MEDINA, Ohio — Eighty members of the Medina County Historical Society got all the buzz on a local company, straight from the horse’s — er, make that bee’s — mouth.
Brad Root, great-great-grandson of Root Candle Co. founder Amos Ives (AI) Root, shared the family and company’s history during a Sept. 14 program in the community room adjacent to the Root retail store at 623 W. Liberty St.
Following a welcome and introduction by society Vice President Charley Ramer, the current Root Co. president and board chairman proudly and enthusiastically talked about how AI founded the Root Co. in 1869 and how the company has grown and prospered through five generations.
Brad Root, president of Root Candle Co., talks about his great-great-grandfather — and company founder — AI Root.Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com
AI Root was born in 1839 and grew up in a log cabin on the Ohio Frontier. At 17, he traveled around with a friend, lecturing on the wonders of electricity.
After his friend tragically drowned in a rain-swollen stream, AI learned watch and jewelry repair and opened a jewelry store on Medina’s Public Square.
In 1860, a swarm of honeybees landed near the door of the store, and Root paid a man $1 to box up the bees for him.
Among many other candles and home decor items, you can find dinner candles in every color of the rainbow at the Root Candle Co. store in Medina.Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com
He began to keep bees and sell honey products. He then branched out to invent and manufacture beekeeping supplies — many of which are still used by beekeepers around the world.
His wife once said that his beekeeping empire was founded on “a box of bugs.”
In 1873, he began writing and publishing a monthly magazine called “Gleanings in Bee Culture.” It is still published today as “Bee Culture Magazine.”
The Root Candle Co. store is on West Liberty Street in Medina.Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com
The magazine was the first to publish an account of the Wright Brothers’ full-circle flight in Dayton in January 1905.
Fascinated by the science of flight, Root had been corresponding with the Wrights for years and had established a close friendship.
His account in the magazine, as well as his letters, are now in the Smithsonian Museum.
In the early 1930s, the Root Co. began making church candles from beeswax, capturing the market for liturgical candles throughout the Catholic church and many other denominations.
In the 1960s the company was among the first to add color and fragrance to candles.
In 2000, the company got out of beekeeping to concentrate on candle making. Today, they sell 20 million candles a year — two-thirds of them for religious use and one-third for the average consumer.
When asked by an audience member if the company will continue to be a family business, Brad Root indicated that he hopes his children, including his daughter, will follow the lead of their forbears.
The Medina City School District honored the Root family and AI Root by naming a school opened in 1995 the AI Root Middle School.
For decades, the athletic teams at Medina High School have been called The Battling Bees.
Brian Feron, historical society president, closed the meeting by thanking Brad Root and announcing some upcoming society events.
To learn about the Medina County Historical Society and its events, log on to www.medinacountyhistoricalsociety.com.
To learn about Root Candles, access www.rootcandles.com.
Read more from the Medina Sun.
