Looking Back...Peach Festival

As you are probably aware, the 89th Peach Festival scheduled for this upcoming Labor Day weekend is canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has long been an annual event, but you may not know some of the histories behind it:

• In 1931 the Peach Festival began by local orchards and merchants to promote the peach harvest.
• The Festival was canceled from 1942 to 1945 during WWII.
• The continuance of the Festival was in doubt in 1951 due to a lack of funding.
• Thankfully, the Romeo Lions stepped in and have since planned, organized, and supported the Festival.
• It is the 2nd oldest Festival in Michigan.

1951 Romeo Lions Club float

Did you know that the Romeo Community Archives has a Peach Festival Collection? Access a catalog of the collection HERE. Or you can schedule a visit to see photographs, newspaper clippings, and more.

View and download a copy of the first Peach Festival program HERE.

Visit romeoobserver.org to view online editions of The Romeo Observer newspaper from 2002 through 2015. You will find photos and events documenting past Festivals.

Visit https://romeopeachfestival.com/

Check out the 2020 Autumn Harvest magazine sponsored by The Record newspaper for more Peach Queen photographs (1931 to 2019), Festival history, etc. 

2014 Peach Queen Kaitlyn Krimmel and 2005 Peach Queen Jessica Foltz

Virtually reminiscing is one way to celebrate. However, it is the personal stories that are the real treasures. What are your most memorable moments of past Peach Festivals? Email julie.rcarchives@gmail.com; become a part of local history!

100 Years Ago Today--the Suffrage Movement in the United States

 

Celebrate the Suffrage Movement and the long fight for the women’s right to vote! 

The Romeo Observer, October 30, 1918

Visit the Kezar Library to see our display of this movement, kindly provided by the National Archives. (Please wear a mask and social distance when visiting.)

 

Did you know that the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920? It went into effect August 26, 1920—100 years ago today.

Did you know that some women were able to vote prior to that? In the state of Michigan, voters turned out on November 5, 1918, to approve an amendment to the Michigan Constitution. Also, it was approved at many county and local levels including Bruce and Washington Townships.

The Romeo Observer, November 20, 1918

There was not much fanfare in The Romeo Observer about the win. Nothing other than the election results were printed the week of November 20, 1918. But worldwide, a lot was going on, including World War I, the war effort, and the repercussions of the Spanish Flu pandemic. Statewide, Governor Sleeper had ordered school closings and cessation of public meetings, which affected the Village from October 19 to November 8, 1918. Of course, there was also much talk about bringing the soldier’s home after the war ended on November 11, 2018.

For more information about the Suffrage Movement, please visit the Library of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/0,9327,7-381-88854_89996-518343--,00.html

 

romeoobserver.org is now available for research!

Do you remember The Romeo Observer newspaper? If you are local to the area I'm sure you do. Did you know that the paper also had a website that was regularly updated? You can now access the archived site. 

romeoobserver.org

You can access individual newspapers by selecting Archives  then, select the Browse button to see the dates available from 2002 to 2015

• Easy access from any internet browser
• Find obituaries for that time period
• See what was happening in the community
• Research local history!

Thank you to Tom Bleich and the Bleich family for getting the site up and running--it is a wonderful resource for the community!

Celebrate National Historic Preservation all month long!

Many museums and cultural organizations are now offering virtual online visits. A simple browser search for “virtual museum visits” will provide many results but I’ve compiled a few links from our great State of Michigan. When is the last time you had a chance to visit the DIA or FIA? How about the Michigan History Museum? Now is your chance—you might find a hidden gem!

seekingmichigan.org

Michigan History Museum

Pure Michigan Virtual Trips

Detroit Institute of Arts online exhibits

PBS Video “D.I.A. Virtual Field Trip”

PBS Video Series “Under the Radar” that explores the fascinating sites of Michigan

Did you know that Romeo was featured in Episode 607?

Flint Institute of Arts online exhibits, educational resources, virtual tours, videos and more

You can also find many fascinating stories discovered in the Archives of Michigan at Michiganology

Become part of the historical record and share the stories of you and your loved ones at StoryCorp Connect

Romeo Community Archives (very) brief video of the Archives

I hope you enjoy the links and don’t forget, Library access to Ancestry.com for home users is available through the end of May.

As always, visit RDL for the latest updates and information, and join the conversation on Facebook.

Stay safe and we hope to see you soon!

Home Access for the Library Edition of Ancestry

Now is an excellent time to catch up on some of your family history research while the library is closed. Romeo District Library and SLC members can access the Library Edition of Ancestry from home.

Go to the Library Catalog and log in with your library card number and pin: https://sbrb.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/rog/?

Once you are logged in, you will see the link for Ancestry-Remote Access on the right side of the page. Click it, and you will automatically be directed to Ancestry.com. That’s it—easy peasy!

It may also be an excellent time to consider genealogy/family history software to keep all your found information organized and easy to access. Many offer a free trial period so you can use it and decide if it works for you. While the Archives doesn’t recommend any particular software, there are some points you may want to consider.

Do you want web-based or downloaded software to your computer? Web-based would offer easy access from any internet-connected device. Alternately, some downloaded software packages also have an option where you can load the program on a flash drive so you can carry it with you, and you wouldn’t need internet access (only a computer) to add information. You will need to consider what will work best for your individual needs.

What will you do with the software? Check if the program you are considering will allow you to create family trees, add photos, and attach other documents as well. Is it compatible with other sites such as Ancestry? How easy is it to add and find information? Is it to navigate, search, and retrieve your research? Program options can range from very user friendly to a steep learning curve. How much time do you want to invest in learning the program?

If a free trial period is too short for you, there may be another option. Some companies may also offer a bare bone free software package that you can use for as long as you like. If it works for you, but you find yourself wanting more, you can upgrade to a higher-level software that is more robust.

Other considerations:

Price

Do they offer free updates, or do you have to pay for each update?

How long has the company been in business, and are they reliable? You don’t want to end up having to purchase new software and migrating your info to another program.

Check out well-known genealogy organizations (look for the .org in the URL) and reputable computer sites for reviews and options.

Take your time and enjoy the process—you’ll likely be spending a lot of time with your new software!

Do you have any comments or suggestions? We’d love to hear them; you can reply below.

Genealogy and Historical Sites

Find out "Why Plague Doctors Wore Those Strange Masks"

Until the Romeo Community Archives is open again, here are some websites to help you in your genealogy and family history search, and to keep you occupied:

Ancestry.com is now available for home access. Login to your RDL account https://sbrb.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/rog/?
Click the Ancestry-Remote Access on the right side of the page. You will automatically be redirected and signed in to Ancestry. Happy Hunting!

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA):

There is a free option to search records: https://www.ancestry.com/cs/nara

You can become a Citizen Archivist and volunteer online. NARA is looking for people to help transcribe and tag historical documents:

https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist

Find Resources for Online Teaching & Learning at the National Archives: https://education.blogs.archives.gov/2020/03/23/online-teaching/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=home-april2020

Free and well-known genealogy sites:

·         The USGenWeb Project: http://www.usgenweb.org/

·         Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/ 

·         Romeo Cemetery on Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1530/romeo-cemetery

·         Most Helpful for ancestors who lived in New York State: https://www.fultonhistory.com/fulton.html

·         Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/en/

AncestralFindings.com also has some free resources, including ebooks and free lookups. You can also watch free informational videos about a variety of genealogy topics. 

Now that you have some time on your hands check out Newspapers.com to help round out your genealogy and family history documents. They offer a seven-day free trial.

Here's a cool FYI, LibraryThing is now free for all users! Catalog all your books, movies, and CD's. I use my account to keep track of the books I've read. You can add books, rate them, and add personal notes. Check it out! https://blog.librarything.com/main/2020/03/librarything-goes-free/

Do you have an online genealogy or historical site that you find useful? Please share the links in the comments below.

Stay healthy and safe!


Keep up to date with RDL news and information at romeodistrictlibrary.org

From the Pages...

"SNOW PATTERNS. The fall of snow over the past weekend left sights galore in the village. Trees were outlined in white as the wind piled up snow on even the smallest branches. The vines on the First Congregational Church became so outlined as the snow clung to them providing a wraith-like appearance."

This lovely snow scene was captured in 1968 by photographer, Tom Bleich. It was published in The Romeo Observer on January 18 of the same year.