Medina County, Ohio: History
Before European colonization, several Native American tribes inhabited northeastern Ohio.
After Europeans first crossed into the Americas, the land that became Medina County was colonized by the French, becoming part of the colony of Canada (New France). It was ceded in 1763 to Great Britain and renamed Province of Quebec. In the late 18th century the land became part of the Connecticut Western Reserve in the Northwest Territory, then was purchased by the Connecticut Land Company in 1795. Parts of Medina County and neighbouring Lorain became home to the Black River Colony founded in 1852, a religious community centered on the pious lifestyle of the German Baptist Brethren.