his manor. Those who did see him claimed he seemed to be falling into foul moods more often, eventually giving way to depression.
The circumstances of Amos Ashton's death were somewhat peculiar. The maid who would bring him his nightly tonic found his bedchamber quiet on the eve of May 14th 1902. She did however not investigate further, believing him to have fallen asleep. The next day he appeared to have vanished without a trace. Ashton was missing for at least 8 days before he was found on May 23rd 1902 in his bed, having passed away from a heart attack. To this day his disappearance and the body's return remain a mystery.
Image generated using Midjourney
Species
Date of Birth
September 14th 1838
Date of Death
May 23rd 1902
Life
1838 CE
1902 CE
64 years old
Circumstances of Death
Disappeared for 9 days prior to being discovered
Birthplace
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Place of Death
Ashton Creek, Oregon
Children
Sex
Male
Eyes
Blue
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
White
Height
6'2"
Founded Settlements
