Linda Osborne Cynowa

Macomb Townships, Waldenburg

Last week in Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s, I talked about the ‘Cobbler of Waldenburg’ and felt that a further look into Waldenburg was of interest. I hope you agree.

Waldenburg, is a small town in Macomb Township, settled in 1831. The area was known as a German settlement of immigrants from mainly Prussia, in the north, from the Mecklenburg area. Waldenburg would get it’s name from the hometown of early settler August Posner. The immigrants liked the idea of settling where there was water available as in the middle branch of the Clinton River. This river was given the name of ‘the crick’ to the many town folk that lived there. The ground proved to be level and have a fertile sandy loam which would produce for them.

There would be post office set up at Macomb Corners, at 25 mile and Romeo Plank in 1830, but would later be moved to Waldenburg at 22 Mile road, because of the businesses that helped with the growing of the community. In Waldenburg began a school for the Germain immigrants and a church in Immanuel Evangelical Germain Lutheran. In the beginning German was the language used, because of where the people were most comfortable. The post office went by the wayside in the first part of the 1900’s as did the blacksmith with the coming of the automobiles.

A blacksmith shop, the post office, a feed store, later on becoming a hardware store, the Dopp building that would house many different business opportunities over the years. When the auto came there would be two gas stations. The Stiers were farmers and some were in the hardware business. The Stades eventually ran the grocery store and the feed store-gas station. Rohrbecks ran the 2nd gas station-grocery-butcher shop. By the 1950’s there came 2 beauty shops, a shoe repair.

22 Mile and Romeo Plank Road, Waldenburg

Cemeteries were established in the same area as the church, which began its services in the Reh barn on Romeo Plank 1/2 mile south of 21 Mile. Names such as Klockow, Dopp, Schwark, Stark, Sahr, Kuechenmeister, Pringnitz, Gastmeier, Oehmke, Falkenhagen, Miller, Penzien and Schoof to name but a few, are families that would leave their mark on the growth of this community.

Waldenburg has always been known for it’s beer drinking and the playing of Euchre. Reunions were a yearly event for the many family members who moved on from Waldenburg in Macomb Township, when coming home to the farms of their grandparents made seeing long time friendship continue to last. The children played in the ‘crick’, swimming, fishing, ice skating and trapping. The cows drank in it and bathed in it, now its just a trickle, as progress has allowed its use is mainly watering the golf courses.

Now the Dopp building still stands, as does a gas station, the Waldenburg Tavern still meets the needs of the community, the Steir Hardware that stood for so many years is no more due to progress. Soon major work will be done to hopefully lessen the traffic congestion on that 22 Mile and Romeo Plank intersection where home building would have made the original settlers stand and scratch their heads in disbelief.

On that ‘wee note’ till next week.

A thank you to Shelley Steir Henshaw for her help when working on the ‘Macomb Township’ book and all her insights into the area of Waldenburg which sits so close to her heart.

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The ‘Cobbler of Waldenburg’

Todays Monday Morning Moaning’s comes from an article in the Mt. Clemens Monitor, from Friday April 4, 1930, called “Cobbler of Waldenburg Celebrates 90th Birthday”.

Born March 30, 1840 in Austrian Silesia, now Czechoslovakia, Ambrose Leyer was “just another mouth to feed” at the time when his parents were scarcely able to keep the family they already had. Ambrose’s, uncle lived just across the line in Prussian Silesia offered to take the boy and raised him, his parents agreed. Although the boys parents were devout Catholics, they insisted he be raised in their Catholic religion, although permitted his foster parents to educate him in a Lutheran school. Little did they know that the coincidence would be an underlaying cause of his removal to America.

Time honor customs, being what they are, Ambrose was apprenticed to a trade. He selected the art of the cobbler. A diligent worker and being exempt from military service due to his small stature, he became a master at his craft, when he was sent to a fort near his home to keep the soldiers well shod. When he come to America he would find himself in the middle of of a nation torn apart by civil strife after his native land had but recently been torn by its own revolution of 1848.

Ambrose’s uncle, August Posner, packed up his goods and came to America, leaving his young nephew in the care of August’s mother. August Posner came to Waldenburg, with characteristic German foresight and ambition, he established a brickyard and potash factory. Being a devout Lutheran, Uncle August joined the congregation of the Waldenburg Lutheran church and was grieved to find that the congregation lacked any sort of a musical instrument with which to enliven its service. He was over joyed when after letters from home made him aware that the the trombone band which had been the pride of his home land church had recently discarded its old slide trombone and replaced it. Mr. Posner saw an opportunity before him. He wrote a letter in reply that the Waldenburg congregation would be glad to purchase the discarded trombone, for the right price.

August Posner was very please to hear that they would send the trombone to them free of charge, but they also had another instrument which was said to be able to play any tones that one’s heart could desire, for which a charge of $35 was to be made. To his surprise and all the residents of Waldenburg, when it was found out the ‘new instrument’ was none other than his nephew, Ambrose Leyer, and the $35 had been for his passage to bring with him the trombone.

It took six weeks in crossing the ocean on his first sailing, but upon his arrival he ‘took up’ 10 acres of land near the north end of Waldenburg and established his home and cobbler’s shop in an abandoned toll gate of the Romeo Plank Road Company.

The cobbler of Waldenburg married and reared a family of nine children. While Mrs. Leyer died about 30 years ago, it’s to the loving care of one daughter Mr. Leyer attributes his long life span. In addition to her personal care to her father, she also performs the many household tasks needed, while her brother farms the 10 acres for his father along with his own farming. The other children, married and grown up, are no less devoted although their own responsibilities prevent them from being ay his side.

They bring him good things to eat and sometimes smuggle in a few bottle of beer, although as Mr. Leyer says regretfully, the beer in prohibition is by no means as good as the beer in which he accustomed himself while living in Germany or in Waldenburg when, Jasmund, the village brewer, produced his own beer in his general store.

The old man’s recipe for longevity is plenty of plain food, regular hours, steady work, beer, but not too much of it and schnapps when one wants one. Whiskey he declares, is just like medicine, if use properly. And don’t forget a good cigar. Although he has his “bad spells” when he does not feel overly well, for the most part he can be found seated by his window watching the passing traffic on the Romeo Plank road which runs in front of his house, waving to his friends who pass.

The ‘Cobbler of Waldenburg’, Ambrose Leyer passed away on November 5, 1933 at 93 years and 7 months.

On that ‘wee note’, till next week.

George Washington Brabb

George Washington Brabb of 185 South Main Street, Romeo is this Monday’s blog subject. Most of what will be written about Mr Brabb will be taken from the very extensive obituary written upon his death in 1912.

From the Romeo Observer September 10, 1912: The announcement of the death of Mr. George W. Brabb in the early morning of September 10, carries no surprise as his illness had been of a serious nature for several weeks. But the passing of the last member of a large and influential pioneering family means much to the village and community.

Issac and Hannah Brabb, with seven children, came from Yorkshire, England to this locality in 1830 and two children were afterwards added to their number; the subject of this sketch named for the father of their adopted country, George Washington was born February 10 1843, the youngest and last to pass over the river. His birthplace was the farm home, three mile southwest of Romeo, that was purchased from the government by his father.

When a young man he came with his parents, to the village where they purchased a home on south Main Street and following the death of his parents, this son built the large, beautiful home in which he had since resided and where his death occurred. Following the time when he attained his majority he gave his attention to the supervision of his father’s interests and later engaged in the hardware trade, purchasing a hardware store in Romeo. He organized a stock company for the manufacture of road carts and his factory employed a large force of workman. The business grew to extensive proportions and the output was as high as from forty to seventy five carts a day. He would go on to hold stock in the Romeo Savings Bank and at the time continued as the owner of the old family homestead on two hundred and seventy acres, constituting a very valuable tract of land. In 1873 he was married to Lois Garlick, who died April 6, 1892 and on July 13,1896 Mr. Brabb entered in marriage with Miss Martha Starkweather of Romeo who survives him.

He had not only been an affectionate husband but gave tender care to the two aged sisters, in their declining years, and the home, that was his special pride was kept perfect in all its appointments. He was interested in every good word and work for the betterment of the the village and elsewhere and was a familiar figure on the streets and in public places. But it could truthfully be said of him that “his home was his castle” and there he was best content. He was an unusual lover of flowers, which he cultivated extensively and, during his illness when scarcely conscious of friends about him, he would rally at the sight of a fresh boutique and even note the shading of the different blossoms.

Besides his many home interests he always found time to render valuable assistance to others, so his passing deprives many of a true friend and adviser. He was converted in early life and united with the Methodist church of which he remained an active member.

The large Italianate residence erected in 1877, was one of the most sophisticated homes in Romeo with its smooth stucco-like siding (now covered in clapboards), dignified entrance portico, that was expanded in 1900, and elaborate decorative motifs rendered in wood and cast iron. “Wash” Brabb and his wife occupied the north side of the residence and his two sister’s Caroline and Anne lived on the south side. Mrs Brabb would hold onto the house and lease it to other enterprises through the coming years, such as it became the first Osteopathic Hospital in Michigan, it also became home to the Palace Restaurant after which in 1937 it was sold to Howard Anderson of Detroit. In the ensuing years many ventures have used the home with the hope of keeping it viable. Today it still sits proudly as Mr Brabb would have liked it.

On that ‘wee note’, till next week.

Thank you for the use of, Past and Present of Macomb County, Macomb County History of 1905, p 321, Romeo Observer, May 16, 1877, Romeo Observer, September 10, 1912, the Community Archives at the Kezar Library.

Alden Giddings of 439 Morton Street

Alden Giddings was born 24 April 1820 in Stafford Connecticut, a native son of New England. He continued his education and in early life began work in a sash and blind factory in Hartford. Later he would continue in the same line of business for him self. In 1849 while still living in the east he married Eliza Seymour in Hartford in 1849.

In 1857 Alden and Eliza Giddings moved to Michigan where his two brothers had previously located, becoming prominent business men in Romeo. Alden opened a dry goods store and went on to secure a good trade with the people of Romeo, and he found a good annual income from his investment. His store was well stocked with a modern line of goods and his reasonable prices and fair dealing secured him a good trade. For the next twenty years he continued in this mercantile life in the Romeo community, then retired to a quite life.

He served as a member of the building committee for the Congregational church in Romeo. He was a director and stockholder in the Citizens Bank and had become recognized as a financier and capitalist of ability. Alden passed away on 24 October 1886, with burial in the Romeo Cemetery.

There were four children born to Alden and Eliza, and their son George Wight Giddings, was a financier and enterprising business man, and he would succeed his father in the management of his affairs and conduct the business with success until his death in 1904.

In 1872, Alden and Eliza’s “French Cottage with a full mansard roof” was completed by Romeo builder, R. F. Odion. The Romeo Observer proclaimed it “a house of the finest architectural beauty”. A large variety of woods were used in the interior; “alternate strips of maple and black walnut” in the hall floor, “pine and black walnut” woodwork in the dining room, “butternut, ash, and black walnut” doors, with “pine, ash, black walnut and maple” in the first floor bathroom. In the 1940’s the home was completely rebuilt in the Colonial style.

Eliza and her daughter-in-law Sarah and her family would reside at the old home built by the husband and father for some years after their 1886 and 1904 deaths.

439 Morton Street, Romeo today (authors collection)

On that ‘wee note’, till next week.

Articles and information courtesy of ‘Past and Present of Macomb County’, ‘A Tour of Historic Romeo’ by Richard M Daugherty, and the Community Archives at the Kezar Library.

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The Omar D Thompson Jr. Residence

The largest brach of the University of Michigan, known then as the Romeo Academy, was located on this site from 1843-1851. It was a flourishing institution of 150 students and 4 instructors with a “Female Department connected with the institute in a separate room”. Until recently the University elm stood where the sidewalk jogs. In 1901 the University buildings were demolished and the present Colonial Revival residence at 200 Church Street, was constructed by Romeo builder Benjamin Lloyd for Mr. and Mrs. Omar Thompson Jr.

Mrs. Thompson was related to the wealthy Detroit and Chicago Newberry families and inherited from her great-uncle, Walter Newberry, of Chicago “wealth enough to make her comfortable for life”, $23,080 (700,000. in todays money). Mr Thompson’s occupation was selling cash registers for the National Cash Register Company. The finest of materials were poured into this spacious and well built house including golden oak for the enormous staircase, solid cherry woodwork for the master bedroom, leaded glass windows and solid brass lighting fixtures for the formal rooms of the house. In 1904 an “automobile house” was constructed behind the residence to shelter Mrs. Thompson’s “Cadillac automobile” which “she handles like an expert.” The Thompson’s only lived in the home for seven years before their move to Detroit. They are buried in the Romeo Village Cemetery. (Romeo Observer, Centennial Supplement, November 17, 1966).

200 Church Street, Romeo (authors collection)

This past Christmas the Thompson house was chosen to be the 25th ornament issued by the Romeo Historical Society, as their 2020 Romeo Christmas Ornament.

As this author anxiously awaits the Romeo Historical Society’s unveiling of the 2021 ornament in late fall, on that ‘wee note’, till next week.

It is with great thanks to the Community Archives at the Kezar Library for the opportunity in volunteering and allowing research on these majestic homes all over Romeo. What a fabulous learning experience.

Thank you for visiting and reading today. Be sure to share with your friends using the share button below if you haven’t already, please enter your email address in the form below to receive my stories by email.