Resting on the banks of the Ohio River, Ashland is eastern Kentucky's largest city. After the Poage family settled on land between Hoods and Keys Creeks in Boyd County, the area came to be known as the Poage's Settlement. Before long, a small town began to take form in the early 1800s with the establishment of a church, gristmill, sawmill, and homes built near Hoods Creek. In 1847, the townspeople built their first post office, and the Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad laid tracks through town, opening the area for even greater development. Named for the estate of Kentuckian Henry Clay, the city of Ashland was made official by an act of legislature in 1856.