History

The Town of Ridgeway was formed on June 8, 1812 and included what is now the Towns of Barre, Carlton, Gaines, Shelby and Yates. It got it’s name from the Ridge Road which runs through Orleans County. The Town of Ridgeway is located in the western central part of Orleans County and is 8-1/4 miles across from east to west and 6 miles across from north to south. The northern half of the village of Medina is located in this town. There are three hamlets; Ridgeway, Knowlesville and Oak Orchard On-the-Ridge. The Medina Central School System covers the Town of Ridgeway & most of the Town of Shelby.

Catherine Cooper is Ridgeway’s historian and can be contacted through email here.