Romig Street Named for Early Lafayette Pioneer Whose Death Brought Scandalous Rumors to Light

 

Romig Monument at Spring Vale Cemetery

By Diana Vice

Did you know that Romig Street in Lafayette, Indiana, is named after Solomon Romig, a Pennsylvania native born in 1802?  Romig earned a living as a farmer in Fountain County before moving to Lafayette around 1839. He purchased a tract of land to the south of the town square, which became known as Romig’s Addition. He proceeded to sell individual lots, making a large profit from the investment.  Romig increased his wealth by winning a lawsuit against the New Albany and Salem Railroad for building a line through his land in 1852. His substantial financial gain enabled him to begin lending money, which made him one of Lafayette's wealthiest men at the time. Romig acquired the Norway Waterpower Company and two sawmills in White County a few years before his death at age 77 on January 28, 1879, which was his birthday.

Romig Street & Lingle Avenue

Romig’s death drew attention to long-standing rumors about a secret daughter, who was named as sole heir in his will, and an affair with a stepdaughter that resulted in a pregnancy. Gracie was nine years old at the time of Romig’s death, and he had named a guardian for the child in his will that was not her biological mother, but rather, a relative from Pennsylvania. Details of an alleged secret marriage by Romig’s former wife’s niece, Mary E. Thomason, were made public after the guardianship was challenged in court by the child’s biological mother.

According to court testimony, it was alleged that the plaintiff, then a widow named Mary Stephens, was married on March 17, 1866, to Solomon Romig, a wealthy citizen of Lafayette, in New York City, and that the couple lived together until 1874, when Mrs. Romig sued her husband for “ruining her own daughter and a stepdaughter.” It was alleged that Romig had impregnated Mary Stephens’ daughter from a previous marriage, resulting in an angry break-up. Solomon then allegedly destroyed the marriage license and proclaimed that the marriage was illegal and that they had never been husband and wife. Solomon had Mary removed from the home. She eventually remarried and moved to Chicago, although no divorce was procured from Romig as she presumed that he had spoken the truth about the marriage being invalid.  Romig continued to raise Gracie, whom he legally adopted, until his death at which time her mother sought custody. Although the jury awarded $500 to Mary as his widow, the judge, in an earlier ruling, granted sole custody of Gracie to the relative in Pennsylvania.

The Journal and Courier reported these salacious details on April 2, 1879:

            “That about the year of 1845, Solomon Romig, the testator named in said intervening petition, intermarried with one Phebe M. Stephens, who was the widow of Richard Stephens, who was the uncle of the former husband of said relatrix, Mary E. Thompson. That in the year 1862 said Romig and his wife were living at Newtown, Fountain County, Indiana. That the health of said Phebe Maria Romig was quite poor, and at her request, the said relatrix went to reside in the family home to take care of her aunt, the said Phebe married Romig, and remained in said family until Phebe M. Romig sold her property at Newtown and went east, where she died about the year 1865.  At the time said relatrix went to take care of her said aunt, she was the widow of George B. Stephens, by whom she had at the said time three living children: William V.  Stephens, born September 5, 1852; Mary A. Stephens, born April 26, 1854; and Ada Stephens, born March 26, 1856. That after the said Phebe M. Romig went East, after selling her property at Newtown, your relatrix, viz.: in the year 1863 or 1864, came to Lafayette; and said Romig, in the absence of his wife East, came to board with the mother of your relatrix, with whom your relatrix was then living, and continued to board with the mother of your relatrix until March, 1866, about a year or rather more after the death of said Phebe M. Romig, when, at the solicitation of said Solomon Romig, and a certificate thereof given to your relatrix, which facts occurred on the 17^th day of March, 1866, and after a stay in New York of some four to six weeks said Romig and your relatrix returned to Lafayette. That in the city of New York, shortly after said marriage, said Romig stated to said relatrix that there were satisfactory reasons why said marriage would remain secret, and he enjoined upon your relatrix that she should not disclose the fact of said marriage upon her return to Lafayette until permitted by him. That upon their return to Lafayette Mr. Romig and your relatrix went to Sanford C. Cox (your relatrix being dissatisfied with the condition of affairs), who was, and for many years had been, the attorney and legal advisor of Solomon Romig, who assured your relatrix that there were sufficient reasons said marriage should be kept secret, and thereupon said relatrix acquiesced in the arrangement. That at the time of said marriage, her daughter, Mary A. Stephens, who is the daughter mentioned in said intervening petition, was about twelve years old and went to live in the family of said Romig and your relatrix. That on the 21^st day of April, 1870, said Gracie was born, while said Romig and said relatrix were living together as between themselves as husband and wife; and said Romig was the father of said Gracie, but said marriage was cancellated, as hereinbefore shown. That said Romig was always kind to the children of your relatrix by her former husband. That they went to him for articles of clothing and money as to a father, and by his kindness to them won their good will, and your relatrix had no thought of evil between any of her children and said Romig, until she ascertained about the month of August, 1874, that said Romig had debauched the said Mary A. Stephens, and had gotten her with child. That she immediately prosecuted said Romig for said offense, which, owing to the relations of confidence existing between the said Romig and her child, she felt was one of much greater enormity than such cases usually are, although under any circumstances they are hideous crimes. That when said prosecution was commenced said Romig took said marriage certificate, burned the same, and boasted to said relatrix that she could not prove said marriage; and afterwards, about the last week of December, 1874, said Romig informed said relatrix that said marriage between her and said Romig was a sham, and as soon thereafter as said relatrix could do so, viz.: about January 2, 1875, she left said Romig and she had no means to provide for Gracie, and as said Romig had promised her, and in the presence of the attorneys on both sides of the seduction prosecution aforesaid, promises to adopt said Gracie, she with his knowledge left said child to his protection, and she avers that she consented to the adoption of said child, and with no thought that her m other’s right in said child should cease, and with no intention of giving the care and custody of said child to any other person than its said father, Solomon Romig, and especially so as she had always supposed said child was born in lawful wedlock, and if this was not true, it was in the mind of said relatrix. That adoption was the course she could take.”

Grace continued to live in Pennsylvania with the Honorable & Mrs.  C. J. Erdman as her guardians. She graduated from the Allentown Female College in 1889. In 1893, she married Mr. E. J. Lightbourn, a wealthy native and prominent merchant of the Isle of Bermuda.  The couple had a daughter, Ruth, and two sons, R. Darrel and Robert E. Grace passed away at the age of 93 in 1963 in Hamilton, Bermuda. Her obituary reported that shew as the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Romig.