Nov. 1 through the years

100 Years ago – 1925

 The Gossard Dancelette at C.W. Holt was advertised as “A new Step-in – no garters, no bones. You step into it like a teddy. It stays perfectly in place without hose supporters – the secret lies in two bands, one about each thigh – it’s made of silk and elastic. It’s feather weight. And you’ll adore it for sports wear, your everyday ‘business,’ or dancing. Sizes 24 to 32. Step-in to one and judge for yourself.”

75 years ago – 1950

A 9 a.m. explosion at the Fort Trial rock quarry killed three men and injured three others. The explosion happened at 9 a.m. at the quarry, operated by Lambert Brothers Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn. The quarry was 5 miles northeast of Martinsville. Killed were: James E. Baker, about 30, of Rock Run near Stanleytown; Williard Hodges, 40, of Boone Mill, N.C.; and Herbert Jenkins, 36, of Johnson City, Tenn. Raymond Thompson, 35, of Vesta had injuries to his shoulder and head and was sent to Martinsville General hospital for treatment. Treated at the quarry for their injuries were Colonel Jones, 56, of Bassett, with injuries to his ears, and A.L. Long, 43, of Bassett, with a chest injury. Seven other men working in the pit when the explosion occurred escaped injury. The explosion was heard from miles away, and hundreds of people followed five ambulances and every available state and county police officer to the scene. The plant supplied gravel to the Philpott Dam construction project.

50 years ago – 1975

Effie Ann Farmer, 9 months old, died in a house fire, and her 2-year-old brother, John Byrd Farmer Jr., was rescued by his grandfather, Curtis B. Moxley. The children’s mother, Mrs. John Byrd Farmer, had been at the nearby home of her father, Mr. Moxley, when the fire broke out around 9 a.m. The children’s father had been working at Fairystone. Mr. Moxley said he thought the fire had started from a woodstove. The house was in Preston.

25 years ago - 2000

Ron Shealer’s technology class at Bassett Middle School had a pumpkin-dropping competition. The point was to see if students could package a pumpkin so that it could be dropped from being suspended 105 feet off the ground by a Bassett Fire Department ladder truck. None of the pumpkins survived entirely intact, but the one wrapped by Travis Hambrick, Jamie Hancock and Cassie Netherton had the least damage, an 8-inch crack.

Fifth District U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode of Rocky Mount announced that President Bill Clinton had signed a bill that included $750,000 for a regional “Martinsville-Henry County Industrial Park” and $2 million for water and sewer infrastructure for that park.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.