LIGHTING UP THE TOWN, cont'd...

Medina Square Light posts. These decorative historic looking lamp posts were replaced in 2015.
Photo taken 12 June 2019.

The research into the history of bringing electricity to Medina continues as I scour the newspaper microfilm to tease out snippets of news on the topic.So far, I have browsed 2 ½ years of The Gazette, out of a possible of 6 years. My search has been concentrated on 1892, when we know the light and power scheme was first proposed, and 1897 when we know that the light company finally started operations.

Some interesting things I have learned along the way:

1. When the village of Medina first started talking about bringing electricity to the village, it was always only with the thought to light the streets and businesses and private residences. There was no thought to bring in electricity to power homes and businesses. And why would there be? In 1897, homes were not filled with electrical appliances as they are today. Businesses used gas powered motors and dynamos to power their machinery.

2. Strangely, the power company never seemed to promote itself. I have yet to find an ad.

3. Most of the Medina County news came in the form of “letters” or articles sent in by correspondents from each of the villages and crossroads of the area. But the village of Medina did not have a separate correspondent as it was the home of The Gazette. Its local news was in the Local News and Personals columns of the paper, that usually appeared on pages 4 or 5.

4. Medina Village Council meetings were generally not deemed worthy of news print.

5. Prior to electric lights, Medina Public Square was lit by gas lamps.

This ad for electric fans appeared in the
Akron Beacon Journal 23 July 1896 p. 4 

Here is a timeline of events, as I have been able to reconstruct them:

1892

• 3 March – “Medina behind its neighbors” Mr Fred Bostwick of Thomson-Houston Electric answered many questions
• 10 March – finances of electric light plant

This excerpt shows the estimated cost of the electric plant.
Medina Gazette 3 Mar 1892 p.4 

• 10 March – a new stove plant in Medina is dependent on the light plant
• 16 March  – Ohio legislature passed an act, that while it did not name Medina, targeted Medina specifically, to allow the village council to issue bonds and levy a tax for the purchase and erection of an electric light plant.
• 17 March – editorial urging a yes vote for the lights
• 31 March – “example” lights set up by AI Root plant and run by his dynamo
• 7 April – slander is that village council members don’t pay taxes; lists taxes for T. Ferriman, J.S. Warner , W.H. Hobart, D. Hemmeter, W.B. Croft, R.S. Shepard
• 7 April – Dr. S. Hudson writes letter criticizing the electric lights scheme as too precipitous (and by waiting they could save half the cost), too experimental, that the village already had capital improvement debts totaling over $20,000, and that streets and sidewalks should be improved first.
• 12 April – new village council has a “Street Lights & Lighting” committee consisting of Hobart, Ferriman & Warner
• 14 April – Vote on electric lights passed with 70% of the vote. AI Root workers and other factor workers marched en masse to polling booths.

Election Results Medina Gazette 14 Apr 1892 p.6 

• 12 May – No electric lights this year; Herman Holmes filed suit against village council to prevent them from selling electric lights bonds; lawyer Spellman; be to be heard by Judge Nye (from Elyria)
• 19 May – Holmes suit claims that the price quoted by village council $18000 was way too expensive and should be able to be accomplished for half that price; and that the legislation passed to allow the village to issue bonds and taxes was unconstitutional.
• 21 July – J.M. Henderson, attorney for Village Council, asked to remove his previous filing and to be able to file a separate action by 15 Aug.; probably abandon of litigation & repeal of electric light ordinance recently passed by the Council; Medina will remain dark this coming winter.
• NO OTHER ARTICLES COULD BE FOUND IN THE INTERVENING MONTHS
• 22 Dec – Monies set aside in bank for the proposed stove factory sit idle because stove plant didn’t open because of NO ELECTRICITY.

1896 - October through December newspapers have been searched with no articles found mentioning the light and power company. However, 1896 was a very busy year:

• Medina was building a new waterworks plant.
• The Methodist Episcopal Church that was built in 1859 burned down. The women of church went into a flurry of fundraising.
• There was a lot of discussion of the electric railways that were being proposed for Medina.
• W.W. Pancoast, who had embezzled a great deal of money from the people of Medina, was arrested elsewhere on charges of murder. People followed his trial and sentencing closely.
• The Gazette had a weekly column dedicated to the care, maintenance and proper use of the bicycles that had become very popular.
• Several gentleman waged a war in the newspaper on whether bicycles should be allowed on the sidewalks.
• William McKinley was running for President of the United States. As an Ohio man, and a Republican, The Gazette dedicated a great deal of space in its papers boosting and endorsing McKinley and vilifying his opponent, William Jennings Bryan. McKinley won and the paper crowed about the victory. After being elected to his second term as President in 1900, McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

1897 - The October through December 1896 and January and February of 1897 newspaper microfilm was scoured, but nothing mentioned bringing electricity to Medina. But... 

• 13 March – Ozro Sanders granted franchise for erection of an electric light plant to be in operation inside of six months

Medina Gazette 11 Mar 1897 p.5

and from the big city paper...

Plain Dealer 13 March 1897 P.9

• 8 April – Electric bells have been put up in both the recitation rooms at the High school building. Powered by what?
• 22 April - attention to better street lighting; parties interested in obtaining a franchise at $1600-$2500 a year;deemed too expensive previous year spend $38 for lighting (from what source?); could add to water works; hope for Medina to enjoy lighting in the “not-distant time”
• WHAT CHANGED? WHEN? 
• 13 May – “when the electric lights brighten the streets (of) Medina”
• 27 May “Medina is…putting in electric lights”
• 27 May – Mrs. Sanders is purchasing materials; predict lights within 60 days; lot is purchase west of the N O depot; credit to Mr. O. Sanders for “taking hold” of this business for our town
• 8 July – Chimney and foundation in place
• 15 July – work of hanging the electric light cable was completed
• 12 Aug – engine, pump, heater & separator in position for electric light plant; cementing the floor has begun; already have orders for 500 incandescent lamps & 20 arc lamps; lighting for new Methodist church in place
• 2 Sep – dynamo arrived; expected that lights on during fair week

And finally...

• 16 Sep – engine of Medina Electric Light and Power Company started up; eight business houses had been equipped with lamps 7 4 arc lights, one on each corner of the park, illuminated the streets; soon most of businesses 7 private residences will be lighted by electricity;
• 30 “light there be light and there was light and the people rejoiced greatly”

Medina Gazette 30 Sep 1897 p. 5

1905 – Judge Fremont O. Phllips bought the Medina Electric light and Power Company

1915 – Company bought by Pennsylvania Power Company who sold it to Cleveland Southwestern Power Company who sold it to Western Reserve Light and Powere Company

1931 –Sold to Ohio Edison

And as much as I would like to track down exactly when Medina village council took up the lighting and power issue again, I cannot justify the amount of time it would take to do so.

By the way, Dr. Hudson, who wrote the article criticizing Medina for wanting to install an electric plant in 1892 was right about one item. The price for building and operating the plant had dropped by almost 50% when the council took up the plan again in 1897!

Sources:

Medina Gazette

Historical Highlights of Medina(1966)

"Beyond the Storefronts" Medina Square http://www.medinasquare.org/  by Bob Hyde

Medina County Coming of Age by Joanne King
Summit County Beacon 18 May 1892 page 8
Akron Beacon Journal 18 1897 p. 5
Akron Beacon Journal 23 July 1896 p. 4
Plain Dealer 13 March 1897 p.9