NOV. 6 ISSUE ANSWERS: Last week’s photo of the GTW hat shows that the wearer was a conductor on the Grand Trunk and Western Rail Road. The hat is in the Capac Historical Society Museum. The first Romeo railroad was the Michigan Air Line as described last week. The Michigan Air Line was purchased in 1879 by the Grand Trunk Railroad although it had interests in the line as early as 1868. The chain of successful and unsuccessful railroad companies is somewhat bewildering. For any railroad buffs who might want more details of the local train histories, please visit the Romeo Historical Society Archives to peruse the various histories in the society’s library. Some of these histories were written by Larry Sobczak and the late Fred Buike. The Grand Trunk Railroad in the above photo shows the Grand Trunk passing the Washington Township station heading to Romeo. The GT started in Montreal, Canada. Ocean ships arriving in Montreal could unload their cargoes and the goods could be carried west through Sarnia, Port Huron, Detroit and arrive in Chicago. A train ferry moved the train cars across the St. Clair River. These tracks included Romeo as a stop. Railroad companies continued buying each other until the CN, Canadian National Railroad was the last to use the line. The Macomb Orchard Trail bought the right away that we bike on today. A railroad enabled merchants in Romeo to travel to New York, through Detroit, to purchase the latest fashions for Romeo folks. Below is the message on the back of one of postcards in our archives: “May 18, 1910 I expect to come on the night train Friday. I will get off at the crossing. Will you or someone else meet me if convenient? Your sister, J. Woodburn” Richard Beringer, Romeo Historical Society Curator