Medina /mɪˈdaɪnə/[4] is a village in the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States.

In addition, mills were constructed on Oak Orchard Creek to take advantage of its water power.

The fertile lands around the village yielded fruit which was exported to major markets of New York City and west via the canal.

Medina is located about an hour drive from two major cities, Rochester, to the east, and Buffalo, to the west.

[9] The Village of Medina was incorporated March 3, 1832, creating an entity contained within the two towns of Ridgeway and Shelby.

[10] That same year the first printing press was set up in the village and the first newspaper published, The Medina Herald.

A.L Swett Iron Works[27] opened in 1871 to manufacture hardware specialties and continued operations in Medina through the 1920s.

[30] The Maher Brothers were the first large scale furniture maker in Medina, opening in 1882.

[32] In 1911, Mr. Cook built a large block on Main St which still bears his name today.

[33] They successfully operated through the widening of the canal in 1913 but could not stay in business during through the Depression, declaring bankruptcy in 1935.

[39] With the discovery of cheaper alternatives, Medina Sandstone's popularity began to decline around World War 1.

[39] In 1901, a State Armory was built of Medina Sandstone and located on the corner of Pearl St and Prospect Ave.[40] Company F moved into the facility in 1902 with units serving in WWI and WWII.

[46] During their tenure in Medina, the German prisoners went on strike to protest the smoking regulations at the Heinz factory.

[47] After having all of their possessions removed and not being allowed to sleep in the barracks, all of the soldiers voluntarily returned to work the following day.

[47] In 1946, the Heinz camp was closed and all remaining prisoners were moved to local military installations in preparation for their return to Germany.

[57] At the turn of the century, the Polish community had grown so large that they built Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church in 1910.

[57] In 1930, the African American community built Glad Tidings Missionary Baptist Church.

[57] More recently the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Fountain of Love, the Islamic Center, Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, Grace Covenant, Holiness Pentecostal, and Morning Star of God in Christ have opened.

See: Orleans County, New York Medina is home to several international, national, and local businesses.

Medina is also becoming a tourist attraction because of its historic downtown and location on the Niagara Wine Trail.

[62] Medina is starting to grow as a popular tourist spot, appearing in several blogs and papers.

Ripley's Believe It or Not notes "the Culvert", as the only place where the Erie Canal passes over an operating road.

The Orleans Renaissance Group, Inc.is a volunteer organization supporting and promoting the arts, culture and preservation in the greater Medina, New York area.

Among their initiatives past and present include hosting the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Anonymous 4, Irish tenor Ronan Tynan; sponsoring the Canal Village Farmers' Market; hosting Medina's locally-sourced Farm-to Table Dinner; partnering with local initiatives and organizations; initiating the restoration of Bent's Opera House; co-sponsoring Blue Thursdays summer concert series.

Bent's Opera House is included in this district, a historic venue for touring performers.

[80] Medina also offers a variety of pizza shops, diners, and fast food options.

[89] A branch campus of Genesee Community College, opened in 2007, is also located in Medina.

One of the oldest homes in Medina stood at 224 Eagle Street, a block from the Erie Canal, on the north side of town.