April 16 through time
100 Years ago – 1925
Bessie Cahill of Back Creek School in Henry County won second prize in a “Times Contest” for her essay on the importance of shopping local.
75 years ago – 1950
The new Globman’s Department Store building on Church Street (now Martin Plaza, across from the Big Chair) was close to opening, and merchandise was being moved from the Globman’s store building on Public Square. The second floor of the new store building was about 95% stocked and ready. A big sale was going on through April at the older store building.
50 years ago – 1975
Both Henry County Sheriff C.P. Witt and Patrick County Sheriff Calvin Harbour were in the hospital for chest pains. Chief Deputy Lewis Gwynn was in charge of the Patrick office, and Chief Deputy Ralph Hill was filling in for Witt. Witt, calling the newspaper to confirm that he was in the hospital but feeling fine, said over the phone, “Hello, this is Sheriff C.P. Witt. I called to tell you I died three hours ago.” The reporter asked where he was calling from, heaven or hell. The next day, he told another reporter that his answer should have been heaven, because he didn’t see any newspaper reporters around.
“Mr. Softball” Odie Adkins died at age 46 of an apparent heart attack. Eight years before, he had organized a softball team sponsored by Rumley’s Restaurant, and that softball team became very popular and successful, winning more than 40 tournaments and the Viriginia amateur softball championship of 1970. He stopped playing softball, however, after he had a cerebral hemorrhage during a Rumley’s game in Lynchburg.
25 years ago - 2000
During Local Government Day 2000, about 100 students from Spencer-Penn and Fieldale Elementary Schools toured Henry County’s governmental offices. Their activities were organized by Sgt. R.D. Minter. They visited Supervisors Debra Buchanan and Paula Burnette. They played a price-guessing game, of uniform pieces and equipment, with Deputy Chris Stovall. They learned that it cost $2,000 to outfit a deputy with basic items, and adding a special radio brought the cost up to $5,400. Spencer-Penn school closed in 2004, and Fieldale closed in 2005.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.