Linda Osborne Cynowa

124 Gates Street, Romeo

Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s

The Harvey Mellon Residence

Harvey Mellon was a native of Middlebury, New York April 3, 1822. Of the many occupations that he was involved in, he would discover the first iron ore in Northern Michigan, and would be an early investor in Michigan timberlands. Harvey served in the State House of Representatives and the Senate from 1889 until his death in 1895. His interest in breeding Kentucky Thoroughbred Racehorses on his estate and his ‘deer park’ were part of his passions. Public Surveying, Farming and Lumberman would round out his life skills.

Harvey wed Elizabeth Bowerman from Romeo in 1849. When the Mellons purchased the property on Gates Street in 1863 a home was built in the Italianate style. They had 3 daughters and one son passed away early in life.

Harvey’s wife Elizabeth, passed away in Romeo in 1889. By 1891 Harvey has taken a second wife in Ellen Proctor (1845-1926). Changes came quit suddenly on August 1 1895, when Harvey was heading out toward Imlay City in his phaeton. When two miles east of the village at Kilmurry Crossing, Harvey was struck by the west bound train. He was thrown about twenty feet, and with some bruises about the head and face, would other wise be quit shaken up. The train stopped and picked up the injured man and took him into Imlay City. The horse was uninjured, but the phaeton was splintered. At first there was high hopes for his recovery even at 73 years of age. In was not to be, for on August 8th 1895 Harvey passed away. Harvey and his first wife were buried in the Romeo Cemetery.

Romeo Observer article on John Mellon accident 1 August 1895

In 1895 shortly after her fathers death, his daughter Mrs. Henry Stephens ll had ideas for a renovation of the Mellon home after seeing exhibits from the Chicago Worlds Fair from 1893 that focused on the latest architectural innovations. Soon the Colonial Revival was a cleaner, simpler design with a full width porch, Tuscanny columns, leaded glass windows along with bay windows. an addition was added and the pitch of the roof was raised by three feet.

In 1927, the residence became the exclusive Pennington School for Girls, also named Patton Hall. The school would close a few years later and go on to be used in a variety of other uses, such as a sanitarium and a rehabilitation center. Today it is used an office building and mental health facility.

Mellon Home, more recently made into an office complex

On that ‘wee’ note, till next week.

Articles courtesy of the Community Archives at the Romeo Kezar Library. House image authors collection.

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The 1929 Washington Savings Bank Robbery

Linda’ Monday Morning Moaning’s

Washington Township:

An article in the Romeo Observer from the 9th of January 1929 it would read:

“On the 7th of January 1929, two neatly dressed young men walked into the Washington Savings Bank, soon after the bank had opened that Monday morning, and as described later, one of the men was short in stature and about 18 years old and his companion would be much taller and approximately 25 years of age. The young men would engage Mrs. Cora Thurston in conversation, relative to the negotiation of a loan in the amount of $2500.00. Mrs Thurston would call Mr. J.H. McCutcheon the head cashier and once again told of their apparent object of the visit. Mr. McCutcheon, would refer them to Utica, Romeo and Rochester banks as the Washington bank was not going to be prepared to make that loan. It was then that the taller of the two assured Mr McCutcheon that he was in possession of some gilt-edged security, and would reach into his pocket and produce a revolver, which later Mr McCutcheon would say ‘appeared as big as a cannon’. Mr. McCutcheon and Mrs. Thurston were then invited to proceed into the cellar, which they would do without much hesitancy. While their handkerchiefs were used to gag the couple, they were assured they would not be harmed.

Returning to the banking offices the men would very quickly gathered up the packages of currency of the large denominations and $228.00 in gold, from the safe, bring their take to a total of $5,400. Before taking their departure they would use the cashiers keys to lock the bank, before one of the robbers would drive away in Mr McCutcheon’s car which was parked out front and the other taking their own car from where it was parked in front of the Community church. Mrs. Thurston was the first to free herself, but 20 minutes would pass before the alarm could be sounded. Mrs. Thurston and Mr. McCutcheon would visit the rogues gallery at the police headquarters in Detroit to try and identify the men, who would now be referred to as ‘the thugs’. The bank would be closed Monday afternoon, as it was a conservative estimate that 2000 people from the countryside would visit the bank on that Monday afternoon, with at least 50% of that number, knowing how the robbers could have been stopped and caught.”

A second article printed in the Romeo Observer on 23rd January 1929 would state “Thomas Sissions of Flint, better known a the police in the city as “Dapper Dan” was arrested, last Wednesday, after being positively identified as the man that robbed the Washington Saving Bank. When taken into custody he was exquisitely gowned but without a penny in his pocket. The second robber would never be identified.

Mrs. Cora Thurston would soon become known as the ‘women who speaks up to bandits’, as when the bandits ordered her to lay down on a pile of coal, in the basement, she refused, as she didn’t want to soil her dress; she was then given some papers to sit on while they proceed to rob the bank. She felt there was nothing she could do about them robbing the bank, but she would object strongly to any unnecessary untidiness.” Mrs. Thurston should be awarded a membership in the ‘Society of Women Who Speak Up to Bandits’.

On that ‘wee’ note, till next week.

Washington Saving Bank, where the robbery took place. Image courtesy of GWAHS

GWAHS – Great Washington Area Historical Society.

The Clifton Grist Mill

Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s

This was a story I found while researching the Washington book, and found it so very interesting. Tucked away in a ‘corner of Washington Township’ at 31 Mile and Dequindre Rd is the Clifton Grist Mill, a hidden away treasure for this community. The first mill at that location, according to the 1859 Macomb survey map, was on the north side of the road where Stoney Creek crosses 31 Mile. At some point in the 19th century it was removed and this new structure was built across the road. A dam on Stoney Creek just north of 31 Mile stores water for the mill. In present time, a metal turbine replaced the wooden wheel for power.

When I started the research for the story I wanted to put in the book, I sent an introductory letter to Mr and Mrs Weymouth, the present owners of this mill. I received an invitation by Jody Weymouth giving me permission to visit and hear their story. How gracious I found Jody to be and very happy to show me what really has taken on a life of its own, the caretaking if this great old mill. When I arrived I was shown endless amounts of binders and albums of all the treasured past that had been so loving kept. I would soon learn the Weymouth portion of the Clifton Grist Mill story.

A successful professional man, Lawrence Weymouth would drive around exploring with his wife Marion and son Lawrence, known as Butch. several miles from Romeo, they would see the Clifton Mill, located along Stoney Creek, with a rushing stream of water flowing under it. The old building stood proudly by the side of the road. With a few inquiries and some judicious bargaining, it would find the Weymouth family the new owners of a century old mill in 1945. The mill would operate commercially until 1977, having sold their grains and flours to retailers such as A&P and Hudson’s as a high grade product. The mill in the years since they stopped production, has been lovingly cared for by Butch and Jody Weymouth. Every three years in order to retain legal rights to the water from Stoney Creek, it is opened and the mill put into operation in order to crack three bags of corn by the milling equipment, with a notary public on hand to witness the signing of the documentation, as the deed states you have to make something by water power.

Despite not operating as a commercial business in over 40 years, the mill today is still in excellent shape and could produce flour or cornmeal as though it just closed yesterday.

This would turn out to be something I could attest to, as our visit was coming to an end, Jody asked if I would like a tour of the mill? What a wonderful experience to see the inside and how the mill operated by one of the owners who had made this mill such an important part of their and now the third and fourth generations of family. This mill is truly a treasured piece of Washington Township history and this family has ever reason to be proud of what the original Lawrence and Marion Weymouth decided to do, after those weekends driving around looking at the sites back in 1945.

One of many articles on the Clifton Mill over the years

Recipes given out at the Mill in the late 1940’s by Marion Weymouth, for the best way to use their flours.

On that ‘wee’ note, till next week.

Aerial image and article courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives, at the Romeo District Library. Information, recipes, etc courtesy of Lawrence and Jody Weymouth collection.

The Thorington School

Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s

I have been very fortunate for those of us that love to see the old buildings and majestic homes that were built so many years ago and have been maintained and well cared for.

What I have a very hard time with is the neglect that does occur in certain instances, where I am not sure it should take place. I live in Washington and travel past an old school building that I have watched further deteriorate over the last years. This one room school house is called the Thorington School. The school is located on the west side of Mound Road just south of 31 Mile Road. The school has been in existence since the 1840 where many of the areas pioneering families sent their children to be educated.

Circa 1890 photograph, with Mary Barnes the teacher and some of her students

James M. Thorington was born on 26 January of 1837 in Washington Township the son of James and Sally Brown Thorington. His father would work the farm for 30 years being involved with agriculture and buying land. When he retired he owned 700 acres in Washington. When James M married Mary Starkweather in 1857 and they raised 5 children on their 320 acre farm on Mound Road between 30 and 31 Mile Roads. James Thorington Sr. owned the 1/8 acre on which the school stands, with it being a part of his 158 acre farm. When the elder James Thorington died, his son James M. took over his farm and would continue to lease the school property.

The 1931 Thorington School class photograph with the ‘Washington Township’ Arcadia book listing names of students

The school would close due to a need for school consolidation on June 2 1955.

I have thought many times, why something can not be done about saving this valuable part of Washington history? I have always thought the Township should pay the present owners a nominal fee and if necessary move the school to an area in town. Look for people who would be willing to refurbish the building, and use it for educational purposes for both young and old.

My ideas are probably very simplistic and naive and I will be the first to say I am not familiar with what it would all take to make this happen, but I do know that the owners have done nothing to save this treasure and one day we will pass the little plot of land on Mound Road and 31 Mile and it will have fallen and this small bit of Washington history will be lost for good.

On that ‘wee’ note, till next week.

The two vintage images courtesy of the Greater Washington Township Historical Society, Thorington School today from the authors collection.

Burt’s Writing Machine

Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s

While researching my ‘Washington Township’ book, I came across a very interesting story, in the inventor of the first ‘typographer’. William Austin Burke, was born in Petersham, Massachusetts, on June 13, 1892. William would acquire much of his knowledge from borrowed books read by the light of a burning pine knot. William and wife Phebe and their four sons would come to the Detroit area then follow the Indian trails to an area north of Stoney Creek village in Macomb County. The settlement was known as Mt Vernon, located in Washington Township 26 mile north of Detroit. He had purchase 160 acres for $320. in 1822. A log cabin would be their first home. On December 19, 1832 William was appointed Mt Vernon’s first postmaster. There would be few letters written as few could afford the 25 cents postage. He went on to become a millwright, surveyor and inventor to support his family.

In 1840 he built this home on 28 Mile Rd in Washington just east of Mt. Vernon Rd. This was only one of the four houses William Burt built in the Mt. Vernon community, and this would be the one he lived in while living in this area. The homes that William built for his son’s and their families where called “Burts’ chalets”.

In 1809, William devised a system of shorthand to aid in a more rapid note-taking, but letter writing could never be simplified. Unlike many who would invent for wealth, William invented the first (topographer) typewriter out of a genuine need to resolve a problem. Many of the parts and tools were forged in his own workshop. There William would complete a crude but simple machine. This mechanism was housed in a small wooden box measuring 12 inches wide by 12 inches high, and 18 inches long. On July 23, 1929, President Andrew Jackson signed the Letters Patent for William’s Typographer. For the next 14 years, William had “the full and exclusive right for making, constructing, using and vending to others” America’s first writing machine.

Below one of the first type written letters to his ‘Dear Companion’ dated March 13, 1830.

William became a governmental surveyor, and then began constructing a new compass that incorporated the principles of astronomy, called a Solar Compass. There would soon be a period of time surveying the Michigan Upper Peninsula, were his Solar Compass would play an important role in establishing the township lines. Later would come his Equatorial Sextant.

In 1857, after 32 years in Macomb County, William and wife Phebe would leave Mt. Vernon and move to Detroit, were a couple of their sons had already relocated. While instructing a group of sea captains on the use of his Equatorial Sextant, he would be stricken with a heart attack. William Austin Burt died in 1858, and was originally buried in the Mount Vernon Cemetery, but in 1888 he was reinterred in Detroit’s Elmwood Cemetery with other Burt family members.

On that ‘wee’ note, till next week.

Images courtesy of the Greater Washington Area Historical Society, and ‘They Left Their Mark’ by John S Burt.