April 29 through time
100 Years ago – 1925
S. Heiner, who operated a store in Martinsville, opened a department store in Bassett, next to the Hamilton Theatre. The ad read: “The live, wide-awake town of Bassett will soon enjoy the service of a real, up-to-date department store, one catering to all the needs of all the people, carrying a complete line of quality merchandise such as is found only in the larger city department stores. This off-spring of the old and popular house of S. Heiner of Martinsville will start business with the same idea and policy that has built the immense business of the parent house – that is of giving the public the most for their money relying on volume of business and quick turnovers for its profits.
75 years ago – 1950
Stafford Whittle, crew leader for City census enumerators, announced that the preliminary figure for Martinsville’s population was 9,902.
The Bassett Section Rally for Boy Scouts was held at the Bassett High School gym, with troops from Stanleytown, Bassett Forks, Sanville and Bassett.
50 years ago – 1975
Salem Carpet Mills Inc. Factory Warehouse Store in the Cloverleaf Shopping Center on 220 South offered a class in Home Decorating, taught by Jan Pinkston. The Tuesday night classes had the topics: 1, Color and How to Use It; 2, Drapery & Fabric Selection and Styling; 3, Wallpaper, Carpet, Floor Covering; and 4, Total Room Concept, “How to Put It All Together.”
25 years ago - 2000
The first online City Council form was held. While most in-person forums had audiences of five or six people, this “eTown” forum had 300 computers logged on to it. The online forum was the idea of candidate R.M. “Ronnie” Stone. It was broadcast online by Neocom Microspecialists Inc. at the company office on Main Street, and a simulcast was broadcast on WHEE Radio. The domain name, etownmeeting.neocom.net, was purchased by Rod Berry, who moderated the forum, Danny Turner and Neocom executive vice president Joe Albanese. Albanese and Turner ran the broadcasting equipment. The candidates were Dave Gilbert, Nancy Carter, Ron Ferrell, Vice Mayor Gene Teague and Stone.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.