A squirrel walks into a barber shop could be the start of a joke, but that's exactly what happened in Romeo in 1955. With January 21 being National Squirrel Appreciation Day, the Romeo Community Archives wanted to look at Romeo's squirrel moment with today's photo.
This picture showed up in the November 3, 1955 edition of The Romeo Observer Press. The caption for it read, "Friendly squirrel nibbles at the ear of Anderson's Barber Shop customer Bob Rick. Howard Anderson, left, barber shop proprietor, and H.R. Emmons, local resident, watch the antics of the little squirrel."
It seems like Bob wasn't exactly a fan of the squirrel, but then again, who would be when a critter like that is trying to pick at your ear? At least, the other two look amused.
Unfortunately, the newspaper didn't offer more about the squirrel itself. We can only theorize how it got into the barber shop, how long it nibbled at Bob's ear, and when it left. Regardless, it had to be a fun story to tell.
There are also two things to mention. One is that by looking at Bob's uniform, it's clear that he worked at a Texaco Gas Station. This is especially true with the patch reading Texaco on it. There was a Romeo Texaco Service Gas Station in town, and it used to be where the Peaches Brunch House is at now.
The other thing to note is that Anderson's Barber Shop was where Younger's at is now in downtown Romeo. With this information, we can infer that Bob walked two buildings north to the barber shop. Quite convenient!
Both of these discoveries were made through the Romeo Telephone Directories that the Romeo Community Archives houses. They range from 1930 to 1994 and also include a 1901 Business Directory.
And this is all thanks to a squirrel nibbling at a customer's ear in a barber shop in Romeo.
Enjoy National Squirrel Appreciation Day!
To learn more about squirrels in Romeo and look at past Romeo directories, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer Press, November 3, 1955, p.II-6; 1953-54 Romeo Village Directory; and Romeo Telephone Directory, December 1955