Wadsworth

Town in Medina County, northeast Ohio; population (1990) 15,700. It is located 19 km/12 mi west of Akron. The economy of the area was based on farming and trade until after the American Civil War, when coal mining became the dominant industry. Matches, valves, cardboard containers, salt, processed foods, and rubber products have been among the city's subsequent manufactures. Approximately half of Wadsworth's residents commute to jobs in Akron or Cleveland.

Founded c. 1815 by Vermonters, the town was named after Elijah Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War general.