July 25 through the years

100 Years ago – 1925

The Horsepasture 4-H Club held a lawn party and ice cream supper at the Old Well Church.

The Volunteers of America group held its annual Heart Tag Sale in Martinsville. The organization was formed 30 years prior to give spiritual help to prisoners and assistance to families left destitute by their breadwinners being sent to prison. The local committee members were Mrs. J.D. Glenn, Mrs. J.W. Hamilton, Mrs. D.H. Pannill, Mrs. J.L. English and Mrs. J.W. Carter, who was in charge of the headquarters, in the Central Drug Store. They had mailed invitations to a many girls asking them to help sell the tags. As a reward for their efforts, local merchants had offered five pretty and useful prizes to the top sales girls. Those who did not win a prize but secured at least $3 for their tags would receive a pass good for one movie at Hamilton Theatre.

75 years ago – 1950

Roy Mitchell, almost 5, had the third case of infantile paralysis (polio) in Martinsville of the season.  He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mitchell of 308 Oakdale St.

Sheriff Morton Prillaman ordered four two-way radio units for the cars of special police officers at Bassett and Fieldale. That would bring the total to 10 law enforcement officers having 2-way radios. The sheriff said he also planned to install a device on the broadcasting equipment at the jail to allow local officers to talk with the Rockingham Sheriff’s office at Spray, N.C.

50 years ago – 1975

American Furniture Co. employee Clyde Gilley received a patent for a “profile grinder” that the company began using. It was an attachment that automatically ground a knife to the desired shape in a manner much more efficient than before. It took him about two years to invent the device and another two to get it patented. He put $3,323 into the project.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.