Long before the automobile, Romeo developed a carriage industry in the mid-1800s that brought much of the village's prosperity, reflected in the beautiful old homes originally built by carriage business owners. Local craftsmen made carriage frames, axles, and bodies of wood, while the village foundry shaped molten metal into parts such as carriage steps and axle spindles. When automobiles replaced carriage transportation in the early 1900s, the Romeo Foundry continued to thrive by supplying engine blocks for the popular Ford Model T. Romeo's carriage businesses also invented new features for better suspension, better axle placement, and better attachment to the horse.