Fourth Week of February, 1926, 1951, 1976, 2001
FEBRUARY 21 100 Years ago – 1926
Broad Street Christian Church’s Sunday school class for girls ages 15 to 20, taught by Mr. G.M. Andes, had a delightful meeting at the home of Mrs. Jack Morris on Starling Avenue. The class was reorganized to conform better with the International Standards. Officers were chosen: Elizabeth Carter, Mrs. Jack Morris, Dorothy Clift, Louise Huskey, Helen Morris, Louise DeShazo and Catherine Fair.
75 years ago – 1951
On a regular basis, local men were being drafted into the army for the Korean War, sometimes in the dozens. On Feb. 21, 29 Henry County men were sent to Roanoke for induction into the Army and 31 registrants were sent for draft examinations. Henry County had received a call for the examination of 63 men on March 19 and the City had to send 27 men on the same date. The pay for those who went into active duty was $75 ($931 in today’s money) a month. If he had one dependent, his minimum pay allotment would be $40, and the dependent would receive $85 a month. After 5 months of service, the soldier would get a $5 ($62 in today’s money) monthly raise. When becoming a full private, he’d receive another $2.50 raise in pay, and when he is promoted to first class private, he’d receive $55.55 above allotment.
50 years ago – 1976
Michael Scales of George Washington University was the winner of the Patrick Henry Oratorical Contest. Other finalists were Ruth Turner of Laurel Park High School, Donna Nester of Drewry Mason High School, Christopher Holbrook of Fieldale-Collinsville High School, and Karyn Wood of John D. Bassett High School.
Patsy Ruth Hairston, 28, of Pine Hall Road, was stabbed to death while in a car parked outside Community Market at the corner of Fayette and Massey streets. She and her husband had ridden to the store with Doris Mann Hairston and waited in the car while Doris Hairston went into the store. Then, according to witnesses, Patsy Ruth Hairston’s husband dragged her out of the car and stabbed her.
25 years ago - 2001
Courtney Armstrong, daughter of Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville, and his wife, Pam, was a Senate messenger working with Sen. Roscoe Reynolds.
FEBRUARY 22 100 Years ago – 1926
A rabies epidemic had overtaken Henry County, so the Board of Supervisors put the following regulations: A dog either must be confined on the property; or, if allowed to run at large, must be securely muzzled; or it must be vaccinated with Rabies Serum.
The Grammar School cafeteria finally opened, and students now could eat lunches prepared at the school. The opening was made possible in part thanks to a donation of plates, cups and utensils by area residents who gave items during a tea sponsored by the Parent-Teachers Association.
75 years ago – 1951
Some of the city streets were supposed to change over to one-way, but that has been delayed, in part because the signs that were coming from St. Paul, Minnesota, had not arrived yet, and also because it had been too cold and rainy to paint the street markings.
50 years ago – 1976
A Choral Reading Session, of interest to choir directors, singers and ministers, was held at First Baptist Church in the Choir Rehearsal Room. It was sponsored by the Martinsville Chapter, American Guild of Organists, and participating music firms were Roddey’s Music Service of Roanoke and Hinshaw Music Inc. of Chapel Hill, N.C.
Local produce seller Gary Jarrell was impressed with what he thought might be a record-setting banana he received in a shipment: 1- inches around and weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces. It actually was three bananas grown together.
25 years ago - 2001
Cable television coverage of the memorial service to honor the late Dale Earnhardt began at 11 a.m. on Fox Sports Net, shown locally on Adelphia Channel 41. Fans continued going to the Martinsville Speedway each day to leave mementos and to mourn Earnhardt, who had died the previous Sunday from injuries sustained in a wreck in the last lap of the Daytona 500. He was 49.
FEBRUARY 23 100 Years ago – 1926
The Harry Shannon Players presented entertainment in the form of new plays, vaudeville and scenery for a full week at the Hamilton Theatre. The opening show was the comedy “The Girl from Childs,” noted in the announcement to be “a play that will please all classes.” Tickets were on sale at Henry Confectonery, next to the theater.
“Double Tragedy Results in Killing of Mrs. Booker and Desperate Wounding of Everett Cheshire,” reads the headline on the front page of the Feb. 23, 1926, Henry Bulletin. “Husband of Mrs. Booker Finds Cheshire in Home Yesterday Morning and After Shooting His Wife Turns Pistol on Cheshire and Inflicts Probably Fatal Wounds—Booker Surrenders Himself into Custody and Cheshire is in Hospital. COMMUNITY IS SHOCKED BY DISTRESSING TRAGEDY.” Only after all that headline did the story begin with telling that Mr. Henry Booker had just returned from Florida and found Mr. Cheshire there in his house on North Moss Street.
75 years ago – 1951
Henry County Circuit Court, of which John M. Shumate was the court clerk, decided that it would call women to be jurors in addition to men. The Jury Commission selected 50 women from a list of voters who would be subject to jury service unless they declined. Under state law, women would be allowed 15 days to decide whether or not she would want to serve on a jury. Any woman who did not answer the notification would be assumed to agree to serve.
It was a week-long observance of Brotherhood Week, with a service and speaker each night. On this night the public service was held at Ohev Zion Synagogue with speaker Dr. D.C. Reed, the pastor of Anderson Memorial Presbyterian Church. Others to appear on the program were Rabbi H.S. Goodkowitz and Rev. H. Morris, pastor of High Street Baptist Church. In the morning, Rev. Meredith Norment, pastor of Broad Street Christian Church, gave an address on the radio. He called for people of all faiths to unite in an effort to seek a better understanding of one another and to avoid exploitation of any group regardless of their religion.
The Red Scare was growing – the Associated Press announced that the House Committee on Un-American Activities issued subpoenas reportedly bearing the names of 20 lesser-known figures in Hollywood for hearings to be held on March 21 in Washington D.C.
A machine operator at DuPont lost the tips of two fingers when her left hand got caught in yarn being fed into a textile draw-twist machine. It was the first lost-time accident at the plant since July 29, 1942.
50 years ago – 1976
Stockholders of the Tully Corp. of Virginia approved a corporate name change to “Tultex.” In earlier days, Tully had been an apparel company, but in more recent years its business involved textiles. The new name was a contraction of the words “Tully” and “textile.”
25 years ago - 2001
Residents were advised that the area would get a new area code. The 540 region, which Martinsville and Henry County was part of, was going to be split into three area code sections: Southwest Virginia, the Roanoke Valley and the upper Shenandoah Valley. The new code would come into service on Sept. 1, 2001, and would be mandatory by March 16, 2002.
FEBRUARY 24 100 Years ago – 1926
Local businessmen had subscribed to $100,000 in stock to create a new furniture-manufacturing company. The promoter of the enterprise was Mr. R.P. Gravely. The company’s name had not yet been decided. The company would operate in the building that at the time was that of B.F. and R.P. Gravely, being used for the manufacture of pins and brackets, etc., for telegraph and telephone companies.
75 years ago – 1951
The Business and Professional Women’s Club sponsored a lecture program by Don Whitehead, an Associated Press correspondent who had served on many battlefronts during World War II and was a war reporter in the Korean War. His lecture was held in the high school auditorium.
50 years ago – 1976
In this bicentennial year, people were wanting flags and lots of them. Martha Martin of Route 5, Martinsville, crocheted a flag-designed afghan. She was the librarian at Mount Olivet Elementary School and the mother of two children. She had been crocheting the flag for a couple of years but, she said, anyone who would work on it consistently could finish a flag afghan in 2 or 3 months. The 40-inch by 70-inch flag afghan was on display at Mount Olivet school.
FEBRUARY 25 100 Years ago – 1926
Everyone was excited about the new cafeteria in the Grammar School, which would provide students and teachers with hot, nourishing meals. Many dishes and utensils had been collected the week before in a drive which made it possible for the cafeteria to open. However, more was needed. The public was asked to donate: two dozen soup spoons, two oval dish pans, two 5-gallon soup kettles, six dozen water glasses, four water pitchers and salt and pepper shakers. Those items could be left at the Central Drug Store, where there also would be a box for food donations. The items most needed were: canned corn, tomatoes, dried butter beans, rice, tea, sugar, butter, pickles, salt and pepper, celery, cola, crackers, eggs, Wesson oil and laundry soap. The public was invited to visit the cafeteria at any time.
75 years ago – 1951
In a training session as part of the Civilian Defense program in the city, the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Co. was shown two films on atomic bombs. One of the films showed the physical effects of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nasasaki, and it was studied to see what effects that kind of attack would have on Martinsville. The other showed a rescue unit in operation. The films were provided by the Army.
50 years ago – 1976
Mrs. Marie Martin, wife of the county administrator who just months before had been fired as county accountant for allegations that he gave his wife undue and unearned privileges when she worked in his office, delivered the Board of Supervisors a check for $435.15 ($2,464 in today’s money). She wrote in a letter to them, “ … I do not feel that I owe this money and I am tendering it under protest. However, to amplify my reasons for this position would not serve the purpose with which this money is tendered. In making this payment at this time I am sure that it will be deemed in some circles that I have compromised my right to stand on my integrity in this matter; a right which no citizen should have to forego. I take this action in hopes that by doing so this matter will be laid to rest, that you, the elected officials, can turn your efforts to the more productive business of government and that my husband, a totally honest and capable administrator, might be afforded the unimpeded opportunity to serve the county.”
The Martinsville Bulletin’s Stroller column noted that it was said that Turkeycock Mountain had more rattlesnakes than anywhere around but Slick Lewis of Dyers Store challenged that, saying, “‘Copperheads, yes, but not rattlesnakes.’”
25 years ago - 2001
The former Tultex plant on Franklin Street was in the beginning stages of being turned into an office center to be called Commonwealth Centre, done by The Lester Group under the direction of George Lester.
FEBRUARY 26 100 Years ago – 1926
The Tobacco Growers Co-operative Association’s warehouse closed for the season on Feb. 26, and all farmers had been urged to deliver their tobacco before the closing date. Those who were not able to deliver their tobacco by them could bring their tobacco to the warehouses in Chatham, Danville and Rocky Mount, but only for a short time more.
Front page article in the Henry Bulletin, with the first headline stretching all the way across the page: “The Henry Bulletin Inaugurates March 6th, Greatest Subscription Campaign Prize Ever Offer Ever Made By Newspaper In Virginia.” Then across two columns: “NINE Different Classes of Prizes Ranging form High Class Automobiles to Gold Wrist-Watch—Two or More Contestants Can Win Two or More Prizes. No Strings to the Offer, No Complications, and Every Contestant Knows Always Where He Stands. No Outside Contest Manager, You do Business Direct With Us – Read Details Below and in Big Double Page Advertisement in This Issue.” Part of the article explains: “If you turn in a sufficient number of cash subscriptions for a particular prize, you get it, without regard to what any other contestant has done. Combinations between contestants to pool the collections turn in by them are barred. ‘Every Tub stands on its own bottom.’” The top prize was a 1926 Model Chevrolet Coach or Coupe, valued at $740, for anyone who turned in 698 one-year subscriptions, or its equivalent in subscriptions running from 1 to 5 years. The automobile could be seen at Self-Bowles Motor Co. on Bridge Street. Other prizes were: a 4-piece American Walnut bedroom suite for 137 1-year subscriptions; a 10-piece dining room suite for 113 1-year subscriptions; a Magnavox radio with antique walnut cabinet, single dial 5-tube set with storage battery, loud speaker and aerial equipment for 114 1-year subscriptions; cabinet-style Columbia record player for 79 subscriptions; a Model Ford Coupe with balloon tires, starter, etc., 558 subscriptions; a new model Ford Roadster without starter for 302 1-year subscriptions; a fully equipped Boy Scout bicycle for 41 subscriptions; and a ladies’ solid gold wrist watch for 34 subscriptions.
75 years ago – 1951
Martinsville General Hospital had operated at a loss for the past 6 months. The hospital asked the Henry County Board of Supervisors for $10,000 in financial assistance ($124,151 today), and the Board turned it down, saying that they believed 90% of residents were against that plan. Hospital board member J. Frank Wilson said that if enough money was available to meet operating expenses, a private campaign would be conducted to raise $160,000 to pay off bond indebtedness. The hospital could save $102,820 if that amount were raised by June.
50 years ago – 1976
The city operated 20 school buses and seven “blue transit” buses. The budget for the school buses was $106,000, including a $13,000 subsidy from the city, and the budget for the blue transit buses was $107,000, including an $81,000 subsidy from the city. There were no bus stop signs and most people didn’t know when the buses ran, and only $6 had been spent on advertising on the previous year, said T.S. Wright of Wilbur Smith and Associates, which was conducting a survey to determine residents’ habits with and need for buses. City Manager Tom Noland told the Martinsville Bulletin that Martinsville bus service was at its height just before World War II, when buses went to Bassett, and the bus line was owned by a private company.
25 years ago - 2001
The Piedmont Arts Chapter of the Virginia Museum opened its first Foot of the Hills Art Show, Junior Edition, displaying the works of more than 100 students at the downtown office of Virginia National Bank. Another student art show was sponsored by First National Bank of Martinsville and Henry County, which displayed about 3,000 artworks from Henry County students in its branches.
FEBRUARY 27 100 Years ago – 1926
It was announced that the new furniture manufacturing enterprise in Martinsville would be called Gravely Novelty Furniture Company. The charter had been applied for. The minimum capital stock of the company was $250,000, wall of which was oversubscribed within one day after it was offered, the excess being about $40,000. Richard P. Gravely was named president and treasurer, and the other directors were R.M. Simmons, J.C. Hooker, Rives S. Brown, O.D. Ford, H.C. Gravely, J.A. Brown and B.F. Gravely. Work on the new building, including dry kilns and a power plant, would begin in March.
75 years ago – 1951
Martinsville soldiers serving in the Korean War were injured: Cpl. Eugene F. Overton, serving with the 31st Infantry unit of the Seventh U.S. Army division, and Pvt. George Midkiff, of Endicott. Meanwhile, Jesse Frank Wilson resigned as secretary of the Henry County Production and Marketing Administration committee. He had been called up for service in the U.S. Army. He had been the secretary of the local organization since 1948. (Not James Franklin Wilson known as J. Frank Wilson.)
50 years ago – 1976
Newly appointed Henry County Administrator Lawrence Martin, who had been fired in October as county accountant, was advised by his doctor to resign to preserve his health. According to the Sunday, Feb. 19, 1976 Martinsville Bulletin, his doctor, Dr. John W. Milam of Danville, wrote a letter to Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman S.E. Moran saying, “‘I have advised Mr. Martin that he should resign his position with Henry County government in order to preserve his health.’ Martin had been hospitalized on Feb. 21 21 with chest pains which his doctor said could have been caused by the stress he had been under in recent weeks. He was being treated at Danville Memorial Hospital.
Nationwide Homes had taken out a half-million-dollar permit for the construction of a new facility on Rives Road. Two new subdivisions also had permits, one off Brookdale Road and the other off Rives Road.
25 years ago - 2001
It was being proposed to move Clearview Elementary School students to Albert Harris School. The third grade already was being moved from Clearview to Albert Harris, and that move would leave just 140 students at Clearview, making it the city’s smallest and most expensive school to run. Clearview was operating as a year-round school and its Standards of Learning test scores had improved since moving to year-round. About 55 people attended a program at the school about the proposal. Under the proposal, Clearview School would operate in the west wing of the renovated Albert Harris School as an independent school for kindergarten through second grade, and once the children reached third grade they would be Albert Harris students. With the Clearview building empty, the school board could move into it, away from former Sara Lee building on Cleveland Avenue. [The Clearview building now houses a city Early Learning Center, and the school board offices are in the old Druid Hills school building.]
FEBRUARY 28 100 Years ago – 1926
The tobacco warehouse originally had announced it would close for the season on Feb. 26, but there was so much more tobacco farmers had to deliver that the closing date was put back to March 5.
75 years ago – 1951
The Martinsville Lions Club presented a musical minstrel revue, “Holiday Escapades,” for the benefit of its Sight Conservation Fund. The show had a cast of more than 100 local participants under the direction of John B. Rogers Co. of Fostoria, Ohio. George May of the club was the general chairman, and other committee heads were: Ed Altschull, cast; Harry Gravely, publicity; Raymond Stone, tickets; E.S. Bailey, program; Edd Critz, costume; J.B. Whitten, stage and music; Charles Butcher, rehearsal; Sam Kaplan, ushers and concessions; Parke DeVane, makeup; and S.N. Goller, finance.
First aid classes for about 70 people newly enrolled in the local Civilian Defense program had begun. About 50 of them had signed up for volunteer police or fire duty, and the other 20 were plant protection officers.
Martinsville General Hospital was in financial trouble, operating at a loss. Martinsville City Council voted to pay the hospital bills of all city residents who were unable to pay them, capping the amount at a $10,000 limit. Hospital officials said it probably would not amount to more than $3,000 or $4,000 a year.
A few forest fires broke out in the area. School children extinguished the one in Figsboro.
50 years ago – 1976
Robert W. Jones was the ornamental horticulture teacher at Laurel Park High School, and Louise Early was his student teacher. In 1970 Jones was a member of a four-person team which surveyed the area and discovered that trained horticulturists were in need in the county. It was for that finding that the greenhouse was built at Laurel Park High School.
25 years ago - 2001
Henry County Administrator Sid Clower was recommending that the county head an economic development office with participation from Martinsville, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and Patrick County.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.