The Nankin Township Historical Society

Detroit Free Press , May 24, 1893 I almost gave up on my many Romulus searches based solely upon it not being Nankin specific and had I done so would have missed out on this very important article concerning a place which is meaningful to many of us, William Ganong Cemetery. During a tornado outbreak on May 23, 1893 the farm of Frederick Kugath was hit by a heavy windstorm and he was struck by a board blown from one of the buildings and died from his injuries. Also damaged was the early skeleton of the newly built Henry Sustedt Furniture store Weston Building which was completely destroyed though eventually rebuilt. The barn of S. R. Kingsley was blown from its foundation with windows blown out and fruit and forest trees damaged. Other locations hit with damage were Dexter, which was slammed by a tornado, Howell, Ypsilanti, Jackson, Holly, Fenton, Benton Harbor, Lapeer, Adrian and Rogers City.

Detroit Free Press , July 3, 1893 As was the case with most small towns looking for a leg-up in the booming industrial age, plans were afoot in Romulus in the 1890s to make it a manufacturing hub. Being conveniently located at the crossing of the Wabash Railroad and the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad it made perfect sense for the time. As such, the Romulus Land Syndicate of Detroit, which had already lured such manufacturers as the J. M. Hommel Mfg. Co., The Romulus Knitting Mills, The Seestedt Furniture Co. and the Columbian Wire Works. Seestadt, having formerly been located in Wayne, needed an upgrade in their growing business and chose Romulus. On July 4, 1893 the Romulus Land Syndicate renting a train an offered a free expedition from the New Union Depot in Detroit to the burgeoning town 13 miles to the west. The only exclusions were children because they meant business, I suppose. Not a solitary event the land syndicate seemingly did this annually for a few years.