Medina is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Lake Ontario. The population was 6,065 at the 2010 census, making it the county's most populous municipality. The village was named by its surveyor, Ebenezer Mix. It is part of the

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The Medina zip code, 14103, encompasses the village of Medina and the surrounding towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. The

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

estimates the 2017 population of this area to be 17,234. The village developed after construction of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

, which bends as it passes through the village, creating a basin that served as a stopover point. This became the center of businesses that served trade and passenger traffic on canal boats. In addition, mills were constructed on

Oak Orchard Creek Oak Orchard Creek (sometimes called Oak Orchard River) is a tributary of Lake Ontario in Orleans County, New York in the United States. The creek flows through Oak Orchard Creek Marsh, of which were declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1 ...

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. At the start of the 20th century, Medina was a thriving industrial town. Medina is located about an hour drive from two major cities,

, to the east, and Buffalo, to the west. It is also about 30 minutes from two small cities,

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

and Lockport.

History

Joseph Ellicott Joseph Ellicott (November 1, 1760 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania – August 19, 1826 in New York City) was an American surveyor, city planner, land office agent, lawyer and politician of the Quaker faith. Life Ellicott was born in Bucks Cou ...

, the agent of the

Holland Land Company The Holland Land Company was an unincorporated syndicate of thirteen Dutch investors from Amsterdam who in 1792 and 1793 purchased the western two-thirds of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, an area that afterward was known as the Holland Purchase ...

, once owned land that encompassed part of the village, purchased from the Holland Land Company. With the opening of the

through Medina, the village enjoyed more trade and business associated with freight and passengers on canal boats. The Village of Medina was incorporated March 3, 1832, creating an entity contained within the two towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. The charter of incorporation called for five Trustees to be elected as village officials. That same year the first printing press was set up in the village and the first newspaper published, The Medina Herald. In 1852, the railroad arrived in Medina and passenger service quickly became popular.

Early Industry

Medina's first known industry was an

ashery An ashery is a factory that converts hardwood ashes into lye, potash, or pearlash. Asheries were common in newly settled areas of North America during the late 18th century and much of the 19th century, when excess wood was available as settler ...

. The area was mostly covered in trees and brush when Ebenezer Mix was assigned to survey the area. Clearing the area would have been necessary for the village to be laid out and the Erie Canal built. An ashery would convert hardwood ash into lye or other usable products. Most of these industries would rely on the Erie Canal for their transportation needs.

Mills

Medina had a variety of mills over the years. Grain and flour mills were very important to the area and built as early as 1830. Two stave mills existed in the 1870's, producing wood strips for the production of barrels. A Cloth mill also existed for a time though exactly when is not known. Saw mills were used for creating rough lumber and finished boards for other local industry.

Barrel Manufacturing

The popularity of flour production resulted in a large need for barrels to transport the flour down the Erie Canal.

Foundries

The Bignall Foundry began selling iron pumps, sinks, and more in 1861. After several fires, the company was part of a consolidation into the Central Foundry Company along with two other local foundries, A.L. Swett Company and Beach & Co in 1899. The Central Foundry focused on soil pipe manufacturing. A.L Swett Iron Works opened in 1871 to manufacture hardware specialties and continued operations in Medina through the 1920's. Beach & Co manufactured plumbing supplies starting in the 1880's.

Furniture Manufacturing

The Maher Brothers were the first large scale furniture maker in Medina, opening in 1882. The family continued to run the business until 1928. S.A. Cook opened their furniture business around 1882, the Morris chair being among their most popular products. In 1911, Mr. Cook built a large block on Main St which still bears his name today. Another large furniture company of note was the Empire Couch Company. They moved to Medina in 1902. 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.

Medina Sandstone

Medina is known for its

Medina Sandstone Medina sandstone is a geographic subset of the Medina Group stratigraphic formation in New York state and beyond. The name refers specifically to sandstone first quarried in Medina, NY and later quarried in other locations in Orleans County and ...

, a stone used widely in buildings across the region. Some local examples include the "million dollar staircase" at the

New York State Capitol The New York State Capitol, the seat of the Government of New York State, New York state government, is located in Albany, New York, Albany, the List of U.S. state capitals, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The seat o ...

in Albany, the

Richardson Olmsted Complex The Richardson Olmsted Campus in Buffalo, New York, United States, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. ''Note:'' This includes , , an''Accompanying three photographs''/ref> The site was designed by the American architect Henry Ho ...

in Buffalo, and in buildings at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

and

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. Sandstone varies in color from light grey to a deep reddish brown. The first commercial sandstone quarry was opened in 1837 by John Ryan. At their peak, sandstone quarries were one of the largest employers in the county with upwards of 2,000 employees. With the discovery of cheaper alternatives, Medina Sandstone's popularity began to decline around World War 1.

Pearl Street Armory

In 1901, a State Armory was built of Medina Sandstone and located on the corner of Pearl St and Prospect Ave. Company F moved into the facility in 1902 with units serving in WWI and WWII. The Armory was officially closed by NYS in 1977. Company F records can found at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. A bronze statue and memorial was erected in front of the building in honor of Company F in 2019. The building now houses the YMCA.

POW Camp

Medina's Heinz factory housed a POW camp from 1943 to 1946. Seventy-one Italian soldiers arrived at the Heinz barracks in September 1943. They were allowed to work at the Heinz factory, local farms, or other local factories. In May 1944, the Italian soldiers were moved to a new location and replaced with 116 German soldiers. During their tenure in Medina, the German prisoners went on strike to protest the smoking regulations at the Heinz factory. The soldiers wanted to smoke in the factory building and on the loading platforms. 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. In 1946, the Heinz camp was closed and all remaining prisoners were moved to local military installations in preparation for their return to Germany. During its use, the Heinz barracks housed up to 300 soldiers and 50 military police.

Recent history

In 2015, village residents voted to keep Medina an incorporated village, despite having the highest effective property tax rate in the Finger Lakes region according to a 2016 Empire Center report. The Main Street Historic District,

Medina Armory The Medina Armory is located on Pearl Street in Medina, New York, United States. It is a large stone building constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. State architect George Heins designed it for what was at the time the 29th Separate Com ...

, and

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The

Payjack Chevrolet Building Payjack Chevrolet Building is a historic automobile dealership located at Medina in Orleans County, New York. It was built in 1949, and is a one-story concrete building. It is intact example of car dealership facility built to General Motors inte ...

was added in 2012 and

Boxwood Cemetery Boxwood Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at Medina in Orleans County, New York. The cemetery was established in 1849, and is the resting place of many early settlers. The cemetery includes approximately 5,000 marked burials in the c ...

in 2015.

Geography

Medina is located at (43.219808, -78.390101). According to the

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and (2.39%) is water. Medina lies at the junction of east–west highway NYS Route 31 and north–south highway NYS Route 63. In addition, Medina marks the location where NYS Route 31E and NYS Route 31A split off from NY-31.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 6,415 people, 2,567 households, and 1,576 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,962.1 people per square mile (757.4/km²). There were 2,796 housing units at an average density of 855.2 per square mile (330.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.89%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 7.56%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.59% Native American, 0.56%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.62% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.83% of the population. There were 2,567 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.07. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $30,300, and the median income for a family was $37,857. Males had a median income of $31,857 versus $21,633 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $16,138. About 13.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Over the years Medina has been home to many different populations. St. John's Episcopal Church was the first church in Medina, consecrated in 1828. In the following decade, the First United Presbyterian, First Baptist, United Methodist, and St. Mary's Roman Catholic Churches were built. German immigrants started arriving in the 1880s and 1890s and built Trinity Evangelical Lutheran and St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran. At the turn of the century, the Polish community had grown so large that they built Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church in 1910. In 1930, the African American community built Glad Tidings Missionary Baptist Church. Grace Baptist Church, an offshoot from another local Baptist church in Shelby, was built next. 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. The Church of God Pentecostal purchased the former United Methodist Church in 2016. In 2017, the Akron Free Methodist Church leased the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church and began having services. Of the 15+ churches and religious institutions that have operated in Medina, 11 are still in the village. Medina is featured in ''

Ripley's Believe It or Not ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' fea ...

'' for St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the "Church in the Middle of the Road". ChurchInTheMiddleOfTheRoad

Government

Local

Medina is governed by a mayor and four trustees. Each position has a two-year term.

County

See:

Orleans County, New York Orleans County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,343. The county seat is Albion. The county received its name at the insistence of Nehemiah Ingersoll though historians ...

State

* The 62nd Senate District represented by Senator Rob Ortt * The 139th Assembly District represented by Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Federal

* The 27th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Chris Jacobs * US Senators representing New York State are

Charles Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...

and

Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...

Courts

* The 8th Judicial Division of the New York Supreme Court * The 4th Department of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division

Economy

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.

Business

Here is a listing of some of the larger businesses in the area. * Baxter International- Baxter has one of their many facilities located in Medina. They manufacture a multitude of products for the healthcare industry, including IV infusion pumps and pharmacy automation. * Velocitii, who specialize in business process outsourcing, opened in 2014. Their 20,000 square foot customer engagement center employs agents able to assist companies both domestic and international with sales, back-office, and customer support. Currently, Velocitii employs over 50 full-time employees across various industries including insurance, healthcare and medical, as well as software and technology. * Brunner International- Brunner International is a family owned business located in Medina since 1992. A second facility is located in Niagara Falls, NY. They produce parts for commercial vehicles, buses, and trailers. * Hinspergers Poly Industries- Hinspergers produces protective polyethylene covers. * Pride Pak Canada- Pride Pak Canada opened a facility in Medina in 2016. They package salads and fresh-cut vegetables. * Takeform- Takeform, a signage company, is headquartered in Medina. They have won numerous awards in their field and own multiple patents. * Western New York Energy- In May 2006, New York Governor

George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went on ...

announced the construction in Medina of the first

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...

plant in the Northeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The plant began receiving deliveries of corn in October 2007 and was expected to start production in November 2007. Partial production began shortly thereafter, and full production was announced by GreenShift Corporation on February 25, 2008. Since that time, the Western New York Energy, LLC plant has been in production, processing significant portions of the local corn crop. In 2022, they expanded the facility to start production of industrial, pharmaceutical, and beverage grade alcohol.

Tourism

Medina is starting to grow as a popular tourist spot, appearing in several blogs and papers. The events, restaurants, and atmosphere of this small village have wide-ranging appeal.

Arts and entertainment

There are several cultural and educational opportunities in Medina. If you're more adventurous get locked in a room at Into the Enigma; you only have 1 hour to solve the puzzles and escape. You can also visit the

Medina Railroad Museum The Medina Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located at 530 West Avenue in Medina, New York, which is northeast of Buffalo and northwest of Rochester. The museum is housed in one of the largest standing wooden freight depots, built in 1905. ...

, one of the largest railroad and toy train museums in the state of New York. ''

'' notes "the Culvert", as the only place where the Erie Canal passes over an operating road. Behind the historic downtown buildings, new modern art and murals can be seen. The mural project was an initiative of the non-profit Form Foundation. The first to be painted has been dubbed the 'Canalligator' and was painted in July 2020. The first mural was followed by geometric characters in September, a traveler with his dog and cat in October, and a mural of local pollinator flowers in November. All four murals can be seen behind buildings on the NW side of Main St.

Bars and restaurants

Medina has a variety of bars and restaurants to enjoy.
Zambistro
is a locally owned fine dining restaurant and caterer which opened in 2006

is the newest fine dining option in Medina, where you can watch the chefs prepare your meal through the open kitchen. Fitzgibbons Public House is a casual pub with Irish food.
Mariachi de Oro
serves authentic Mexican food and has been well reviewed in WNY
The Shirt Factory
is a cocktail bar. The Walsh Hotel reopened in 2022, with a bar and private event space. Medina also offers a variety of pizza shops, diners, and fast food options. Medina has one stop on the Niagara Wine Trai
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery
Leonard Oakes Winery has won multiple awards for their wines, including best ice wine in New York.

Where to Stay

Medina has several options when you come to visit. Th
Bunkhaus Hostel
offers 3 private bedrooms with a shared kitchen and living room. Th
Hart House Hotel
is a European style boutique hotel with seven themed rooms, located in the historic Newell Shirt Factory building. Bent's Opera House has 10 themed rooms available to rent. Comfort Inn and Suites opened a 58 room hotel in 2022.

Historic Downtown

Medina's downtown area has been designated a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

and listed on the

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

Education

Medina has two K-12 schools, th
Medina Central School District
and th
Orleans County Christian School
The Medina Central School District is composed of Oak Orchard Primary, Clifford Wise Intermediate and the Medina High School. All three buildings are located on the same campus. The Orleans County Christian School is a non-denominational, multi-church sponsored school. A branch campus of

Genesee Community College Genesee Community College (GCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Batavia, New York. It has campus centers in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima (previously Lakeville), New York. Thus, the college covers areas no ...

, opened in 2007, is also located in Medina. Medina has one public library which serves the community
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

Culture and recreation

Park lands

The village has seven different parks; all of which are open to the public from dawn until dusk. The majority of parks have swings, slides, and picnic tables; Rotary Park located on Main Street and the Medina Canal Basin park do not. * Gulf Street Park * Gwinn Street Park * John E Butts Memorial Park - Also has an outdoor skating rink in the winter, a skateboard park, and baseball diamonds. * Medina Canal Basin Park - Offers docking facilities, electrical hook up, pump-out station, and potable water. * Pine Street Park - Playground with splashpad * Rotary Park - All Season House, used by Santa in November and December. * State Street Park - Gazebo

Annual events

* Ale in Autumn - Enjoy walking around downtown Medina while sampling a beers from around the world. * Olde Tyme Christmas and Parade of Lights - Annual event held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Enjoy shopping and activities during the day and fireworks and the Parade of Lights in the evening. * Wine about Winter - Walk around Medina, sampling local and state wines.
Sweets in Summer
- Sweets tastings throughout the Historic Downtown area. *Faery Festival - Activities, dancing, and a parade geared towards children.

Media

Medina had several newspapers throughout the years, starting with ''The Medina Herald''. ''The Medina Tribune'', ''The Medina Register'', and ''The Medina Daily Journal'' followed. ''The Register'' and ''Journal'' merged becoming ''The Medina Daily Journal and Register''. The shortened ''Medina Journal-Register'' closed its doors in May 2014.

Additional facts

One of the oldest homes in Medina stood at 224 Eagle Street, a block from the Erie Canal, on the north side of town. This home was built in the early 1820s and was purchased by the Burnam family in the 1830s. It stayed in the possession of family members until around 1984. The house was torn down in 2012. The Carl Company was a

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

founded as a dry good store in Medina by Charles W. Carl, Sr.

Notable people

John J. Bagley John Judson Bagley (July 24, 1832 – July 27, 1881) was a politician from the US state of Michigan, as well as the 16th governor of Michigan. Early life in New York and Michigan Bagley was born in Medina, New York to John and Mary M. (Smith) B ...

, former Governor of Michigan, was born and raised in Medina *

Julie Berry (author) Julie Berry (born September 3, 1974) is an American author of children's and young adults books and winner of several national book awards. Biography Julie Gardner Berry grew up on a farm in rural Medina, New York as the youngest of seven childre ...

, children's author *Kate Messner, children's author *Deanna Cameron, YA author * Silas M. Burroughs, was a former US Congressman who lived in Medina. * Silas M. Burroughs, son of the former Congressman, was born in Medina and became a notable pharmacist. *

Frances Folsom Cleveland Preston Frances Clara Cleveland Preston (née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as t ...

, former First Lady, attended high school in Medina before marrying Grover Cleveland. * Carl Fischer, former MLB player *

John E. Butts John Edward Butts (August 4, 1922 – June 23, 1944) was a United States Army second lieutenant and rifle platoon leader who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions above and beyond the call of duty during the Invasion of Normandy ...

, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Co. E, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

in WWII *

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, New York State Senator *

George Kennan George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histo ...

, author, lecturer and traveler * Craig Wilson, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' columnist