October 19 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
Shows at the Henry County Fair included “Lenoras Jewels, with 6 GIRLS and 1 MAN gorgeously costumed and which has positively proved to be the sensational dancing feature of this season,” the advertisement states. “Every member of this troupe is a 100 per cent artist in his or her particular line, each being a principal and presenting their offering in a whirlwind fashion which is bewildering. Also, FLORENZ and C., consisting of one GENT one LADY and YOUNG GIRL, doing to separate and distinct acts, comedy knockabout, acrobatic and dancing. Finally, we have VORTEX and KEELER giving you their two beautiful aerial act. … We wish to again call your attention to our UNUSUAL DISPLAY of FIREWORKS, which will be double that of last year. Remember, the Fair Management is bending every effort to give you High Class and Clean Amusements, Free Acts and Beautiful Display of Fireworks such as you usually only see at State Fairs. – A.L. TUGGLE, Pres., Mgr. Martinsville, Va.”
75 years ago – 1950
Forty-one percent of the workers at Fontaine Converting Works went on strike and threw a picket line around the plant. The union textile workers were demanding a pay increase of 20 cents an hour ($2.68 in today’s money). Some of the employees had been offered a raise of 8 cents an hour, and others, 10 cents. The wage scale effective that day was 83 cents ($11.11 in today’s money) an hour for apprentice workers, $1.03 an hour ($13.79 in today’s money) in the dyeing department and $1.01 in all other departments.
50 years ago – 1975
At First Federal Savings of Danville, open an account with $1,000 and get for free “Spice ‘O Life” Corning Ware cookware. You could add pieces to the collection by increasing the amount of deposit. People who already had accounts could buy a piece of Corning Ware by making a $25 deposit. Anyone depositing $500 or more to a new or existing account would get a stainless steel carving set. People depositing $200 or more would receive between 600 to 2,400 S&H Green Stamps, depending on amount deposited.
25 years ago - 2000
McCabe Memorial Baptist Church got a steeple put on for the first time since a storm in the 1960s destroyed the previous steeple.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.