Third Week in March, 1926, 1951, 1976, 2026
March 25
100 Years ago – 1926
Charles E. Buck Tourist Party presented “Picture Stories of American Wonderlands” in the school auditorium. Admission was 35 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. “Don’t miss this greatest of all picture lectures,” the advertisement urged.
75 years ago – 1951
Roy M. Sawyers of 714 Oneida St., North Martinsville, was wounded in the Korean War and recuperating in a military hospital in Japan. He wrote to his parents, of the home, that he had narrowly escaped capture by the Chinese in fighting around Wonju. Several of his companions were killed, and he was wounded in his knee.
Harry Tuggle of Martinsville won the sweepstakes award for the highest number of points, as well as the award for best bloom, in the Garden Club of Virginia’s 17th annual daffodil show. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Irvine Tuggle. Martinsville Garden Club won the Garden Club of Virginia Cup for best test collection. The club and Mr. Tuggle won cup awards as well.
50 years ago – 1976
Patrick County noted a 54% drop in the number of people receiving food stamps, to 255, down from 393 the month before. Patrick County’s unemployment rate was 11% in February 1975 and 3% in February 1976.
25 years ago - 2001
Internet for the general public was new. Sitestar, at 29 W. Main St., advertised: “Discover the Internet. Low Price Guarantee – First-Time User Specialists – Free Training & Support. DSL Available.”
MARCH 19 100 Years ago – 1926
A large group of Martinsville members of the Knights of Ku Klux Klan, in both the men’s and women’s divisions, traveled to Danville to attend the Ham-Ramsey Revival, which had been in progress for five weeks.
75 years ago – 1951
The City’s new one-way traffic plan took effect. The plan was based off recommendations by the State Highway department. West-bound traffic would be one-way on Main Street from Clay to Moss, and east-bound traffic would be one-way between Moss and Clay. Jones Street would carry northbound traffic, and Franklin Street, eastbound. The directions of Walnut and Bridge Streets traffic between Church and Main would be reversed. There were only two bottleneck problems and no crashes. Traffic was slow as people got used to the new system.
50 years ago – 1976
Rosalyn Carter, the wife of presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, campaigned for her husband at the Dutch Inn in Collinsville from 8:30-11 a.m. About 150 formed a welcoming party, standing outside with signs as her helicopter landed. Thirty Drewry Mason High School seniors were there. Mrs. Carter said that her husband would attack the big government in Washington like he did in Georgia, where he reduced the number of state government agencies from 300 to 22. When someone asked her how she could stand to be in politics where everyone knew everything about her life, she responded that she was from Plains, Georgia, population 600, and people there knew everything she did, too.
E.D. Abbott, 41, an Axton man who had served 25 years in prison, was released on this day, 2 years earlier than his sentence had given him, with $140 and a new suit. The early release was because he helped save the life and hand of a foreman in the license plate shop. George H. Woods’ hand had been cut off in a factory accident in November 1975. Abbot provided pressure on Woods’ wrist to stop the bleeding while another inmate wrapped the hand in cloth and took it to the prison infirmary where it was packed on ice and sent to the Medical College of Virginia. The hand was successfully reattached after a 12-hour surgery.
25 years ago - 2001
A part of the Dutch Inn hotel in Collinsville, including the office and the iconic windmill tower, was destroyed by fire. The cause of the fire was originated in a disc jockey’s equipment. A bartender at the Dutch Inn reported having seen two CD players, a mixer, amplifier and two fans plugged into the console.
MARCH 20 100 Years ago – 1926
Dr. J.F. Vines was holding a revival meeting at the First Baptist Church, and he also addressed Martinsville Public Schools students on each morning of his stay in Martinsville. Topics in the schools included “Conquerors” on Tuesday and “The Value of Character” on Wednesday. At the church Wednesday night he spoke on “Escape for Thy Life.” At that service several members of the Women’s Organization of the Ku Klux Klan attended, and they were addressed for a few minutes after the presentation, at which they had presented a financial gift.
75 years ago – 1951
Former U.S. Senator Thomas Granville Burch, 81, of Church Street, Martinsville, died. Former governors William M. Tuck of South Boston and Colgate Darden said they would attend his funeral. While serving in his 16th year as a member of the U.S. House, he had been appointed to the Senate on May 30, 1946, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Carter Glass. He had been on Martinsville town council starting in 1912, a mayor of Martinsville, a U.S. marshal and on the governor’s Commission on Reorganization of the State Government. He was a president of the Martinsville chamber of Commerce and the first president of the local Kiwanis Club. He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture from 1910 to 1913 and the boards of State Normal School and the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. He was the founder of Piedmont Trust Bank, a president of T.G. Burch and Co., an insurance brokerage and real estate firm, and was a member of the board of directors of Bassett Furniture Industries. He was a Mason, a Pythian, an Elk, a Red Man and an Odd Fellow. He and his wife, Mary Anson Burch, did not have children.
Martinsville General Hospital reported a net loss of $60.67 during February before writing off any uncollectible bills. The hospital provided services worth $32,294.94 at a cost of $33,180.34 and had additional income of $859.73. It admitted 362 patients (46 as babies born there) in February and its average daily census was 74.4.
50 years ago – 1976
Miller Brewing Company was hoping to build a $200 million mid-Atlantic brewery in Eden, N.C., but there was a lot of public outcry against it. However, it did come to be, and many local people worked there.
25 years ago – 2001
About 50 employees of Nylstar’s Amfibe division in the Martinsville Industrial Park spent a month in France, Spain and Italy in training. Much of their time was spent observing Nylstar’s operations in Europe. Nylstar is based in Milan, Italy, and has nine factories in Europe. Nylstar bought Amfibe in April 2000. New production lines will enable the Martinsville plant to produce a total capacity of 20,000 tons of special yarns a year.
Larry Thomas Bennett, 53, of Maple Drive, Collinsville, died at home in a fight with a friend.
MARCH 21 100 Years ago – 1926
Dr. W.W. Morris, one of the oldest citizens of the county and a retired doctor, as well as one of the remaining Civil War veterans, was very sick, and had been since the holidays, He was confined to his home in Pleasant Grove.
75 years ago – 1951
Nuns from the Daughters of Wisdom were in Martinsville inspecting Martinsville General Hospital to determine whether or not the Catholic Church would want to make a formal offer to purchase and operate it. Local priest Father Robert E. O’Kane was a liaison with the church leaders in Richmond on the matter.
The first accident on Martinsville streets since the switch to some of them being one-way occurred just 2 days after the switch. An unloaded school bus attempting to turn left into the one-way Moss Stret off Church Street struck a truck standing still in the left lane of Moss Street.
50 years ago – 1976
The Patrick County School System was $87,500 in debt ($496,000 in today’s money), which it owed to the state. An amendment to the state budget passed in the Virginia General Assembly forgave that debt, but it required that the system’s 1975-76 budget must be increased by that amount and the money used for educational purposes.
25 years ago - 2001
Travis Crouch started the business Bay Rock Irrigation, which handled underground sprinkler systems. His office was at 6211 Virginia Avenue in Bassett.
MARCH 22 100 Years ago – 1926
The Henry County Board of Supervisors approved a $150,000 school bond issue ($2,731,000 in today’s money). The meeting was held in the Clerk’s office of the courthouse.
75 years ago – 1951
The Catholic Church withdrew its offer to purchase the failing Martinsville General Hospital. Father R.E. O’Kane, the local pastor of St. Joseph’s Mission, said that was because there was a strong resentment in the community against a change in the operation policy of the hospital, and also an opposition to bringing in Catholic nuns.
50 years ago – 1976
The truckers of Virginia-Carolina Freight Lines, Roy Stone Transfer Co. and R.P. Thomas Trucking Co. of Martinsville and Henry County went on strike, after members of Teamsters Union Local 22 rejected a proposed contract. Union officials said the main issue was the payment per mile the truckers received. Some local truckers said the problem also was that their companies’ 3-year employment contract did not include a cost-of-living increase. In the absence of drivers behind the wheel, some office workers drove trucks.
25 years ago – 2001
Twenty-one pit pulls were confiscated when county sheriff’s deputies searched a trailer on Heart Break Ridge Lane on a federal warrant, finding evidence of dog fighting. A father-son duo were arrested on federal charges, but charges were not filed in connection with the dogs until April 3, 2001. Dog-fighting is a felony, and each man also was charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.
Showing at Movie Town were “Say It Isn’t So” starring Heather Graham and Chris Kline; “Heartbreakers” starring Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Gene Hackman; “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”; “The Mexican”; and “Down to Earth.” Rives Cinema had “Saving Silverman” and “Traffic.”
MARCH 23 100 Years ago – 1926
The Round Dozen Club met at the home of Mrs. J. Clyde Hooker. Each member responded to the roll call by mentioning some famous Virginia home. Mrs. Brumfield Read was in charge of the program. The subject was “Famous Homes of Virginia.” She talked about Colonial Virginia homes. Janie Lavinder talked about the home of the Harrisons, called the “Brandon Hall” on the James. Louise Kuykendall described Monticello.
75 years ago – 1951
The Exchange Club planned to run a long-range safety program for the area and, to start it off, it had a contest giving a $25 cash prize to the best highway safety slogan it received. The slogan should be six words or fewer.
50 years ago – 1976
Ridgeway Garden Club held a “Yard of the Month” program. Judges looked for neatness and landscaping and overall well groomed yard. Members had divided Ridgeway into seven sections, and a duo of two garden club members for each section would choose the yards they consider best looking. The first-place winner would receive a “Yard of the Month” sign to display, and, if he did not want to display it, the sign would go to the second-place winner.
Lawrence M. Martin, who had resigned as county administrator only a month into that position, agreed to stay on until May 1 to give the county time to find and train a new administrator.
The location of a proposed new power line was contentious. At hearings in Martinsville by the State Corporation Commission, Dyers Store residents said the power line should go over Turkeycock Mountain. An environmentalist from Franklin County said it should go through Dyers Store and not disturb the wildlife on the mountain. Patrick County residents opposed a line through their area.
25 years ago - 2001
Fieldale Fire Department had a dance from 7:30-10:30 with music by Friday Night Band. Before going out dancing, you could have dinner at Hong Kong restaurant in Patrick Henry Mall. It had “Super Chinese American Buffet” with 80 foods including crab cakes, and you also could order off the menu.
MARCH 24 100 Years ago – 1926
With the milder weather of spring came the construction of new houses. Three fine houses were being built on Mulberry Street, by T.B. Huskey, Robert Walker and Jack Morris, and the fourth on Church Street, across from the N.S. Schottland house, by Dr. Gustave B. Dudley.
75 years ago – 1951
Members of Alpha Omega Hi-Y of Martinsville High School were selling Easter lilies to benefit the Virginia Society for Crippled Children and Adults. Those selling were Winkie Davis, Lola Hall, Carolyn Evans, Iris Arnn, Zoe Chapman, Sarah Grogan, Mona Mitchell, Nancy Moore Teague, Wray Deal, Ann Troxler, Lucy English, Jo Ann Nichels, Margaret Nelson, Georgia Randolph, Ferol McInturff, Loin Jean Wray, Kay McDonald, Robin Goode, Betsy Broun, Merlow Donovant and Barbara Lawson.
Fifteen state police officers raided a chicken fight in Boxwood near Axton and arrested 17 people. Charges were illegal handling and fighting game chickens, gambling and participating in the operation of the place.
50 years ago – 1976
A local survey showed that despite high unemployment during 1975, most churches in the area still had taken in contributions that were over the amount they received in 1974.
City Council authorized action to try to get NASA to locate a multimillion dollar wind generator in Martinsville, to augment the city’s supply of electricity. NASA planned to install about a dozen win generators around the nation, and Martinsville wanted to get one of them.
25 years ago - 2001
Rangeley Ruritan Club had a Rabbit or Ham Supper, with serving starting at 4 p.m., at its clubhouse.
Bassett Moose Lodge had a dance with DJ Roger Boyd playing variety music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
MARCH 25 100 Years ago – 1926
Houses were being built on Summit street in south Martinsville. The land had been purchased 2 years before, but at that time there were a lot of new houses in north Martinsville, many not yet sold, so there didn’t seem to be a market for more houses. Now, though, “Mr. A.L. Lester is putting the finishing touches on the second of two very fine homes recently built on Summit Street, and a third is under way just a block west,” the Henry Bulletin reported on March 25. “Most of the new lots have splendid five room cottages on them, with several residences of larger size and more pretentious in their appointments.” There were about 20 new there altogether.
75 years ago – 1951
A Volunteer Emergency Stabilization Cooperation Committee for the City was formed to help the public interpret price regulations and orders. It would perform much of the same service as the Office of Price Administration during World War II. Members and the groups they represented were: Labor, Robert W. Bousman, 224 Park St.; veterans, Jackson C. Dodge; industry, J. Lawson Dyer, secretary of Martinsville Novelty Corp.; publishing, W.R. Martin, secretary-treasurer The Martinsville Bulletin Inc.
50 years ago – 1976
Groundhog Mountain Corp. was released from bankruptcy. The corporation had 2,505 acres of mountain and residential development in Patrick and Carroll Counties on the Blue Ridge Parkway southwest of Stuart. That land was slated to go up for sale on April 27, with the sale being conducted in the development’s Doe Run Lodge.
25 years ago - 2001
The U.S. Postal Service had revealed that it was considering closing the uptown post office. Fred Martin, operating as F&L LLC, had bought the uptown post office building at 1 E. Church St. on Feb. 2, 2001, for $95,000. The U.S. Postal Service. Since then, the Martins and city officials worked to convince the Postal Service to stay, with ideas for improvements such as add handicap access and 200 more post office boxes and also improvement of the climate control.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.