MARCH 22 ISSUE ANSWERS: On January 26, 1837, Michigan was officially admitted as the 26th state in the Union. However, Michigan’s path to statehood wasn’t without its own share of drama. A skirmish with Ohio known as the Toledo War delayed Michigan’s statehood and led to a trade: Toledo remained in Ohio, while the Upper Peninsula became part of Michigan. Sixteen years after the Bailey family established their home in Romeo and over five hundred parcels of land were purchased in Washington and Bruce Townships, Romeo became an official Village in the new State of Michigan. The drawing above of the house on the east side of South Main was built and lived in by the Taylor family. Nathaniel Taylor opened a store across the street where the Town Hall Antique Mall is located. Later Elihu Newbury lived in the house. Elihu called it the Newbury Rookery. On the front of the house to the left of the entrance was constructed a porch that could hold the “Boys in the Band,” a group of locals who entertained the village on weekends. This house was undoubtedly built before 1838. It had 12 over 12 second floor windows and a very early pillared front entrance with two side lights. This drawing was very accurate and it shows the brick building just to the north now known as Denny’s Golden Shears. Richard Beringer, Romeo Historical Society staff