Book Description

Medina County, Ohio, was formed on February 18, 1812, out of a parcel of land known as the Western Reserve, located in the north-east quarter of present day Ohio. The Western Reserve was initially a holding of the state of Connecticut as part of the original charter issued by King Charles II, which founded the colony in 1662. Following the Revolutionary War, this area was divided into lots and granted as bounty land to reward Connecticut men who served in the Continental Army. After lengthy deliberations, the Western Reserve was ceded to the newly formed United States government and was incorporated into the Ohio Territory, in time for the first state constitutional conventions in the late 1790s. This informative history looks at the early settlement of Medina County with particular interest taken in the establishment of communities, public improvements, and the key figures and families responsible for the development of the region. Statistical data is included on population and the local economy with the text principally divided into chapters recounting the origins of individual towns and townships. The townships of Brunswick, Chatham, Guilford, Lafayette, Granger, Harrisville, Hinckley, Liverpool, Homer, Litchfield, Medina, Montville, Sharon, Wadsworth, York and Westfield are the subjects of their own historical surveys. Engaging stories and anecdotes relating the experiences of the pioneers who explored and settled the county enrich the text. A comprehensive full name index has been added to this edition.