Only two county borders separate Franklin County residents from the historic Medina County Dandelion Drive presented by Visit Medina County.
Each year, Visit Medina County chooses different areas of history related to the county to showcase on its Dandelion Drive. This year's drive is focused on the history of the southwest region of the county. The drive begins at noon on May 23, running until 5 p.m. It consists of a self-guided journey through three Medina County historical societies and one museum.
The historical societies hosting stops on the tour include the Chatham Historical Society, Westfield Historical Society and the Lodi/Harrisville Historical Society. The museum stop is the Lodi Railroad Museum.
The Dandelion Drive gives visitors the opportunity to experience the area's history through firsthand accounts and donated antiques. This year's display includes relics from some of the first residents of the southwest region of the county. The Lodi Railroad Museum will show visitors the impact of the Lodi Depot on the village of Lodi located in Harrison Township.
Each historical society shares the common goal of preserving these townships’ histories and share them with visitors. The Lodi Railroad Museum and historical society aim to preserve and collect original artifacts from the Lodi Depot and prevent the memory of the depot from wearing away with time.
As Medina County’s first township, Harrisville is home to the Lodi/Harrisville Historical Society which documents and presents the beginnings of rural Medina County. Next to Harrisville sits the Chatham Historical Society, which is the home to Medina County’s store of historical information regarding Ohio’s earliest oil boom.
“There’s a legend that at one point in history almost every acre of land in the area had an oil well on it,” says Dan Hostetler, a member of the Medina County Historical Society.
A far cry from the area that exists post-oil boom, Chatham Historical Society holds a special piece of the past that can be experienced on this year’s Dandelion Drive.
Connecting the past to the present gives visitors an opportunity to experience springtime fun while venturing into the history of Medina County. With 25 miles of immersive educational experience, the Dandelion Drive pays tribute to the blossoming dandelions present in the county’s spring months – and the rich history of the families who planted their roots there long ago.
Alyssa Burley is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
