Among the leading businessmen of the city of Encampment, Wyoming, Henry D. Ashley is one whose enterprise and public spirit have done much to build up that young city. He was born at Acushnet, Bristol County, Mass., on May 3, 1862, the son of Calvin and Rebecca (Davis) Ashley, and both natives of that state. His father was born at Lakeville, Mass., and early established his home at Acushnet, where he engaged in farming and was also interested to quite an extent in the whale fisheries, his home being adjacent to New Bedford, formerly the great center of that industry in America, and he remained there until his death in 1868. He left a family of six sons and four daughters and after the death of his father, Henry D. Ashley removed with the other members of the family to Taunton in the same state, where he grew to manhood, received his early education in the public schools and learned the trade of woodturning, at which he was employed in Taunton until 1890 when he removed to Iowa, where he located at Sioux City, and continued to work at his former occupation for about four years. At the end of that time he removed to Des Moines and engaged in the bakery business for two years, when he sold out and came west to Colorado Springs, Colo. He made his home at this place for about one year and in January, 1898, came to Encampment, Wyo., where he has since made his home, being one of the pioneers of the place, then in its infancy. From his first arrival here he has been uniformly successfully in business. He first engaged in conducting a lodging house and continued successfully in that pursuit up to the spring of 1902. In 1901 he engaged in the real estate and insurance business, associating himself in business with Mr. Leo Davis under the firm name of Davis & Ashley, the former attending to the mining brokerage department and the latter giving special attention to insurance and real estate. On May 3, 1884, Mr. Ashley was united in marriage at Taunton, Mass., with Miss Minnie F. Moxon, a native of Massachusetts, and the daughter of Frederick and Emma A. Moxon, well-known and respected citizens of Taunton. Her father was a native of England who came to America in 1850, and established his home in the city of Taunton. Mr. And Mrs. Ashley are the parents of two children, namely: Jennie M. and Carleton H., both of whom are still living, and their home is one of the most hospitable in the city of Encampment. Mr. Ashley is largely interested in the Vulvan Copper Mining Co., of which he is vice-president. This company has valuable mining claims situated within a few hundred feet of the celebrated Ferris – Haggarty copper property, and gives promise of being equally valuable. He is also the secretary of the Grant Copper Mining Co., located at Pearl, Colo. He is the representative of several of the leading insurance companies, among others the Liverpool, London & Globe, the Providence Washington Insurance Co., the Phoenix Insurance Co., of Hartford, Conn., the Niagara Insurance Co., of New York, and the Fire Association of Philadelphia. Although engaged in business but a short time he has won the confidence of the business community by his energy, industry and attention to all the details of his business, and he has been steadily adding to it from month to month. He is one of the leading businessmen of the locality and has done much to build up the new city of Encampment. He was a member of its first city government and was re-elected in 1902. He is also a member of the school board and prominent in all matters that affect the public welfare or promote the general good of the community.
