Medina High School - Medinian Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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4 Introduction

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Railroads A great celebration had taken place November 15, 1871, after the completion of the Medina portion of the Lake Shore and Tuscarawas Valley and Wheeling Railroad at which Congressman James Monroe was present. In the evening, there were fireworks and a Grand Ball was held in the Phoenix Hall. When a shorteut from Mallet Creek to Chippewa Lake was constructed traffic was eliminated through Medina. However, the track is still kept open for freight services to Medina industries. Local Old Businesses In 1878, after selling his jewelry business. A. I. Root purchased some ground near the Medina railroad tracks, At this site, a 40 x 100 foot two-story building was erected. This business came to identify Medina as “The Sweetest Town on Earth” because Root established a flourishing bee supply business. Hives, extractors, frames and smokers were then, as today, manufactured. In 1929, The A. I. Root Company went out of honey production and concentrated its efforts on making beeswax candles. A monthly journal, “Gleanings in Bee Culture,” founded by Root is still published. The Bennett Lumber Company was founded by Scott Bennett. Originally, it was called “The Bending Works” since wood was bent to make rims for wheels. After buying out his partner, T. G. Andrews in 1897, Bennett renamed the Bending Company the Bennett Lumber Company. The company has expanded and has a Home Center for retail sales to do-it-yourself customers. The Henry Furnace Company, one of Medina’s earliest industries. was founded by Alfred C. Webber and A. Washburn in 1860's. The industry originally manufactured hollow castings. The company changed hands a number of times over the years. In 1906, it was named “The Medina Foundry Company” manufacturing the Moncrief furnace. In 1916, the company merged with the T. E. Henry Company and formed the Henry Furnace and Foundry Company. Finally, in 1943, the company became a division of the Cc. A. Olsen Manufacturing Company of Elyria. The name at that time became the Henr y Furnace Company. , In 1982, George and Harry Madison built a pickle plant near the B O Railroad in the northwest part of town. Their first pickles were sold in Noyember, 1932. The H. W. Madison Company expanded greatly and its products are sold nationwide. In June, 1966, the company merged with the J. M. Smucker Company but retains the Madison name for its plant and products. The Medina Farmer’s Exchange was incorporated in 1904 to deal in grain, hay, feed, farm machinery and fertilizer. The Farmer’s Exchange bought farmers’ products and sold supplies to them. The Farmer’s Exchange serves Medina, Summit, Cuyahoga, and Lorain counties. Cemeteries In 1888, many Medina citizens, aware that the Old Cemetery on East Liberty was running out of space, raised money to buy new burial grounds. Thirty-four acres on Spring Grove between Weymouth Road and East Washington Street were bought from C. B. Chamberlain for $3,400. A women’s association raised money to add to Spring Grove’s scenic beauty. They also paid for the erection of an archway at the entrance of the cemetery. November 21, 1888, a soldier’s monument was placed in the cemetery. Franklin Sylvester Library Around 1900, Judge A. R. Webber asked a Granger cattleman, “Would you like to be immortal?” “How?” asked the cattleman. “Build Medina a library,” replied the Judge. In 1905, Franklin Sylvester, the wealthy cattleman, furnished the money to erect the present building on the southeast corner of South Broadway and East Washington Street. In his will, he stated that the Franklin Sylvester Library should never be used for anything but library purposes. A bookmobile service began in 1948, and is still in operation. The library is currently in the process of planning the expansion of its facilities. Medina Community Hospital Recognizing the need for a hospital in Medina, a group of representative men from the community gathered in the YMCA rooms April 24, 1942, to discuss ways of raising money to build a hospital. The Medina Hospital Association was formed to solicit and acquire funds necessary to establish a community hospital. The T. J. Weidner residence was selected for this purpose. The home was remodeled, enlarged and equipped with the funds acquired by the Association and a grant obtained from the Federal Works Administration. The building was completed and dedicated in October, 1944, as the Medina Community Hospital. During the years following, a number of additions have been made to the hospital increasing its facilities in order to meet the needs of the growing Medina community. Community Design Committee The Community Design Committee, established in 1967, is an organization with the purpose of encouraging the architectural beautification of the city of Medina, and especially the preservation and restoration of the distinct character of the uptown area in keeping with its existing Victorian tradition. The Community Design Committee was presented an award from the Akron Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for the renovation of the Medina Public Square. In May, 1975, the National Trust for Historic Preservation presented a citation for significant achievement in historic preservation in the United States to the CDC. Kim Zarney, a 1966 graduate of Medina Senior High School and Chairman of the committee, accepted the award May 13, 1975 in Washington, D.C. Maria J. Hoffmann Tables of Contents Student Life Seniors Underclassmen Sports Music Clubs Faculty Advertising Copyright 1975 The Medinian Medina Senior High School Medina, Ohio

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