Most early residents were farmers. In the 1830s, the community's growth was aided by the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which helped transport agricultural products to markets.[7] On January 31, 1835, Medina was incorporated as a village and as the county seat of Medina County.[7] By 1855, the town's quarries were producing over $200,000 worth of stone per year.[8] In 1857, many of the canal workers started a strike for higher wages; the striking workers were fired, and the four workers who started it were jailed in Albion, Ohio.[9]
In 1835, two enslaved women and two Native Americans arrived in Medina by stagecoach.[10] One of the enslaved women was the child of then-vice presidential candidate Richard Mentor Johnson and Julia Chinn.[10] The next day, Johnson's nephew arrived, in pursuit of the women, saying that he owned them both, they had escaped, and they had stolen a $1,000 bank check.[10][11] The women were arrested and charged with stealing.[11] Three local attorneys volunteered to represent them in court.[11] The women were then released to Johnson's nephew to stand trial in Kentucky.[11] Afterward, one of the Native Americans said that the women had asked for help escaping enslavement and their terrible treatment by their owners.[11] It was later found that the alleged theft was a lie in order to make sure the Ohio court returned them to their owners.[11]
Medina attorney Charles Olcott invented self-ballasting iron ships and received a patent in 1835.[12][13] Olcott was originally from Connecticut and had been a student at Yale College when he came up with the early prototypes for his invention.[13][14] He was later a proponent of building long-distance railroad lines across Ohio.[15]
In 1869, Amos Root founded the A.I. Root Company in Medina as a manufacturer of beehives and beekeeping equipment, and the town became a center for beehive manufacturing. The Root Company had 97 workers in 1886, making it the town's largest employer.[7]
A disastrous fire hit the village in 1848, destroying the entire business district. With no facilities for extinguishing fires, the residents attempted to put out the fire using a bucket brigade, but to no avail, as the fire burned for four hours.[16] None of the town's 1,159 residents died in the fire,[16] but the townspeople failed to budget for the needed firefighting equipment. In 1870, another large fire, which started in a wooden building with a barbershop, destroyed 45 buildings—all but two blocks of the business district—and nearly wiped out the town.[16] Even after the second calamitous fire struck, the town still had not organized a fire department beyond a bucket brigade. In 1877, after repeated dire warnings, the Council finally authorized the issuance of $3,000 worth of bonds to purchase a fire engine.
After the disastrous fire in 1870, much of the Medina Square, including the Town Hall and Engine House, was rebuilt under the supervision of onetime mayor and banker Harrison Gray Blake, who owned the Phoenix Building in the same city block. It took almost ten years to replace the buildings on Medina Square, hence their common Victorian style. Medina Square is now a recognized historic district, covering a nine-block area surrounding Uptown Park. The Community Design Committee and the Historic Preservation Board preserve the city's historic look and feel.[17]
In 1950, Medina had over 5,000 residents, and on May 6, 1952, it was chartered as a city.[18]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 12.00 square miles (31.08 km2), of which 11.79 square miles (30.54 km2) is land and 0.21 square miles (0.54 km2) is water.[19]
As of the recent census of 2020, there were 26,094 people, 10,755 households, and 7,531 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,174.50 people per square mile (839.575 people per square km). There were 11,333 housing units at an average density of 944.42 per square mile (364.64/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.3% White, 3.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.[5]
2010 census
At the 2010 census,[26] there were 26,678 people, 10,382 households, and 6,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,260.85 people per square mile (872.973 people per square km). There were 11,152 housing units at an average density of 929.33 per square mile (358.82/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 3.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 10,382 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13.
The median age in the city was 36.4. 28.3% of residents were under 18; 7.3% were between 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
Of the city's population over age 25, 34.4% held a bachelor's degree or higher.[27]
2000 census
At the 2000 census,[4] there were 25,139 people, 9,467 households, and 6,683 families in the city. The population density was 2,215.7 people per square mile (855.14 people per square kilometer). There were 9,924 housing units at an average density of 891.92 inhabitants per square mile (344.37/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.60% White, 2.77% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.
There were 9,467 households, of which 40.3% had children under age 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 57.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15.
29.9% of the population were under 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% were 65 or older. The median age was 33. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median household income was $50,226 and the median family income was $57,435. Males had a median income of $42,437 compared with $26,893 for females. The per capita income was $21,709. About 5.1% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under 18 and 6.2% of those 65 or over.
Economy
Due to Medina's location, about 33 miles (53 km) south of Cleveland and 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron,[28] many of its residents work in the Cleveland and Akron areas.[7] Medina's median household income is $53,586, slightly above the Ohio median income.[29]
The Medina City School District serves the city. It has one high school, two middle schools, one alternative school (for students with behavioral problems), one preschool (for children aged 3–5 with disabilities) and seven elementary schools. The newest elementary schools are Eliza Northrop and Ralph E. Waite elementary schools, both opened for the 2009–10 school year. The schools in the Medina City School District are:
A.I. Root Middle School
Claggett Middle School
Eliza Northrop Elementary School
Ella Canavan Elementary School
Evolve Academy (alternative school for students with behavioral problems)
Garfield Elementary School
H.G. Blake Elementary School
Helping Hands Preschool (preschool for children aged 3–5 with disabilities)
The Medina County Career Center serves most of Medina County (except Wadsworth) to provide career education for 11th and 12th graders.[30] It also offers adult and continuing education for adults.[31] Other schools in Medina include St. Francis Xavier School, a Roman Catholicparochial school serving pre-kindergarten through 8th grade,[32] and Medina Christian Academy, a non-denominational Protestantparochial school serving pre-K through 12th grade.[33] The Medina County University Center is a quarter-mile south of the city and offers employers a well-trained workforce with opportunity for ongoing career development.[34] Medina also is home to the Walton School of Auctioneering.[35]
The Medina County District Library Main Library is in Medina.[36]
Media
Medina is served by a daily newspaper, The Medina County Gazette[37] which is published every day of the week except Sundays, and a free weekly newspaper, The Medina Post,[38] published every Saturday. In addition, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer occasionally cover the city and Medina County. Medina is served by numerous television and radio stations from both the Greater Cleveland, Greater Akron and Greater Canton areas.
Transportation
Medina is served by the Medina Municipal Airport, which is 4.6 miles (7.41 km) east of the city.[39][40]US-42 traverses the city. State routes include OH-3, OH-18 and OH-57. Medina is also served by the Medina Transit Authority, which runs buses around Medina and Medina County.
Rail service reached Medina in the 1800s, and at one time it was served by three rail lines, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Akron, Canton & Youngstown, and the Cleveland Southwestern interurban. Today the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad maintains numerous sidings and spurs serving many industries, mostly on the city's west side. Many other rights of way have been converted to hiking and biking trails.
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