Sept. 26 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
Ad for Richardson Electric Co. of Martinsville: “Back of Civilation [sic] the Magic of Electricity! Electricity, indeed, is the fore-runner of civilation. It has made possible hundreds of ways of lightening toil, speeding up production, of lowering living costs. In your own home you will find scores of used for Electricity. There’s the vacuum cleaner, electric stoves, electric waffle irons, electric washing machines, electric perculators – not to mention the greatest use of all – that of light …”
75 years ago – 1950
Curtains on sale at Penney: Organdy Priscillas, $3.77; Rayon Tailored Pairs, Washable Marquisette Perm-A-Ray Finish, $3.79; unique colors in Plastic Drapes, $1.98.
City Council authorized the funding to pay for installation of a one-way street system for the city. Assistant City Engineer John Sizemore had estimated that the cost of the change would be $8,370: signal lights for $3,500, signs and poles for $1,388, a street marking machine for $733, paint $641, labor $727, a pickup truck for $500, and other expenses. After the project was completed, the city would install 140 new parking meters, to be paid separately.
50 years ago – 1975
The Solid Waste Committee in Henry County was composed of Clifford T. Stone of Bassett, Woodrow Eanes of Axton, Bill Bolton of Collinsville, Charles T. Philpott Jr. of Bassett, James I. Bowman of Ridgeway, Bobby Nickelstone of Ridgeway and Henry County Administrator Gerard Seeley. It was looking for alternative to the only garbage system which was that residents were supposed to bring their trash to the central landfill. The ideas they presents to the Board of Supervisors were: institute a public or private garbage collection service; set up a network of conveniently located community garbage containers; or create centralized dumping stations.
25 years ago – 2000
Lisa Thomas, 30, of 2052 Stultz Road, was shot to death in DeMarco’s Clothing, the uptown Martinsville store owned by her husband, Maverick “Rick” Thomas. She was found by her husband and by Minister Malvester Muhammed with her two children, 1 and 3, nearby and crying. The Store was at 20 Walnut St. She was found near clothing racks in the Classic Merchandise Collection area of the store. Police Chief Mike Rogers reported that the cause did not appear to be robbery. Muhammad said his friend Thomas was with him at his music store, Poor Boys Music at 14 Bridge St., before they went to DeMarco’s, after Thomas’s calls to the store were not answered, the Martinsville Bulletin reported on Sept. 28. The Thomases were members of the Nation of Islam and were members of Muhammad’s Islam study group of which Lisa Thomas was the secretary.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.