1776 events set stage for Medina’s founding

How can the city of Medina, founded in 1818, celebrate a 250th birthday?

Roger Smalley explained the connection between the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, and present-day Medina during the first of two America 250 January presentations.

A crowd filled the Medina County District Library Community Rooms on Saturday, Jan. 10, for Smalley’s presentation, “Declaration to Our Town’s Founding,” sponsored by the Medina Town Hall and Engine House Museum. Smalley helped establish the museum and has educated students, residents and visitors on local history for most of his life. His family has lived in Medina County since 1838.

Smalley discussed grievances of colonial citizens, including taxation without representation, tariffs and the requirement to house British soldiers. In defiance, 56 members of the Continental Congress risked charges of treason by declaring independence from the English king.

He pointed to a sentence in the Declaration of Independence as “a new vision of the relationship between all human beings and the structure of the institutions that govern their lives”: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

The spirit of Henry Champion of Colchester, Connecticut – portrayed by Don Spickler and interviewed by his daughter, Andrea – spoke about serving as a general in the Continental Army and his eventual move to Medina County.

Following the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States Congress signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781 and later the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which led to the creation of the Connecticut Western Reserve. Champion was one of 57 investors in the land company that purchased the territory. Medina County was one of 13 counties established in northeastern Ohio.

The county was divided into 17 townships, and Champion owned a large tract of land in Montville Township. Champion Creek is named for him.

Smalley also shared a quote from the American Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial: “America 250 provides the perfect opportunity to remind all of us how and why connecting our past to the present can lead to a better future.”

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Medina County District Library, Smalley will present the second America 250 program, “Stories From Early Medina.” The presentation will cover the city’s founding and early development, with a focus on Medina’s role in establishing county courts and early investment in public education.