Residence of Ira F. Johnson, Romulus (& a Brief & Incomplete Biography)

This 112-year-old real photo post card of Ira F. Johnson's homestead
in Romulus is for sale currently for $30. Were it a modest price I'd
have already purchased it but I can just lift the picture and pretend
that I own it instead.

Detroit Free Press, March 7, 1938

I'm envious of Mr. Johnson for two
reasons: because of his glorious house and the fact that he owned a
newspaper, The Romulus Roman among his other occupations which
included notary public and deputy sheriff. All at the age of 74 to boot.

Detroit Free Press, June 7, 1940

He was also active in a group
called the Three Score and Ten Michiganders. They were native
Michiganders who were septuagenarians or older, still lived in state and
had no criminal record. Meetings were held on the first Thursday of
each month where cards, music and games were played. Their June 7, 1940
meeting was at the Palmer Park Casino. Members included Charles C.
Brewe, M. W. Scott, John A. Williams, Edward H. Maske and, of course,
Johnson.

Johnson held positions in both political parties serving Romulus.

As for the postcard, it is addressed to Don Harris, c/o Joe W. Harris of Polk, Ohio and postmarked October 18, 1907. The Romulus postmark appears to be from the 13th.

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A Dudley Randall Poem in Milestone 2

I bought this Milestone 2 poetry Magazine at a Livonia estate sale this week. Milestone was the literary publication of Wayne (State) University and this second issue dates to 1949. While I don't recognize most of the names, Dudley Randall was both a nationally known poet and the librarian for the Wayne County General Hospital at Eloise via the Wayne County Library System. The poem featured is The Southern Road which was a revised version of the completed poem from 1948 that h as a handful or two of word differences between the two. I don't know if Randall edited the poem for later collected works editions or earlier but this link features it in its likely final form in 2009. Neither version particularly enchants me but the block print in the magazine is an added bonus.

A Cabinet Card of a Dead Man Lying in Repose From Wayne Photographer Susan Doolittle

The City of Wayne, Michigan was not a large village at the turn of the 20th century so it stands to reason that there wasn't a glut of photographers practicing their trade there. As such, the 3 cabinet cards and carte de visites that I own represents roughly a quarter of the early ones. Considering that the wives of Frank Hickok and William Corlett, first Village President of Wayne, took over after Frank's death in 1892 the list grows smaller beyond those two families. Had I snagged the Doolittle dead man cabinet card I'd be even that much more Wayne-rich in photographs. Speaking of Susan Doolittle, of whom I have learned very little about, it is interesting to note that Wayne had three women photographers in an era oft dominated by men in that very field. This photograph of a corpse is a startling example of her work.

Frederick Soop: Not An Equal Opportunity Restraunteer

Detroit Free Press , March 28, 1890 If you don't want to hear a racist tale of a suburban namesake then close your eyes now. As early as 1876 Frederick Soop had left his Belleville farm once again, having done a stint at the Hawkins House in Ypsilanti during the Civil War and the City Hotel in Detroit thereafter, and ventured off to Chatham, Ontario to run the Rutley Hotel , which was conducted as a Temperance House. Detroit Free Press , August 17, 1879 In 1879 he was searching for a good restaurant or small hotel to operate. Eventually he ended up on Washington Avenue near State Street running a dining hall which he ran until around 1890. Detroit Free Press , April 16, 1890 It was in 1888 when the aforementioned racial incident occurred at his dining establishment. It was then that William H. Haynes, a black doctor, sat down with his former classmate S. W. Barkwell for dinner. The men ordered but when the food was served none was placed before Mr. Haynes who, ironically, ha...

The Nankin Township Historical Society

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