We are now three weeks away from the annual Romeo Peach Festival, so let's continue celebrating the Peach Queens of the past!
Today, we'll talk about Lucille Plassey - one of the earliest Peach Queens. In 1933, the 17-year-old from Rochester was crowned with that title for that year. Not only did the newspapers comment about her beauty, but one of them noted that she was majoring in mathematics and planned to make that her career. Lucille was also an expert swimmer, golfer, and tennis player. She even devoted herself to working at her father's grocery store as well as at home. While it's not clear how she impressed the judges, these aspects more than likely played a role in her obtaining the Peach Queen title at that time.
Lucille carried out her duties by representing local peach harvests as well as bringing attention to the orchards and the Peach Festival no matter how big or small the audience was. She and her maids of honor gave peaches to children at the Detroit Receiving Hospital, and she even was a guest of honor at the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago. But wait, there's more!
The Associated Press reported that she would give a peach pie to the president of the United States. Yes, you heard right. For a long time, the Peach Queens would make the trip to Washington D.C. to present the president and members of his administration with peaches, and Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in months prior.
On top of that, her coronation ceremony was broadcast on national radio. According to the 1933 Michigan Peach Festival program, it aired over the "National Broadcasting system through the courtesy of the National Farm and Home Hour" on Labor Day with U.S. Representative Jesse P. Wolcott as a feature speaker. Many of the earliest Peach Queen coronation cermonies were done this way because most people at the time had a radio in their homes. It was the best way to bring attention to the festival on a national scale.
In addition, it's important to note that Lucille was crowned as Peach Queen during the Great Depression. No one was completely immune from it, including Romeo. There are reports mentioning that the peach crop failed that year due to a late frost. Despite that and other "discouragements" caused by the depression, the Romeo Peach Festival carried on with its communal and courageous spirit.
To learn more about Lucille Plassey, other Peach Queens, and the Peach Festival in general, you can locate the Romeo Peach Festival Collection here and/or contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org to see said collection in person.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Romeo Peach Festival Collection, 1933