RCA Photo of the Week - September 26, 2024

September 26 is my birthday, so I want to discuss one of my favorite photos that I've discovered at the Romeo Community Archives.

Taken by Dr. A. M. Crawford, this photo graced the front cover of the February 26, 1948 edition of The Romeo Observer Press. In it, Frank and Laura Webber are dressed up as Groucho and Harpo Marx - two of the members of the comedy group the Marx Brothers. The Marx Brothers were a famous act on stage and in film in the early to mid-twentieth century. Groucho was known for his wisecracks and duck walk, and Harpo was the silent one who did a lot of absurd things. For example, if anybody wanted to shake Harpo's hand, he would hand them his leg. Laura demonstrates this routine with Frank in the picture.

I love the Marx Brothers, so that's why I chose this photo.

Back to the point, why are they dressed up like Groucho and Harpo? Well, I'll tell you. In 1948, the Romeo Players - a community theatre group - held their first annual costume ball. The president of that theatre company was the wife of the man who took this very photo.

According to the February 12 issue, it took place at the Romeo Hotel on the evening of Saturday, February 14. Members and their guests were required to dress up as their favorite actor of stage or movie fame, hence the reason why Frank and Laura Webber were dressed up as two of the Marx Brothers. They also brought a guest George Coneway, who came as the Phantom of the Opera. Why he didn't dress up as Chico Marx - the third brother, I don't know.

The program for the costume ball consisted of a grand march, dancing, and a late supper. Prizes were awarded to the best costume wore by a man and woman, and they consisted of a pair of tickets to a stage show in Detroit. Interestingly, Laura was part of the program committee for the event.

The February 19 edition revealed the winners of the costume ball. Frank and Laura were awarded second place, while Mr. and Mrs. Robert McGuire got first place for impersonating Viola and Sebastian from the play Twelfth Night. Since the Webbers brought a guest, the judges provided a condition that they share the prize with him.

Even though it's not known if the Romeo Players held another costume ball, it sounded like it was a great time. We hope that Frank, Laura, and George enjoyed their prize.

To learn more about the Romeo Players, you can locate the Romeo Players 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; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer Press, February 12, 1948, p.1, February 19, 1948, p.1, and February 26, 1948, p.1 and Romeo Players Collection, 1948

RCA Photo of the Week - September 19, 2024

Back in July, The Record had an article about the descendants of Clyde Craig visiting the historic blacksmith shop, which is now a museum run by the Romeo Historical Society.

You're probably wondering, "Who is Clyde Craig?" and "Why is he important to Romeo?" Reader, I will tell you.

Clyde Craig was a blacksmith who worked and resided in Romeo for many decades. He toiled at a time, in which blacksmithing was on its way out as a necessity, but he found a way to keep going even into old age.

Both The Romeo Observer and The Detroit News covered stories about Clyde in 1953 and 1966 respectively.

Born in Canada in 1882, Clyde perfected his craft in various places in Ontario before emigrating to Detroit to set up a business in 1911. His shop was located on the corner of Grand River and Brooklyn, and he worked at that location for 8 years. In 1919, after being displaced by developments in the automobile industry, he decided to "move closer to the source of his work and chose to come to Romeo."

One year later, Clyde opened up a blacksmith, farrier, fur-trading station, veterinarian, and wheelwright shop in that town.

Around that time, Romeo was a big farming area. Farmers would use "big and heavy muscled work horses to till their fields and harvest the crops and the demand for a blacksmith to care for their feet was great."

Unsurprisingly, this worked out for Clyde, who worked and resided in Romeo for nearly 50 years.

The photo seen here of Clyde pounding iron comes from the December 5, 1953 issue of The Romeo Observer. Ralph R. Barber wrote an entire article about him entitled, "Village Blacksmith Spends Half Century 'Pounding Iron'." In it, Barber details Clyde's backstory and the kinds of tasks that he does as a blacksmith in the twentieth century. At first, Clyde's work involved shoeing horses and caring for wagons. Overtime, it transitioned to "repairing drags, refacing stone cutter's hammers,..welding, [and]...making and designing ornamental wrought iron hardware for cabinets and doors."

Sometimes, Clyde was called to shoe a horse at the Boots and Saddles Club in Rochester. In those cases, he would drive a Model A Ford, which contained a plower and his blacksmithing tools in a rigged up portable shop.

By 1953, Clyde was one of a small number of blacksmiths in the metro Detroit area. But, by 1966, he was one of a few left in the country, and one of the very few left in Michigan according to an article written by Roy Courtade in the April 3, 1966 issue of The Detroit News Pictoral Magazine.

Clyde died in 1970. Soon after, the Romeo Historical Society moved his shop and turned it into a working blacksmith shop/museum. People can now come see it throughout the year, especially during the Christmas Home Tours, to learn about that particular trade and about the blacksmith himself.

It's through efforts like these that Clyde Craig's legacy in Romeo lives on.

To learn more about Clyde Craig, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890 and/or visit the Clyde Craig Blacksmith Museum.

Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer Press, December 5, 1953, p.II-1 and II-5 and The Record, July 24-30, 2024, p.7

RCA Photo of the Week - September 12, 2024

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. What better way to show what the Romeo District Library (RDL) has been doing than to see a photo of it in action!

The October 19, 1977 issue of The Romeo Observer had a huge article about the library. Written by Joan Bleich, the story lists the history; including whether or not RDL is the oldest library in Macomb County; the items it holds like books and magazines; and services it offers.

One of the services that RDL had was the daily delivery service. This is how Bleich describes it: "If you can't find the book you're looking for at the Romeo District Library, ask for it. With their round-robin system, it may be located and loaned to you from another county library or by the state library."

Each library in the Library Network of Macomb (now the Suburban Library Cooperative) is given a list of books that people want. If the title is availabe, a patron can get the 24-hour service. In other words, people can get the books that they request from other libraries in one day.

The picture seen above displays just that. Taken by Karen Hamilton, it shows Joe Myers - the guy who made the daily delivery between Mount Clemens and every branch in the aforementioned library network - going over the list while librarian Julie Dodge looks on. So, if people wanted to get a book from another library within 24 hours, Joe is the one who would bring it to them.

For those who are wondering where in the now Kezar Branch was that photo taken, it was most likely at the front desk. The delivery people that come by now would often drop off and pickup bins of books by that area. In addition, the desk seen in the picture is the same one that resides in the Romeo Community Archives basement.

The delivery service still exists among libraries in the Suburban Library Cooperative (including RDL) even though it's takes a little longer for patrons to get the titles they want. Regardless, it's still good to know that RDL has been doing this kind of thing for patrons for over 45 years.

Sign up for a library card this month to take advantage of this service and others at RDL.

To learn more about the history of the Romeo District Library, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.

Source: The Romeo Observer, October 19, 1977, p.1-B

"The Romeo Observer" Digitization Project Update #5!

Hello Everybody!

We got another set of good news! Every issue of The Romeo Observer from the 1960s is now digitized and made searchable! You can read about how people reacted to major events like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as well as the women who became the Peach Queens in that decade.

Also, you can learn about the St Paul's Episcopal Church fire in 1960

I will make another update when all of the 1970s editions are done.

As of now, we still have the 1970s to the 2000s left to digitize.

You can make an appointment to see these issues by calling (586) 690-4890 or emailing rca@romeodistrictlibrary

To learn more about The Romeo Observer Digitization Project, you can check out our previous updates about it by clicking on these five links.

RCA Photo of the Week - September 5, 2024

I hope everybody had a good time at the Romeo Peach Festival! I sure did despite some electrical issues. I had a fun time talking with people about their memories and experiences with the festival. I also had a display of artifacts that came from the archives. For those who were at the Romeo Parks & Recreation Community Center might recognize the Peach Queen here from our table.

She's Kaitlyn Krimmel - a 2010s Peach Queen who wanted to help others and encouraged them to be themselves.

In 2014, the 21-year-old from Washington Township was crowned with that title. Through many articles from that year, we have a great sense as to why she won. Kaitlyn had tried out the year before, but she didn't make it. Between the 2013 and 2014 Peach Queen pageants, she organized events as the risk chair for her sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma at Grand Valley State University (GVSU); worked with Gleaners Food Bank; and studied abroad in Costa Rica, where she helped provide communities with medical assistance. She was in her fourth year studying allied health sciences with a minor in aging and adult life at GVSU and was looking to enter the nursing field.

The reason why Kaitlyn ran was because she "wanted to give back to the community because they gave so much to me."

Part of what the community gave her was a sense of confidence and uniqueness she wanted to instill in others. She exemplified this by holding a black belt in American Freestyle karate. She practiced at TNT Martial Arts in Romeo. Her karate training even helped her when she was in the sorority. Her position as risk chair promoted health and wellness, and she taught her Phi Sigma Sigma sisters self-defense techniques. In addition, she had participated in the Peach Festival prior by volunteering at the Bed Races, night parade, and car show. She ran in the Bed Races for three years and even won the Best Design trophy her first year in 2007.

Given how the Peach Queen pageant has focused more on community activism in recent years, it's easy to see why Kaitlyn won. Her educational background is quite impressive, and the fact that she was involved in the Romeo community and participated in the Peach Festival in the past must have fascinated the judges. On top of that, this was her second year trying out to become the Peach Queen. She deserved it.

Her duties were similar to that of previous Peach Queens. She promoted the Peach Festival by attending various parades and participating in various events like the Farmers Breakfast at the Capital Banquet Center in Washington Township. She also volunteered at the Samaritan House, at the Relay for Life survivor tent, and for the Women Marines Association with packing food for overseas servicepeople. She even organized the "Princess for a Day" event at TNT Martial Arts and assisted kids at Amanda Moore Elementary with reading and math. Because of the latter, the principal asked Kaitlyn to speak at the fifth-grade graduation ceremony.

Now, that's what I call making a difference.

To learn more about Kaitlyn Krimmel, 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.

If you want to share your memories and experiences about the Peach Festival, you can contact the archives at the email above.

Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Romeo Peach Festival Collection, 2014