Montville plans to mark bicentennial
Township trustees seeking help in planning
Montville Township Trustees (from left) Jeff Brandon, Sally Albrecht and Ron Bischof display a plaque presented to them in appreciation for their permission to let the Encore Entertainment Group at Medina High School use a park pavilion for its annual picnics. Photos by GLENN WOJCIAK
MONTVILLE – History is on the mind of township trustees here who have begun discussing plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Montville Township.
In April of 1819, the first two settlers, Austin Badger and Samuel Brown, both moved to Montville Township. Current township trustees hope to mark the bicentennial of that event with a series of events and programs in 2019.
What form those events will take is unclear but Township Trustee Sally Albrecht suggested that Montville officials start considering the possibilities. She suggested that a series of township-sponsored events throughout 2019 would be appropriate.
Among those events could be a series of tours to sites that played a prominent role in township history. Another could be a series of presentations describing Montville history. With that in mind, Albrecht encouraged fellow trustees to reach out to some of the township’s oldest residents who may have insight to significant events in township history.
Albrecht and other township officials also encourage anyone with personal knowledge of township history to contact her or other township leaders to pass on the information or suggest ways to help commemorate the Montville bicentennial.
A history posted on the township website states that Montville was named after a town in Vermont with high rolling land where General Aristarchus Champion, the original proprietor, lived. This territory, known in the old Connecticut Company’s survey as Township Range 14 was sold to General Champion in 1818 and was soon divided into sections for settlement.
In April of 1819, Badger and Brown became Montville’s first settlers. Brown came with his family and soon built a cabin. Badger married Catherine Rouple in 1820 and she became one of the first Montville Township teachers.
In 1820, many settlers came to Montville Township and some of the prominent early names were Parker Pelton, Philo Welton, Thomas Currier and Joseph Pimlot.
The Montville bicentennial will come a year after bicentennial celebrations to commemorate the founding of Medina County and the City of Medina.
County Commissioner Bill Hutson said a committee has received permission to have special Ohio license plates sold next year that will commemorate the bicentennial of Medina County. Organization of the county bicentennial celebrations has been assigned to Brian Feron, director of the Medina Historical Society.
Feron said a small portion of the sale of the special bicentennial license plates will be presented to the Historical Society to plan the county bicentennial celebration and coordinate those events with neighboring communities who also have bicentennial celebrations planned.
Take Control
Police Chief Terry Grice said the Take Control program that teaches teenage drivers techniques to avoid crashes is considering a new site to hold the popular classes. The program had been held in a parking lot at Westfield Insurance, but construction there has forced the classes to be moved to Northside Christian Church.
Teens who enroll in the free program are taught to drive specially equipped cars out of skids, avoid collisions and do emergency braking under the supervision of police officers from Montville and other communities in the area.
Grice told Montville Township trustees the program may have an opportunity to find a more permanent home at the Medina County Career Center which offered to donate the land and pay half the cost to build a parking lot that could serve as a driving pad for the Take Control program.
Township trustees authorized Grice to use $500 of Take Control funds to have engineers prepare preliminary site plans for the project. Grice said additional funding could come from grants if a formal agreement is reached with the Career Center to proceed with the project.
Grice said an agreement with the Career Center would be mutually beneficial to the school and Take Control program which might be able to offer the driving lessons more than once a month if it had a permanent place to do so.
In April of 1819, the first two settlers, Austin Badger and Samuel Brown, both moved to Montville Township. Current township trustees hope to mark the bicentennial of that event with a series of events and programs in 2019.
What form those events will take is unclear but Township Trustee Sally Albrecht suggested that Montville officials start considering the possibilities. She suggested that a series of township-sponsored events throughout 2019 would be appropriate.
Among those events could be a series of tours to sites that played a prominent role in township history. Another could be a series of presentations describing Montville history. With that in mind, Albrecht encouraged fellow trustees to reach out to some of the township’s oldest residents who may have insight to significant events in township history.
Albrecht and other township officials also encourage anyone with personal knowledge of township history to contact her or other township leaders to pass on the information or suggest ways to help commemorate the Montville bicentennial.
A history posted on the township website states that Montville was named after a town in Vermont with high rolling land where General Aristarchus Champion, the original proprietor, lived. This territory, known in the old Connecticut Company’s survey as Township Range 14 was sold to General Champion in 1818 and was soon divided into sections for settlement.
In April of 1819, Badger and Brown became Montville’s first settlers. Brown came with his family and soon built a cabin. Badger married Catherine Rouple in 1820 and she became one of the first Montville Township teachers.
In 1820, many settlers came to Montville Township and some of the prominent early names were Parker Pelton, Philo Welton, Thomas Currier and Joseph Pimlot.
The Montville bicentennial will come a year after bicentennial celebrations to commemorate the founding of Medina County and the City of Medina.
County Commissioner Bill Hutson said a committee has received permission to have special Ohio license plates sold next year that will commemorate the bicentennial of Medina County. Organization of the county bicentennial celebrations has been assigned to Brian Feron, director of the Medina Historical Society.
Feron said a small portion of the sale of the special bicentennial license plates will be presented to the Historical Society to plan the county bicentennial celebration and coordinate those events with neighboring communities who also have bicentennial celebrations planned.
Take Control
Police Chief Terry Grice said the Take Control program that teaches teenage drivers techniques to avoid crashes is considering a new site to hold the popular classes. The program had been held in a parking lot at Westfield Insurance, but construction there has forced the classes to be moved to Northside Christian Church.
Teens who enroll in the free program are taught to drive specially equipped cars out of skids, avoid collisions and do emergency braking under the supervision of police officers from Montville and other communities in the area.
Grice told Montville Township trustees the program may have an opportunity to find a more permanent home at the Medina County Career Center which offered to donate the land and pay half the cost to build a parking lot that could serve as a driving pad for the Take Control program.
Township trustees authorized Grice to use $500 of Take Control funds to have engineers prepare preliminary site plans for the project. Grice said additional funding could come from grants if a formal agreement is reached with the Career Center to proceed with the project.
Grice said an agreement with the Career Center would be mutually beneficial to the school and Take Control program which might be able to offer the driving lessons more than once a month if it had a permanent place to do so.