Medina

About Medina  Country : United States of America State : Ohio County : Medina Population:25.139  (census 2000)  Medina was laid out as a village in 1818 and incorporated as the Medina County seat in 1835.   Medina is a beautiful, historic and vital community in one of the most rapidly growing counties in the state of Ohio. Mecca in Medina Ohio pioneers, who chose a broad sweep of virgin forest 30 miles south of Cleveland on which to clear land and settle, were partial to the names of two ancient and holy Arabian cities nearly halfway round the globe -- Mecca, where Islamic prophet Muhammad was born, and Medina, his burial place. These cities were and still are pilgrimage centers sought as a goal. Ohio's Medina, now a burgeoning county seat, at first was called Mecca. That was later changed to conform with the county, which earlier had adopted the name Medina. In 1865, A. I. Root came to Medina, Ohio. He paid one dollar for a swarm of bees and eventually made the town famous as one of our nation's foremost producers of honey and beekeepers' equipment. In 1870, a great fire destroyed most of the town's business section. Cause of the fire was never made clear, but it was rumored that someone had tipped over a lamp during a free-for-all in a saloon just south of the square. (The Buckeye Chronicles, a compendium of facts about Ohio history by Dan Chabek) The town was built anew, this time with bricks and stone instead of wooden frames, in a blending of "Western Reserve" and Victorian style that was coming into fashion at the time. Many of these storefronts still exist, and have been carefully  maintained. Visitors are attracted by these fine examples of a period in history long gone, and its architectural charms. The design of the bandstand in the town square conforms with the period, and heightens the sense of visiting a comfortable historic preserve . (Added information by Vic Cooke)  The lovely Victorian-style gazebo, patterned after the gazebo in the town park in Bellville, Ohio and financed by the Letha House Foundation, was built on the site of former park-center fountains. It was dedicated at a Medina Community Band concert in June, 1975, and the band has played its summer concerts there ever after. ( Medina Community Band ) Crédits Links Pictures  Vic Cooke pbase Artist Vic Cooke Information The Buckeye Chronicles a compendium of facts about Ohio history by Dan Chabek The Buckeye Chronicles To see it on Google-Earth Lattitude : 41,13858  Longitude : -81,86333