Valley City, Ohio


Valley City is an unincorporated community in central Liverpool Township, Medina County, Ohio, United States. The west branch of the Rocky River and Plum Creek flow near Valley City from south to north.
It is located at intersection of State Routes 252 and 303 in the northwest corner of Medina County. Settled in 1810, the surrounding township was established in 1816. Together with Litchfield and York Townships, Liverpool Township composes the Valley City is part of Ohio District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Arts and culture

Valley City is known for being "The Frog Jump Capital of Ohio." Since 1962, it has held an annual contest patterned after Mark Twain's story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." On April 2, 1964, two years after the first contest was held, Governor Jim Rhodes proclaimed this contest the official state frog jumping championship. In 1969, a few Valley City champion frogs competed in the larger contest in Calaveras County, California, including one belonging to Governor Rhodes. Today, the contest is held at the Mill Stream Park in early August.
An annual street fair is held on the last weekend of August to support the local fire department.

History

In the early 1800s, due to the discovery of salt on the west side of Rocky River near Hardscrabble in Liverpool Township, this area, previously part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, was known as Valley Center. The name was later changed to Valley City when local community leader Andrew "Cranky" Yandy made the case that the city was not technically in the center of the valley.