Our Story
Margaret Goodson Ashburn
Margaret was born October 3, 1922 in Madison County, Alabama, and graduated from Madison County High School. She married James Cecil Ashburn, and together they had two (2) daughters: Judy and Jennifer. Margaret loved being a mother and homemaker, was known as a fabulous cook and great seamstress.
Margaret was also grandmother to Andrew, James, Josh, Jeremy and Margaret. When Jeremy was born in Afghanistan, his father having worked for the US embassy, Margaret and Cecil make an around the world trip, stopping in Afghanistan to visit the new grandson.
In later years she preferred to stay around her home at the top of Monte Sano and enjoy her family and the view of Huntsville. She died in July of 2009.
James Cecil Ashburn
James Cecil Ashburn, fondly known as Cecil, was born June 8, 1920 in Madison County, Alabama, and graduated from Riverton High School. At the age of 20 Cecil enlisted in the U.S. Army, having brief stints at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Afterwards he was sent to Engineers School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia where he visited the construction of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes.
Later he was sent to Cold Bay, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands where he assisted with building a runway for an air base. These experiences were precursors to his future road building days and the formation of a successful road building company.
Cecil returned to Fort Belvoir in 1943 to attend school and upon graduation he received a commission as an officer. He was then assigned to the European Theater of Operations until he returned home in December of 1945.
Cecil and Emmet G. Pat Gray formed Ashburn and Gray in 1946 which eventually became one of the largest road building contractors in Alabama. Ashburn and Gray started its business with an Army surplus drag line and bulldozer, and by the late 1950s had expanded to include branch offices in Decatur and Guntsville. Ashburn and Gray were instrumental in the expansion of Redstone Arsenal, the construction of the Parkway, and the construction of the runways and roads of Huntsville airport.
Cecil was instrumental in the construction of roads and highways in North Alabama and played an active role in promoting safe highways. He worked to develop legislation for the Interstate Highway system and the Appalachian Road Commission. He served on the board of the Alabama Road Builders Association, serving as President in 1962. He served as a director of the American Road Builders Association and was a co-founder for the Alabama Asphalt Plant Mix Association, along with being its President for three years.
Cecil was also active in the Huntsville community, serving on the Huntsville City School Board as a board member and President. For three years he served as chairman of the Huntsville Electric System Board. In 2003 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Alabama Road Builders Association Hall of Fame.
Madison Academy current sits on 120 acres contributed by Cecil, and the campus is known as the “Ashburn Campus”. In 2002 the Huntsville City Council named the road over Huntsville Mountain “Cecil Ashburn Drive” in his honor.
The citizens of this community have been blessed with Cecil’s contributions and dedication, leaving a lasting legacy for Huntsville and Madison County.