As part of the Fifth Annual Romeo Victorian Festival presented by the Romeo Historical Society (RHS), four new historical markers were unveiled and presented in a dedication ceremony in Village Park, Saturday May 15th.
MotorCities National Heritage Area and MDOT presented these markers to the Village of Romeo in honor of Romeo’s business contribution to the carriage, auto and vehicle repair business in this area. “It is quite an honor”, said Village President Paul Reiz, “We are so pleased to place these heritage markers in our village as further acknowledgement of the important history right here.”
The markers are part of the statewide MotorCities Wayside Exhibit Program showcasing transportation heritage sites in Michigan. The RHS championed the effort to document and identify important information and worked with MotorCities to create the graphic markers. Funding was provided by the Society and the Romeo DDA.
The first marker is located in front of the Romeo Arts and Archives Building on 290 N. Main Street and celebrates the Clyde Craig Blacksmith Shop nearby. This circa 1864 building is a preserved and usable forge for metal working, complete with collections of related historic artifacts of the era. Visiting this shop is a step back in time where hand forged iron and wooden wheels drove transportation over a century ago.
The second marker is installed in Village Park and celebrates Romeo’s electric street cars. As part of the Detroit Urban Railway, Romeo was connected to southern Michigan with streetcars that ran up Main Street and west on St. Clair Street. From 1899 to 1934 passengers and freight rode the rails. Romeo Historical Society offers railroad rail sections for sale as mementos of this era. The actual track rails are marked and documented.
The third marker will decorate the Village Office exterior west wall soon. This marker celebrates the Romeo carriage industry so prevalent before the automotive arrived on the scene. Our Village Offices were once a carriage shop, furniture store and more. The Historical Society has a Brabb cart, made in Romeo as part of the carriage industry.
The fourth marker is located at the corner of S. Rawles and W. Lafayette and marks the location of the Ford Foundry that stood right in downtown Romeo. Romeo’s foundry made engine blocks for the Ford Model T. The Historical Society has a sample 1926 engine block at the RAAC on N. Main Street. In fact, the RHS conducts tours of these transportation heritage sites in Romeo connecting the development of our local story. RHS members would love to tell you all about it and show you the related collections.
(Left to right) Janine Saputo, Romeo DDA Coordinator; Sue Kane, RHS President; Richard Beringer, RHS curator; Joe Hines, Brian Yopp and Sigrid Bergland. Romeo Village Park, May 15, 2010. Fifth Annual Romeo Victorian Festival, Romeo, Michigan
(Left to right) Sigrid Bergland, MDOT Historian, Brian Yopp, Director of Operations for MotorCities, Debbie Obrecht, Bruce Twp. Treasurer.
RHS President Sue Kane receives an unexpected county resolution from County Commissioner Don Brown for the marker project sponsored and completed by RHS. An honor for RHS.
(left to right) Anna Reiz, Romeo Historical Society(RHS) Vice President, Sue Kane RHS president and Village of Romeo President Paul Reiz.. yes he and Anna are husband and wife. Active members of RHS and much more.
