Medina Sentinel (Medina, Medina County, Ohio) 1888-1961 [LCCN: sn84028262]
Digital Edition: July 31, 1914 – December 29, 1921

The Medina Sentinel was established in Medina, Ohio, on October 13, 1888, and served as the official Democratic organ of Medina County. James Long, formerly of Coshocton, Ohio, served as publisher and editor of the paper from the early 1890s until his death in 1913. After Long died, his wife, Mary K. Long, became the paper’s publisher, with George M. Denton serving as editor. Denton would go on to serve as mayor of Medina from 1925 to 1929 and probate court judge for the county in 1933. Long’s son, Raymond M. Long, joined the paper as its general manager in 1914, and her other son, Andrew, also worked for the paper. Under their leadership, the Medina Sentinelclaimed to have achieved the “largest county circulation of any newspaper.”

The Sentinel was an eight-page weekly, and, although it included some state and national news, most of the content was focused on local news organized by town name. For a short time, Seville, a small village south of Medina, even had its own dedicated section called the “Seville Journal.” Local news items were often composed of agricultural, business, church, and court news; classified advertisements; death notices; and “Personals,” which reported the comings and goings of the county’s residents. The paper also printed serialized literature and, during World War I, war bond advertisements. In support of its political orientation, readers were also encouraged to support Democratic policies and to vote for Democratic candidates in local, state, or national elections. Prior to elections, candidate profiles, editorials, advertisements, and political cartoons were prominently featured.

In 1961, the Sentinel was absorbed by the County Leader Post. Within a few years, the Post consolidated with the Sentinel’s long-running Republican competitor, the Medina County Gazette, which still serves the citizens of Medina County today.

Researched and written by Jenni Salamon