Valley City, Ohio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valley City is an unincorporated community in central Liverpool Township, Medina County, Ohio, United States. The west branch of the Rocky River and Plum Creek flow near Valley City from south to north.
It is located at intersection of State Routes 252 and 303 in Medina County. Settled in 1810, it became a township in 1816. Together with Litchfield and York Townships, Liverpool Township composes the Buckeye Local School District., which is rated Excellent with Honors by the state of Ohio.
In 1997 the Township Trustees of Liverpool Township purchased 22 acres of land in the center of town to create a park. They then formed a Park Committee to guide the development of the park. In '03 they purchased an additional 16 acres.
Valley City is known for being "The Frog Jump Capital of Ohio." In 1962, it held it's first frog jumping contest. It is patterned after Mark Twain's story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." On April 2, 1964, two years after the first contest was held, Governor Jim Rhodes proclaimed this contest the official state frog jumping championship.
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An annual street fair is held on the last weekend of August to support the local fire department.[2]
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Built in 1895, the Valley City Depot served the community until 1968. It presently houses the Liverpool Township Historical Society and serves as a meeting place for local groups.
History
According to research and residents, Liverpool Township was the first permanent settlement in Medina County. In 1795 this township became the property of Daniel Coit of Connecticut, who advertised the land for sale. He was part of the Connecticut Land Company, which had bought the Connecticut Western Reserve for about 40 cents an acre. The Western Reserve was land set aside by the Continental Congress for payment of Revolutionary War Soldiers in lieu of wages. At this time the Township was wilderness abounding with wild beasts including bears, wolves, deer and otters.
Soon a general store was opened and a post office was obtained.
Pioneers came from Connecticut bringing cattle and horses and other necessary items for farming. The journey from Connecticut usually took about 20 days. As early as the summer of 1811, land was cleared for farming. The first crops of potatoes and corn were planted in 1812 by Alpheus Warner.
From the Indians in the area, Justus Warner learned of a large salty spring located on his farm. Mr. Warner found the spring so salty that salt could be easily manufactured from the water. Since salt was scarce in the wilderness, the salty spring offered Mr. Warner a splendid source of additional revenue and Mr. Warner immediately dug a broad, deep well at the spring. Mr. Warner found that by boiling the water in large iron kettles (obtained from Canton) a brine could be obtained the consistency of syrup, which when cooled, turned into salt crystals.
Mr. Warner soon discovered that more money could be made through the manufacture of salt than farming. As much as a barrel of salt was manufactured each day and this was sold quite readily. Settlers would travel as far as 50 miles to purchase the salt.
As more settlers arrived in the area, additional salt springs were discovered but none as extensive as Mr. Warner's spring. The salt manufacture continued until the opening of the Erie Canal that lowered the cost of transportation so much that Mr. Warner's salt manufacture was no longer profitable.
From 1817 until 1822, settlers poured into the Township. The forests were cleared quite rapidly, making way for tillable fields. Most of the settlers located on the east side of the Rocky River. At various times of the year, mostly during the hunting season, Indians established camps on the west side of the river.
As soon as sufficient numbers of settlers had arrived in the Township, various industries began to grow.
The Village of Liverpool Center (Valley City) was laid out in 1834 by Abraham Freese, a surveyor. Twenty-five lots were originally laid out, but increased to Fifty-seven by 1854. Many businesses flourished in Liverpool. There were sawmills, blacksmiths, dry goods, saloons, foundries, gristmills, cloth manufacturing, tanneries, a tin shop, a gun shop, and numerous cheese factories. It is said that there was more manufacturing done here than in Medina which is the county seat.
In the 1830s a large number of German settler's came to Liverpool and by 1850 they had become very prosperous and owned over half the township. One of the most important industries ever to locate in the village was a foundry established in 1845. A Mr. Charles Pritchard manufactured various articles and implements including plows, flatirons, etc. As many as 8 to 10 men were employed at one time at the foundry.
As the village grew, various types of business enterprises flourished. A Mr. Parmelee operated a woolen mill and Aaron Carr operated a planing mill where large numbers of pumps and washing machines were manufactured. A tannery also was located in the village. As the population grew, various other shops opened including jewelry, photography, guns and firearms. In 1881, the population of Liverpool Center was two hundred. It was said that at one time in its history more manufacturing was done here than at Medina, the county seat.
Schools began as early as 1816 starting in an old log cabin and progressing to seven wood structures throughout the township. The first high school was in the present Town Hall with a class of 5 graduates. Liverpool School was opened around 1900 and was used until December 2003 when the school moved to its new building in York Township adjacent to Buckeye High School.
Progress and a belief in the future seem to have been bywords for Valley City's ancestors. From the changes now in place since the 1950s, it would seem this philosophy has been carried down together with a love for community and old-fashioned values as Liverpool Township continues to grow. See also
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^ Valley City Fire & Rescue Liverpool Township: 2007.