Have you seen this???

HUGE u-shaped iron embedded in the sidewalk on Smith Road

When walking around Medina, have you seen this in the sidewalk on Smith Road, right next to Castle Noel's parking lot??
Have you wondered what it was and why it was there?
Did you wonder if it was some kind of utility marking?
Or some relic from the Civil War?
Or did you wonder if it was a giant horseshoe and just HOW BIG was that horse??

Did you know there is another one in town? Do you know where this one can be found?

I have to admit, I wondered about this curiosity a lot on my lunch time walks around downtown/uptown Medina.  Until last fall when I went on the South Court Historic Neighborhood Tour. 

If you haven't ever taken any of the historic home  tours in Medina I can highly recommend them. We toured around 15 homes in the neighborhoods south of Route 42. They covered a range of architectural styles and decades. One of the last homes we toured was this one:

514 South Broadway
http://www.historicholbenhouse.com/

I have always admired the house for its cheery seasonal decorations along the picket fence.

The owners of the house are very enthusiastic keepers of the history of their home. It was built by Jabez Holben  in  1884.

Jabez lived from 1852 until 1933. He doesn't show up in the county histories, but by tracking him in the U.S. Federal Censuses from 1870 through 1930, we see that his occupation is listed as....

BLACKSMITH!!

His blacksmith shop was located on Smith Road and the horseshoe embedded in the sidewalk there marks where his shop once stood. The other one is placed in the sidewalk in front of the house he built.

Jabez' obituary states that he was "known by thousands" in Medina.

P.S. Bob Hyde grew up in the area of the Holben House and tells me that Jabez Holben built at least 5 houses in the area of South Broadway and Wadsworth Road.

UPDATE!
 During the spring and summer of 2018, the section of Smith Road between South Court and South Broadway underwent extensive renovation and the horseshoe was removed from the sidewalk.

When this was brought to the public's attention, thanks in large part to the Facebook page, Roadside History of Medina everyone wanted to know what had happened to the horseshoe and decried public officials who were seen to be insensitive to the history literally beneath their feet.

Member, Don Williams took the high road and contacted the City Engineer who was VERY aware of the situation and was working to track down the horseshoe. It was found with the contractor that the Gas Company had hired to replace the lines and it is now zooming its way back to the City Engineer.
Don further urged the City Engineer to make sure it was reinstalled.

WAY TO GO, CITIZENS OF MEDINA!

28 AUGUST 2018 UPDATE!

Originally, City Hall was planning on giving the horseshoe to one of the museums in town.  But the members of the Roadside History Of Medina Facebook page again had very definite ideas of where the horseshoe should go. The feeling was that the horseshoe in a museum loses some of its context. The horseshoe should go back to the sidewalk.

City Hall was listening and when Don Williams and Doug McClure of the Facebook page, attended the City Council meeting last night, City Officials were prepared!

The horseshoe is going to be installed near the sidewalk where it originally had been placed.

The Medina Gazette account can be read HERE.

CITIZEN ACTIVISM AT ITS BEST!

ANOTHER HORSESHOE REVEALED!
3rd Ward Councilman, Eric Heffinger, revealed that there is also a horseshoe on his property on Wadsworth Road in a post on the Facebook Roadside History of Medina page and included this picture!

According to Bob Hyde, local historian, and owner of the web site, Beyond the StoreFronts, there could be several more in the neighborhood.

Councilman's Eric Heffinger's Holben's Horseshoe!
(I love alliteration, don't you?!?)

2019 UPDATE!

The horseshoe on Smith Road has been returned to its location! 

Today, 7 May, the Gazette ran this articleon the front page: http://www.medina-gazette.com/Medina-County/2019/05/07/Horseshoe-landmark-steps-into-new-spot-in-Medina.html

and this picture:

Bob Finnan's photo from the article about replacing the horseshoe.

Picture of the horseshoe in its new home on Smith Road.
Photo taken 12 June 2019.