Seba Bronson Jr. left Columbia Township in early 1810 and followed the Rocky River to an area one and a half miles north of here, where he built a cabin and planted a crop, beginning what became known as the village of Hardscrabble in Liverpool Township near the Columbia/Grafton Road area. Liverpool Township is the oldest continuously inhabited township in Medina County. The Potawatami Indians occupied this area and camped annually along the Rocky River, and for five silver dollars they showed Seba and a partner a hidden salt springs they sought to exploit. Other men also competed to own it, and Justus Warner succeeded, forcing Seba out. Warner began operating the Liverpool Salt Works in 1811, the first industry in the county, producing a necessity eagerly sought by settlers in the area. Hardscrabble grew slowly, and some say its name reflected the struggle to gain wealth and influence. After the War of 1812 ended, the British and hostile Native Americans left, people felt safe, and tradesmen, settlers with families, and even a doctor arrived, followed by a post office. The Erie Canal opened in 1825, making it easier to send goods to market, but better quality and lower-priced salt ended the Liverpool Salt Works. As more people came, first English and then Germans, the population center moved south to the present location and a manufacturing base was established, while Hardscrabble faded. The railroad arrived, with a train depot built a mile and a half east of here circa 1895. In 1910, the post office was renamed Valley City, while the township remained Liverpool, with a strong legacy of German churches, families, and road names.