Ashbourne

The 1700s
Ashbourne was founded in 1699 in Ventia, and is considered one of the founding cities in mainland Ventia. It was a hub for trading headed inland towards The Great Lakes and is considered the jumping off point for trappers or hunters heading to Victoria and Wallowa. In 1723 when Kaiser Amadeus II was deposed and exiled from the capital and all large cities, so he chose Ashbourne as his new home, as it was one of the bigger towns and there was a large number of loyalists there. He died in 1726 and was buried in Ashbourne cemetery, the only kaiser to be buried somewhere other than the  The Royal Cemetery of Citadel City. A large festival was held in the city, as well as a parade in main street, to commemorate the death. A statue was raised in Ashbourne square 10 years later, and it stands there to this day. In 1750 the population reached 10,000, and was recognized as the capital of Keller County.

The 1800s
​In 1848 a railroad was built across Ventia, with Ashbourne Rail Yard being the location where most of the lines began and ended. The lines began as rudimentary freight lines leading to major locations like Tinneville, Vertebus, and Citadel City, as well as remote locations like Victoria or Bernsdeldt. The rails to the major cities were continuously redone according to modern techniques and technology, but lines to more remote locations would not be redone until 1872. These lines proved to be a huge economic lifeline for Ashbourne, and the population skyrocketed. In 1900 the population was 35,000.

The 1900s
​The golden age of Ashbourne in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and was highlighted by the commissioning of a high-end college for the town. Ashbourne Science Institute was built, specializing in scientific research and development. This institute proved to be a very attractive opportunity for people looking to join the science community, and a few scientists would move to become professors. This golden age would be broken, however, as in 1935, Wesley Wilson, former owner of The Byrvian Shipping Company drove to the famous rail yard and parked on an overlooking cliff, and committed suicide on June 7th. This was a large deal in the town, as Wesley was a very famous business magnate and Ashbourne had been a relatively quiet place. This news soon blew over, and the stream of scientists continued. The movement was highlighted when Doctors Maes, McCoy, Wolffe, and MacDonald were transferred to the city to develop weapons, but were soon moved to Victoria. In the 1960s Ashbourne was the location of many civil rights protests against the Kaiser, who was seen as a tyrant and a far-right leader, and the science institute was an especially popular protest spot. These protests would die off in the late 1970s, and peace and quiet would return again.

The 2000s
In 2008 the population was 45,000.