June 19 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
The front page of the Henry Bulletin described a “Splendid Dance Tuesday Night – The best dance that was ever given in Martinsville, was that given by the young men of the town, at the Banner Warehouse, Tuesday evening, when a very large crowd of young people were present to enjoy the pleasures of the season. It was titles a “June German,” and true to its name, came off in elaborate style ..” The band was Neidemeyer’s Orchestra of Huntington, W.Va. Crowds from Raleigh, Greensboro, Danville, Statesville, Reidsville, Leaksville, Madison, Chatham, South Boston, Fieldale, Stuart, Rocky Mount and, of course, Martinsville attended.
75 years ago – 1950
Workmen from the Motorola company installed two-way radio units on the vehicles of Sheriff Morton Prillaman, Deputy Rural Gusler and Game Warden E.T. Lemon. The next day, broadcasting equipment would be put up at the jail and the sheriff’s office and an antennae put up on top of the jail building.
50 years ago – 1975
JCPenney sales: stereo system with radio, record player and cassette player, with two speakers, $158.80; flip-number clock radio with snooze button and weather reports, $34.88; digital clock radio “with illuminated computer-type digits,” $29.88; 8-track tape player with radio, $89.95; push-button cassette recorder, $29.95; black and white portable TV with 9-inch screen, $79.
25 years ago - 2000
Cellphones were new, and an Intelos ad showed that a young businessman was on the golf course saying that a cellphone gave him “the power to give the boss the rundown from the putting green.” The company offered a plan with 1,800 “Bonus Anytime Minutes” with free voice mail, text messaging and caller ID. Regular plans were: $35, 600 minutes in the area, 300 minutes statewide and 275 minutes in the region; $65, with 2,000 area minutes, 1,000 statewide minutes and 650 regional; and a $50 plan in between.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.