Page 4 - Complete Final Book2

Medina Our Hometown

But no one ever thinks to thank Captain
Austin Badger, the young pioneer who
single-handedly whacked his way through
three acres of primeval forest to create a
village green in 1819 when the community
was still in its infancy.

Austin Badger was born in Green,
Chenango County, New York in 1793. He
volunteered for the militia when the War
if 1812 began and was present when the
British burned Buffalo.

Six years later, he folded all his worldly
possessions into a knapsack and walked
from Buffalo to Cleveland, and thence to
the area that would become Medina
County. Rufus Ferris, land agent for
Medina’s founder, Elijah Boardman, hired him as a surveyor and gave him
a contract to clear the Public Square area. Badger sharpened his axe and
went to work.

Captain Badger was also the first resident on the Square. He built the first
building — a two story log cabin on the northwest corner, presently the
location of Cool Beans Coffee Shop. The ground floor served as a tavern
(and his dwelling) and the second story was used as a court room.

The exact date of this
picture which is copied
from the original by
George F. High, is unknown
and was taken some time
in the 1860’s from a
business block along the
west side of the square
looking east across square.

In 1915 the Village Council solved a
parking dispute between the new con-
veyance and the old horse and buggy
by requiring automobiles to park only
in spaces provided on the park-side
around the Public Square while
horses, buggies and wagons will con-
tinue to use the horse rails now exist-
ing in front of business establish-
ments.

Special thanks to Robert Hyde and
Beyond the Storefronts for allowing
us share content. Vist Beyond The
Storefronts website on the link below.