Enjoy local stories celebrating family, faith and democratic values. The history of Medina County brims with tales revealing the colorful and admirable character of its communities and people. For a while, locals observed living in two time zones simultaneously while also ignoring a federal law mandating Daylight Saving Time. The world-famous Giant of Seville, Captain Martin Van Buren Bates, had a brief but violent vigilante episode in Civil War-era Kentucky before finding peace and Christianity--and a home--in Ohio. The county's most prominent political family, the Batchelders, had ties to a pig farm in Brunswick that drew national attention and statewide reform. Author Stephen D. Hambley shares insightful and entertaining stories, many never heard before, from Medina County's past.

Enjoy local stories celebrating family, faith and democratic values. The history of Medina County brims with tales revealing the colorful and admirable character of its communities and people. For a while, locals observed living in two time zones simultaneously while also ignoring a federal law mandating Daylight Saving Time. The world-famous Giant of Seville, Captain Martin Van Buren Bates, had a brief but violent vigilante episode in Civil War-era Kentucky before finding peace and Christianity--and a home--in Ohio. The county's most prominent political family, the Batchelders, had ties to a pig farm in Brunswick that drew national attention and statewide reform. Author Stephen D. Hambley shares insightful and entertaining stories, many never heard before, from Medina County's past.

With devilish cyclones, raging fires and marauding bears, early life in Ohio's Western Reserve was not for the faint of heart. As the county grew to be more urban and prosperous, residents forged a strong and enduring sense of community. In this collection of her "Time Frame" columns, Judy Totts tells the story of Civil War soldiers and runaway slaves, passionate inventors and poets. These enchanting vignettes weave a vibrant and entertaining history, from the gallant rogue Jim Brown to the "giants" of Seville. Through her great wit and charming style, Totts evokes the sights, sounds and smells of home and captures the true essence of Medina County.

The fifth and final volume in the Colonels in Blue series, this book covers Civil War Union colonels who commanded regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops, the U.S. Regular Army, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Sharpshooters. Colonels who served as staff officers or with special units, such as the U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry, the U.S. Volunteer Infantry, the Veteran Reserve Corps and various organizations previously undocumented, are also included. Brief biographical sketches cover each officer's Civil War service, followed by pertinent details of their lives. Photographs are provided for most, many published for the first time. Rosters of the colonels in each category include those promoted to higher ranks whose lives are documented in other works.

The dreadful howls of coyotes are common in the shadows surrounding Medina County, but perhaps something else, something entirely more fearsome, lurks in the night. In 1906, the specter now known as the Woman in Black so terrified residents in Medina Square that a curfew was imposed. Restless spirits, rattling chains, and nefarious deeds are rumored to have occurred in a farmhouse in Sharon Township. Legend has it that about 100 years ago a witch preyed on the residents of Liverpool Township, and the ghost of a teenage boy is said to haunt the men's restroom at Plum Creek Park in Brunswick Hills. Join parapsychologist Brandon Massullo as he sheds light on the ghostly lore surrounding Medina County's restaurants, libraries, freeways, parks, and more.