Ashgrove Hollow

In 1736, Jelani, an enslaved black man, led a rebellion alongside other enslaved people against those who held them captive. What began as an uprising grew into a war for the territory, and against overwhelming odds, Jelani and those who followed him won. After overthrowing their oppressors, Jelani abandoned the name forced upon him and chose a new name for himself, becoming Jelani Ashgrove. The name Ashgrove came to represent the land they had fought for and the freedom they had taken for themselves. The territory became known as Ashgrove Hollow in his honor, a name its people kept when it later became a state. Whatever darkness existed there had nothing to do with Jelani or the rebellion. It was there long before them, and no one has ever discovered why.