Seeking to incorporate their small town of Pine-Woods, a group of men went to Abbeville, Alabama, before Probate Judge Dan Gordon on May 11, 1891. A petition was signed that day, recorded and filed eight days later, and an election was set for June 15th. Of the town’s 300 to 400 residents, only 47 voted, and the vote was entirely in favor of incorporation. On June 22, 1891, Judge Gordon recorded that the town, now called Ashford, was invested with all rights of incorporation and ordered an election for one mayor and five councilmen. Although not officially recorded, R. R. (Bob) Adams was said to be the first mayor, though some dispute remains over whether he held the office or whether Mr. Watson shared the position over part of the town. The origin of the name Ashford has also been debated. The more popular version holds that Captain John T. Davis, who married the daughter of Dr. Ashford of Columbus, Georgia, named the town for his wife’s family; Davis owned substantial land and deeded many lots to the railroad system. A second account, recorded by the late W. E. Pate, says the town was named for creek fords crossed by wagons, including one west of town marked by a large ash tree and a log placed across the creek, leading travelers to say they crossed at the ash ford.