More than one source has noted that when John Ashley arrived in 1810 to Kanawha County, WV to farm the land, he was the 4th family to the area of Big Sandy Creek, about 3 miles below the mouth of Left Hand Creek. The location became known as Ashley's Settlement. This location is in the direct vicinity of today's Osbornes Mills in Amma, WV. He arrived from Monroe Co, VA. and previous to this was born and raised in Surry County, NC. He met and married Mary ALFORD who was born in 1779 in NC. Together, they had 10 children; 7 daughters; Sarah, wife of William HAMMACK;Mary, w/of Charles YOUNG, Elizabeth, w/o Mathew Geary; Nancy, w/o Hewitt Cobb; Mahala, w/o Bennett RADER; Susannah, & Eliza, w/o Skelton Cock & 3 sons; William, husband of Elizabeth WALKER; James, h/o Harriet RADER; & John Ashley, h/o Deborah JAMES. Some time soon after his arrival to Kanawha Co, he moved his family into what is now Clay County on the Elk River and built a low head dam to divert the water and it was also a grist mill. He operated this dam and farm from 1825 until 1834 when he sold his entire 400+ acres to Samuel A. Samples II and returned to Big Sandy Creek. Next, in 1835 he began the construction of a water grist & saw mill across the Elk river, adjoining the land of Albert Gallatin and Savary de Valconlon. Salt boats of merchantable quality, which were to be not less than 11'6 inches wide and to average seventy feet in length with oars were built at this saw mill and sold to the Dickinson & Ruffner Co. in Charleston, WV. John Ashley's descendants lived for many years on this land and many still remain in Roane, Clay & Kanawha Counties. John Ashley died between 1861 & 1870 in Roane Co. while living with his eldest daughter & son-in-law Sarah & William HAMMACK.