a compendium of facts about Ohio history
by Dan Chabek
Mecca in Medina
Ohio pioneers, who chose a broad sweep of virgin forest 30 miles south of Cleveland on which to clear land and settle, were partial to the names of two ancient and holy Arabian cities nearly halfway round the globe -- Mecca, where Islamic prophet Muhammad was born, and Medina, his burial place.
These cities were and still are pilgrimage centers sought as a goal.
Ohio's Medina, now a burgeoning county seat, at first was called Mecca. That was later changed to conform with the county, which earlier had adopted the name Medina.
In 1865, A. I. Root came to Medina, Ohio. He paid one dollar for a swarm of bees and eventually made the town famous as one of our nation's foremost producers of honey and beekeepers' equipment.
In 1870, a great fire destroyed most of the town's business section. Cause of the fire was never made clear, but it was rumored that someone had tipped over a lamp during a free-for-all in a saloon just south of the square.
© 1997 Dan Chabek
