May 11 through time
100 Years ago – 1925
The Dokies (Dramatic Order, Knights of Khorrasin) voted to use five acres near the Roundabout Club as a lodge. The land was donated by Dr. H.V. Price and P.S. Ford. The members would be asked to contribute a sum of money to build a club house, swimming pool, tennis court and other amenities.
75 years ago – 1950
Between 10,000 and 12,000 people attended the open house for Globman’s new million-dollar department store on Church and Main Streets. Abe Globman, the store’s founder, and Mayor Nick Prillaman were the main speakers. Globman’s 2-year-old granddaughter Linda Anne Globman cut the ribbon. Construction on the 3-story building was started in October 1948. The old store on The Square was abandoned on May 1 after 35 years of Globman’s being there. The May 11, 1954, edition of the Martinsville Bulletin was 74 pages – 54 of those pages dedicated to Globman’s, either partially or completely filled with articles and ads on Globman’s. Many of the ads were taken out by other local companies congratulating the store and Globman family and employees.
50 years ago – 1975
American Finance System Inc. of Silver Spring, Md., purchased the cable television system in Martinsville, along with those in Charlottesville and Waynesboro, for $5 ¼ million.
25 years ago – 2000
Patrick Henry Community College and six other schools learned they would receive $96 million from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission for specialized programs to cultivate economic development. The seven campuses were chosen because they were in tobacco country. In apart from here, they were Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Southside Keysville, Danville, Southwest Virginia in Tazwell County, Mountain Empire in Lee County and Viriginia Highlands in Washington County.
National Catalog Corp. announce that it would expand with a $2.5 million investment in MHC and add 875 new jobs, which would pay between $7.50 and $11 an hour, with up to $70,000 for the salaried jobs. Almost a third of the workers would work in a distribution center in the Bowles Industrial Park, in the former Pluma building. It would use 6,100 square feet in the Patrick Henry Mall for offices. The company at the time already was running a 30,000-square-foot space for a call center, which had 175 employees.
The Chamber of Commerce honored Howard Huff, president of Fitness Connection; Patsy Akridge, owner of Akridge Insurance Services Inc.; Dan Cahill, owner of Heritage Home Center; and GS Industries, Terry Cundiff, president, at its annual awards luncheon at the Gallery Banquet and Convention Center.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.