In the 1830s, the community's growth was aided by the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which helped transport agricultural products to markets.

[10] One of the enslaved women was the child of then-vice presidential candidate Richard Mentor Johnson and Julia Chinn.

[10] The next day, Johnson's nephew arrived, in pursuit of the women, saying that he owned them both, they had escaped, and they had stolen a $1,000 bank check.

[11] Afterward, one of the Native Americans said that the women had asked for help escaping enslavement and their terrible treatment by their owners.

[11] It was later found that the alleged theft was a lie in order to make sure the Ohio court returned them to their owners.

[11] Medina attorney Charles Olcott invented self-ballasting iron ships and received a patent in 1835.

[12][13] Olcott was originally from Connecticut and had been a student at Yale College when he came up with the early prototypes for his invention.

[7] A disastrous fire hit the village in 1848, destroying the entire business district.

[16] None of the town's 1,159 residents died in the fire,[16] but the townspeople failed to budget for the needed firefighting equipment.

In 1870, another large fire, which started in a wooden building with a barbershop, destroyed 45 buildings—all but two blocks of the business district—and nearly wiped out the town.

In 1877, after repeated dire warnings, the Council finally authorized the issuance of $3,000 worth of bonds to purchase a fire engine.

After the disastrous fire in 1870, much of the Medina Square, including the Town Hall and Engine House, was rebuilt under the supervision of onetime mayor and banker Harrison Gray Blake, who owned the Phoenix Building in the same city block.

It took almost ten years to replace the buildings on Medina Square, hence their common Victorian style.

Medina Square is now a recognized historic district, covering a nine-block area surrounding Uptown Park.

There were 9,924 housing units at an average density of 891.92 inhabitants per square mile (344.37/km2).

Due to Medina's location, about 33 miles (53 km) south of Cleveland and 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron,[28] many of its residents work in the Cleveland and Akron areas.

[33] The Medina County University Center is a quarter-mile south of the city and offers employers a well-trained workforce with opportunity for ongoing career development.

In addition, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer occasionally cover the city and Medina County.