March 13 through the years
100 Years ago – 1926
An unnamed furniture factory employee borrowed a car and $15 from his employer to go to a distant city because of the serious condition of a relative. On his way back, he loaded up the car with booze to bring back, and he was arrested near Danville. On top of that, he had the nerve to call his same employer to ask him to post bond.
75 years ago – 1951
Nearly every lawyer in Martinsville and Henry County, and many of them from Danville and the counties of Patrick and Pittsylvania, left on a trip to Richmond, where they would see the swearing-in of Judge Kennon Whittle on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals the next day.
Elkins Furniture & Rug Corp., opposite the City Parking lot at 51 Fayette St., offered mahogany-finished TV tables for $12.50 ($155 in today’s dollars. Televisions were taking on, as in 1950 just 9% of households had one, and 90% in 1959).
50 years ago – 1976
The Martinsville High School Bulldogs won the state championship in basketball when they beat Suffolk 61 to 53. The team also won state championship in 1961, 1964 and 1966. Team members were Parker Mills, Bryce Robertson, Bruce Dallas, Henry Jenkins, Tim Grant, James Millner, McCray Crutchfield, Doug Law, Benton Robertson, Kenton Clark, David Collins, Mike Cartwright, Bill Price, Mike Shupe, Johnny Taylor, Keigh Burgess, Dennis Mahan and Rex Varn. Robert C. “Husky” Hall was the coach, and Don Bateman was the assistant coach.
A dance was held every Saturday night at the VFW Home on the Chatham Road. Danny Ray & The Renegades performed. They were: Danny Ray, Robert Mawyer, Marvin Hudson, Eddie Scott, Cub McGhee and Tim Stegall.
At the Bassett Moose Lodge dance, the Goodtimes Band performed.
Soul Patrol Band performed at The Safari Club on Route 648 in Axton.
Country Rebels performed on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights at the Village Restaurant.
At the American Legion Post 11 dance in Bassett, The Blue Ridge Partners performed. They were Marvin McDaniel, Tom Eanes, Larry Martin, Bobby Priddy, Baily Roard, John Davidson and Clinton Crews.
25 years ago - 2001
Under Sheriff H. Frank Cassell, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office was cracking down on dance hall regulations. A law required establishments to be zoned as dance halls if anyone were to dance there, and dancing was required to end at midnight. Business owners said they were worried that if someone danced in their business and a Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agent walked in, the business could be cited for a violation. Some places where people would dance include Ten Pin Alley and Sportlanes on Virginia Avenue, owned by Will Pearson, and the Dutch Inn, owned by Howard Grodensky.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.