Nov. 4 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
Mrs. R.R. Lee was hostess to the Woman’s Club. Members voted $38 toward buying reference books for the school library. The Club also is offering its annual prize of $5 each to a high school student and a sixth- or seventh-grade student for earning the highest average in English for the year.
75 years ago – 1950
The execution dates for the Martinsville Seven had been set for Nov. 17 and Nov. 20. Attorney Martin A. Martin of Richmond and other attorneys said that they planned to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The day before, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals had upheld a Richmond Hustings court order denying writs of habeas Corpus to the seven men. The U.S. Supreme Court once before had turned down a review of the case. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals refused appeals twice, and Gov. Battle declined to comment on the cases. All seven men had been convicted in April 1949 in Martinsville Circuit Court for raping a white woman 3 months before.
50 years ago – 1975
For sale in the Globman’s Basement was an air hockey table for $24.96 ($149.47 in today’s money). Cassette tape recorders cost $19.96. A silverplate cranberry set (“Just slice and serve your cranberry sauce in this pretty 10-inch tray complete with 8-inch pierced serving spoon”) cost $4.96.
In elections, state Sen. Virgil Goode Jr. held on to his seat, as did Henry County Sheriff C.P. Witt, Commonwealth’s Attorney Roscoe Reynolds, Henry County Commissioner of Revenue Bud Philpott, Henry County Circuit Court Clerk Bob Crouch and Henry County Treasurer Donald W. Turner. Elected to the Board of Supervisors were S.E. Moran, Sam S. Gusler, Jack Dalton, Max Kendall, James Washburn and Randolph Bryant. Of the Supervisors, Dalton was the only incumbent to keep his seat. Three decided not to run for re-election: Andrew Hodges, Tiny Norman and Bill Martin. Board chair Melvin W. Brown lost to Bryant, and vice-chair Elmer E. Dalton lost to Moran. The districts back then were Reed Creek, Martinsille (northeast county, between Reed Creek and Iriswood), Iriswood, Ridgeway, Horsepasture and Blackberry.
25 years ago - 2000
Sharon D. Dodson was hired as superintendent of Henry County Public Schools.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.