In a desire to help the town grow, media businessman Brown H. Stokes (1897-1840) established Stokes Tourist Courts at his 11-acre riverfront property and family homestead. By 1939, the courts comprised 10 cottages, built by local masons The LeStourgeon Brothers, Hough, Wallace, and Russell. The cottages offered full baths and kitchenettes, and served as housing for teachers at the Medina School and as accommodations of early auto travelers. In the 1940s, new owners changed the name to River Oaks Courts and built a four-plex structure. River Oaks Courts continued to operate as a hotel and long-term rental property for decades, contributing to the tourist industry and heritage of Medina.