The Borough of Ashley was incorporated on December 5, 1870. Before that, Ashley was called Newtown Junction, Nanticoke Junction, Skunktown, Hightown, Peestown, Alberts, Scrabbletown and the most prominent, Coalville.

The Ashley Fire Department was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest firefighting units in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Ashley Memorial Day Association was formed sometime in the 1890s, and has been holding Memorial Day parades for over 110 years.

While Ashley Borough is no longer home to any large industries, the Huber Colliery employed over 3,000 workers during their heyday in the 1930s and 1940s. The colliery cleaned and processed over 7,000 tons of anthracite coal per day and was the largest facility of its kind ever built in the world.

The Central Railroad of New Jersey located its Ashley Shop yards and employed nearly 2,000 workers at one time. Beginning in the 1830s, the Ashley Planes, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, served as the principal transportation route for all anthracite coal and freight traffic from Southern Wyoming Valley. The Ashley Planes were the first set of Inclined Planes in the United States. They were a series of three railroad planes that would lift coal and freight to Mountain-top. The Planes ceased operation in 1948.

Ashley Borough is now mostly a residential area. Bobby Strish Memorial Park is equipped with four baseball and softball fields, and a newly equipped playground and basketball courts. Centennial Park also has a newly equipped playground, and tennis and basketball courts. The Municipal Building recently underwent a major renovation project, making the entrance way and the bathrooms handicapped accessible.

Facts

Utilities