A settlement here was originally occupied by the indigenous Chippewa (Ojibwe), an Algonquian-speaking people who were part of a large language family of tribes extending to the Atlantic Coast.
Those tribes around the Great Lakes are thought to have migrated to this area by the 12th century.

The early European-American settlers in this area referred to the Chippewa settlement as Indian Village.
In the 1820s and 1830s more migrant European-American families began to settle in the area, building homes and establishing businesses.
They renamed the community as Hoxie's Settlement, named after a man who opened an inn on main street.
In 1839, Hoxie's Settlement became incorporated and was renamed as the village of Romeo.
Romeo celebrated its 175th anniversary as of March 9, 2013.

Romeo once served as a trading center for the timber industry, and had many mills processing lumber from the region.
Many wealthy timber families resided there.
Dozens of stately Victorian mansions survive.
 Romeo is distinct in the area for having a fairly robust, traditional downtown, which has never suffered a major fire.
Because of this, some stores and restaurants downtown have features such as original tin ceilings from the Civil War.
In the early 20th century, Romeo was the site of an early business devoted to the new automobile industry: the Detroit Auto Vehicle Company operated here from 1904 until 1908.
A settlement here was originally occupied by the indigenous Chippewa (Ojibwe), an Algonquian-speaking people who were part of a large language family of tribes extending to the Atlantic Coast. Those tribes around the Great Lakes are thought to have migrated to this area by the 12th century.
The early European-American settlers in this area referred to the Chippewa settlement as Indian Village. In the 1820s and 1830s more migrant European-American families began to settle in the area, building homes and establishing businesses. They renamed the community as Hoxie's Settlement, named after a man who opened an inn on main street. In 1839, Hoxie's Settlement became incorporated and was renamed as the village of Romeo. Romeo celebrated its 175th anniversary as of March 9, 2013.
Romeo once served as a trading center for the timber industry, and had many mills processing lumber from the region. Many wealthy timber families resided there. Dozens of stately Victorian mansions survive.  Romeo is distinct in the area for having a fairly robust, traditional downtown, which has never suffered a major fire. Because of this, some stores and restaurants downtown have features such as original tin ceilings from the Civil War. In the early 20th century, Romeo was the site of an early business devoted to the new automobile industry: the Detroit Auto Vehicle Company operated here from 1904 until 1908.
Romeo, Michigan