Miss Eliza Northrop's first school

Eliza Northrop Elementary School, which opened in the fall of 2009, is named for the first teacher in the first school in Medina. Eliza Northrop was the daughter of a pioneer family who came to Medina County from Connecticut,  and she taught for one year, 1817-1818, in a small log cabin about one mile east of Medina.

The New England Yankees, who settled in the Western Reserve  revered education.  Once the log cabins were built to provide basic shelter for the pioneer families, schools were begun and carried on as a labor of love.

This particular log cabin, located near the farm of Chauncey Blakeslee, also served as St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Congregational Church and the town hall.

The children came eagerly to these log cabin schools whenever they could be spared from work on the family homestead.  According to the “1881 History of Medina County”, they walked long distances in all kinds of weather on trails blazed through woods — sometimes without warm clothing and frequently, without shoes.

Seating inside these early schoolhouses consisted of crude benches made of logs split in half.  Textbooks were few.  The Bible was used for reading lessons. Perhaps a copy of “Webster’s Speller” might be available.  Math instruction consisted of lessons in “figuring” from “Pike’s” or “Smiley’s” arithmetic books.

Since public funding for schools was non-existent in the pioneer era, pupils were assessed a fee which went toward the teacher’s salary.  However, frequently some families did not have the money and the teachers were compelled to wait for their wages.

That first little school lasted only one year. The cabin burned down, and Miss Northrop married her beau, Silas Barnes, and gave up teaching.

Here is a list of students in Medina’s first school:  George, Lucius, Carlos and Lester Barnes; Frank and Philander Calender; Jared and Mary Doan; Joseph, Ruth, Elizabeth and Mary Hamilton; Clement and Freeman Marsh; Lois and Luisa Palmer; Anna, Cynthia, Philemon, Chloe, Ruth and Madison Rice, Banner and Harrison Seymour.

Elijah Boardman 1789, ( Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Medina’s founder, Elijah Boardman, was born in 1760 in New Milford, Connecticut. He was a Revolutionary War veteran who eventually became one of the wealthiest men in New England.

This portrait by noted American artist, Ralph Earl, tells us a great deal about Boardman.  He was tall and handsome, and judging from the writing materials and books on his desk, quite literate, which was no mean feat in the eighteenth century.  The elegant clothing tells us that he was a man of taste and means, and the bolts of cloth piled on shelves in the room behind him point to the source of his prosperity — he was a dry goods merchant.

In 1807 Boardman invested $60,000 with the Connecticut Land Company — a group of investors buying land west of the Ohio River. Eleven years later he  created a town that he named, but never came to visit.

Some historical background: The Colony of Connecticut had owned a large portion of what is now northern Ohio, granted by King Charles of England in 1662. After the Revolutionary War, the new Federal government forced Connecticut to give up most of this land.  Connecticut kept the western portion for its citizens who had suffered property damage during the war and named it the Firelands.  The remainder, about 3,000,000 acres called the Western Reserve, was sold to the the Connecticut Land Company. These investors, (who included Moses Cleaveland, founder of Cleveland) purchased the land for $1,200,000 — or approximately 42 cents an acre.

A lottery was held for the Western Reserve lands and each investor drew parcels out of a hat, according to how much he had invested.  Elijah Boardman drew  Medina Township and Boardman Township (near Youngstown.)

In April of 1817, Boardman assigned 227 acres of Medina Township for the purpose of creating a town to serve as a county seat. Originally he called it Mecca, until he was informed that a town by that name already existed in Trumbull County.  He then chose the name Medina.

He also hired Rufus Ferris as his land agent to divide the parcels and sell them.

In later life, Elijah Boardman, having prospered greatly from this land investment, entered politics and after first serving in the Connecticut State Legislature, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1821. He came to Ohio a few times — but only as far as Boardman Township, to visit his youngest son, Henry.  He never ventured further west than that.

In 1823, Elijah Boardman died during a visit to Boardman, Ohio.  His family then took his remains back to his birthplace, New Milford, Connecticut.

New Mayor Dennis Hanwell, and supporters Jim Bigam and Janie Parish celebrate the beginning of a new administration at Rustic Hills Country Club.

Dennis Hanwell, who won the mayoral election by an 80% margin this fall, was sworn into office Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The swearing-in ceremony at Medina City Hall was followed by a festive reception at Rustic Hills Country Club. Over one hundred Medinians attended the reception, despite the snowy conditions.

The Gazebo, Photo by Jeffery Heaton, Medina High School, Class of 1995.

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So, it’s Christmas Eve and there are still gifts to be purchased?  Check out these four Medina stores for gifts that are delightful, unique, beautiful or useful. (Or perhaps all of the above.)

Here are suggestions nine through twelve  — the final four from Everything Medina’s list of 12 Wonderful Gifts from Medina Shops.

Toy trains and Christmas — a long cherished tradition.  Ormandy’s on Public Square carries a huge number of toy trains in every size and make. And there’s a toy museum on the second floor.

The beads are dazzling and available in vast profusions.  But it’s what you can do with them that is the fun part.  The Potomac Bead Company offers classes in earring, necklace and watchmaking — as well as gift certificates for all of the above. Perfect for the creative soul on your list.

Strands of gem stones and beads come in a rainbow of hues.

Candles from A.I. Root — a “one-size-fits-all-and- delights- everyone” kind of Christmas present.  Visitors  all over Northeast Ohio come to shop here. 

Select something useful for the outdoor lover on your list. Camouflage, cold weather and camping gear — Whitey’s has  it all. (See the post of Dec 19).

Oh, Christmas Tree!

To see more photography of the Medina Public Square decorated for the holidays by Medina lawyer Denis Kucharski (Medina High School class of 1995), click here.