| The exact
origin of the City's name remains a mystery. Local legend persists,
however, that the presence of large numbers of wolves in the area reminded the
first few visionary settlers of the Greek myth surrounding Romulus and Remus.
These mythical characters were said to have been nursed and raised by a wolf. In fact,
according to the minutes of the first Township meeting, officers voted to enact
a "$2 bounty on every wolf 'catched' in the Town of Romulus...."
Read the
official minutes from Romulus' first township meeting.
First Township
Meeting Minutes
The earliest
settlers came to the Romulus area in 1827. The city was originally a part of
Huron Township, an area that consisted of present day Romulus, Sumpter and Van
Buren Townships.
On March 17,
1835, Romulus was organized by action of the Michigan legislature as a separate
Township. One year later, a village plat for "Pullen's Corners" was recorded,
its location being in Section 19 at the intersection that is now commonly called
"Five Points."
"Pullen's
Corners" was the official post office designation for the village until 1871.
The combined general store and post office remained the only commercial
establishment in the Township during this period.
When the Flint
& Pere Marquette Railroad (now known as B&O/C&O) was extended through the
Township, its stop became known as the "Romulus Station." The U.S. Government
soon began using this name for the local post office.
In an historic
document, Farmer's History-Personal Sketches of Romulus, 41
original pioneers were listed. Those settlers named included three from Wayne
County, five from England, fourteen from Germany, five from Ireland, two from
Scotland, and one from another area of Michigan. The remaining eleven came from
miscellaneous areas, most of which were in New York State.
Underground Railroad
The
African-American community has been an integral part of Romulus since the
mid-nineteenth century. In fact, the last living Romulus Civil War veteran was
an African American man who had accompanied the 24th Michigan Infantry into
battle as a twelve-year old boy.
In 1854, the
Romulus Union Church Society was organized for the purposed of constructing a
building for use by all denominations. This building still stands and is known
as "the White Church." It is located at "Five Points", the intersection of
Huron River Drive, Goddard Road, Grand Road and Ozga Road.
This Union
Church is thought to have been a stop along the "underground railroad." Such
sanctuaries assisted run-away slaves on their often-dangerous quest for freedom
from the pre-Civil War South. These slaves traveled to the Northern States and
also into Canada where any and all aspects of slavery were considered illegal
and morally repugnant.
Life
in the 1800s
Following the
Civil War, Romulus could no longer be called a "pioneer town" since the Township
had developed into an agricultural community consisting of many small farms.
An 1866, a
local resident's diary tells of numerous communities’ activities including
quilting bees, dances, church socials, oyster suppers, cooperative haying and
much more.
Group singing
lessons were a good excuse for the young people of the area to get together, and
church socials were often held as fund raising events to pay the minister's
salary.
In 1888, there
were seven school districts, each with one or two-room buildings typical for the
time. Each was governed by its own "school inspector" or by a small
three-member board. Teachers lived with the neighboring families and children
were honored when it was their turn to "have teacher."
Records show
that in the late 1800s the district had 15 teachers, four male and eleven female
teachers instructing 400 boys and girls who attended school throughout the
Township.
Township
government, regulated by Michigan statute pertaining to townships, proceeded
without interruption from 1835 until late into next century when Romulus became
a recognized city.
In 1872, the
first Township Hall was constructed at a cost of $500. It was located on the
southeast corner of Goddard and Vining Roads, a location almost exactly at the
geographical center of the Township. The "Township Hall" on Goddard Road,
formerly the Grange Hall and was first used for municipal offices in 1931.
Life
in the 1900s
The first library in Romulus, established in 1923, consisted of 204 books lining
the few shelves of a "Sweet Shop & Confectionery." The shop's proprietor
provided the necessary library services. Then, as now, the Romulus Library was a
branch of the Wayne County Library System.
Romulus has
traditionally supported athletes and athletic activities. At one time, baseball
was king in Romulus and a number of local teams often played against teams of
semi-professional caliber.
Business was
often neglected on days when the national pastime was being played out on the
baseball diamond. The athletic tradition of Romulus continues today with a
number of current and retired NBA basketball players having been born and raised
in Romulus.
Major
transportation developments since 1930 have been the construction of the Willow
Run Expressway - now know as I-94. The new freeway carried workers from Detroit
to the "Bomber Plant" at Willow Run Airport, which at first only included a
small section of land.
Between 1946
and 1950, the airport was expanded to an area of four square miles. Since then,
the County renamed the airport Detroit Metropolitan Airport and has purchased
considerably more land for airport expansion.
A favorable
vote by the electorate officially created the City of Romulus in May 1970.
21st
Century Romulus
Today, Romulus
is a thriving city that offers its residents a unique lifestyle. The area
features plenty of wide-open spaces for home sites, a cozy downtown district,
and quick access to major highways and the state's airport hub.
Romulus offers
small town appeal with all the advantages of big city style. This
forward-thinking community is in close proximity to cultural, entrainment and
pro sports activities in nearby Ann Arbor, Lansing and Detroit. In addition,
various public and private universities are within an easy commute from the
city.
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