Happy Halloween everybody!
To celebrate, I have a special photo that I want to show you all this week.
Taken for the November 5, 1959 issue of The Romeo Observer Press, this picture shows students from North Grade School parading around downtown Romeo in their Halloween costumes. It's fun to see what kids dressed up as at the time. There's Woody the Woodpecker, a pioneer lady, a cat, an owl, and Bugs Bunny (in the background on the right side) all walking by. I also like how the girl dressed up as a pioneer looks genuinely surprised (probably by the camera).
The newspaper had some fun with the caption for the event. It begins with, "No, it wasn't an invasion from Mars that invaded Main Street last Friday afternoon. The invaders were from the North Grade School and they came in every variety of sizes and shapes and costumes."
The article details that the students had a brisk parade that supposedly rivaled the Homecoming one (which was held later that day) in color, imagination, and originality. Afterwards, the kids went back to North Grade School to have their Halloween party since the holiday fell on a Saturday in 1959. The caption adds, "And if all the cider, doughnuts and candy that were consumed were put together in one small child, it could add up to one large tummy-ache!"
Let's hope the children didn't have any stomach aches after the party.
Kids parading around Romeo in their Halloween costumes was a common occurrence at that time. The Romeo Observer contains several photos of children walking around various parts of town in their outfits similar to the one seen here. Even though this is not done anymore, it's nice to see how the schools celebrated Halloween at this time.
There's also one more thing to mention. The building in the background that says "Reading Room" was where Helen Starkweather resided on North Main Street. For those who don't know, she was an art and drafting teacher at the Romeo High School from 1929 to 1970. Helen bequeathed the building to the Village of Romeo and Romeo Historical Society to become Starkweather Arts Center, which still stands today. The Romeo Community Archives has the Helen Starkweather Collection, where it contains art she created over the years and photographs of friends, family, students, and various places in downtown Romeo.
I hope everyone has a great Halloween. Also, stop by the Starkweather Arts Center if you can!
To see more photographs of past Halloweens in Romeo and the Helen Starkweather Collection, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890, or you can access the pictures through our online Archives Catalog.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer Press, November 5, 1959, p. I-1 and II-1; The Romeo Observer, June 17, 1987, p.2-A; and January 1960 Romeo Telephone Directory