June 6 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
Ads in the newspaper encouraged farmers to support the Tobacco Growers Co-operative Association. Reason No. 4, one ad said, was “Redrying. Constant attempts by opponents of cooperative marketing to dissatisfy members of the Tobacco Association with its redrying policies have brought to light the fact that the Association has saved several thousand dollars by cutting the costs of its redrying, according to investigation by State officials from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia …” It claimed that officers of the Association got their redrying prices up from $1.75 per hundred to $2 per hundred pounds and in some cases $2.25 per hundred.
75 years ago – 1950
City Council held a public hearing on a proposed new plumbing code for Martinsville. A controversial clause caused City Council to delay the decision for a while and appoint a committee to study the matter. It was important because it also would lay the groundwork for similar proposals with the electric and building codes which were being drafted. The controversial clause would require that a master plumber maintain an office in business-zoned property before he could be licensed in the future. That would effect 22 plumbers who worked out of their homes.
50 years ago – 1975
The City needed to bring its budget into balance with more income and less expenditure. One way to do that was through increased bus fares. City Council accepted City Manager Tom Noland’s plan to increase bus far and stop all late morning and early afternoon bus routes, which would save the city around $43,000. Bus fares would go up to 40 cents, from 25 cents.
25 years ago – 2000
When they brought out the applications for Supervisor, Henry County discovered that the forms were more than necessary. According to the Board of Elections, all that was required was for the candidate to live in the district and have the signatures of 125 registered voters. This form required authorization for a criminal records check and credit history as well as information on medical, education and past and present employment.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.