Third week of January

JANUARY  15                                                                                                                                                    100 Years ago – 1926

 Acme Motor Co. invited the public to its showroom on this Friday night to hear broadcasts from 15 leading radio stations. The programs would include: Two-step “Golden Slipper” medley; Old Time Waltz medley; Virginia Reel: “Irish Washerwoman,” “White Cockade” and “Marching Through Georgia”; a dulcimer solo of jigs and reels; Varsovienne – Hartford and Dunham’s medley; Plane Quadrille – Bancroft’s;  Cumbalom solo “Traumeri” by Schuman;  The Lancers “Oriental”; Rye Waltz, “Rye Waltz”; and Contra Dance, “Money Musk.”

75 years ago – 1951

The 1951 March of Dimes drive opened in the area, with a goal of $28,000 to help pay the medical expenses of children with infantile paralysis (polio). The campaign was conducted by Rotary Clubs. Warren J. Watrous was the general chairman. Ben Ramsey directed the city campaign; Frank Wilson, the county; and Denard Gusler, the Bassett-Stanleytown area.

Twenty-eight medical men registered for the draft at the Martinsville courthouse. They were four doctors and two dentists from Henry County; Fourteen doctors, six dentists and one veterinarian from Martinsville; and one doctor from Pennsylvania who was in the area.

50 years ago – 1976

The tape of Eddie Lee “Shanghai” Thomas’s confession to the killing of Sallie Aliff and her four children, and the rape of the mother, was played in court. Parts of what he said included “I talked to her some. She was strong and it seems like I pulled her down on the floor. I don’t know exactly what it was I grabbed. … I didn’t have no knife. I don’t know what I grabbed then. That’s when I got scared.” He went on that he “just went foolish, plumb foolish.”

25 years ago - 2001

Martin Luther King Jr. observance classes were held throughout the area. The initiative was a joint effort between Moral Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where the Rev. Thurman Echols was the pastor, and Morning Star Holy Church, where the Rev. Tyler Millner was the pastor.

JANUARY  16                                                                                                                                                    75 years ago – 1951

News from Washington: The federal government banned the construction of new stores, restaurants, office and other commercial buildings until Feb. 15. After that date, each new private building had to have been specifically authorized by the National Production Authority. The only new commercial buildings to be allowed would be those that furthered the defense effort, were essential to public health, welfare or safety or alleviated or prevented a hardship in a community. This was in order to save materials for the mobilization program (Korean War).

50 years ago – 1976

The previous members of the Henry County Board of Supervisors criticized the new board’s hiring of Lawrence M. Martin, whom they had fired as county accountant, as new county administrator. Former Blackberry District Supervisor Elmer Dalton called his hiring a “complete disregard” for the 21 hours of closed session investigation that the previous board had gone into on allegations against Martin.

Mrs. Doris Marshall, a Red Cross nurse who had served much of her life as a medical missionary, reached the 5-gallon mark of blook donations at the Red Cross Bloodmobile stationed at DuPont. Other top donors included John A. Mann, Raymond Thompson, Robert Lee Campbell, Billy Ray Manning, Ruth H. Hensley, Elmo McPeak and Harlie Harris.

25 years ago - 2001

Pillowtex was about $160,000 behind in its water bills it owed to Public Service Authority. As a result, announced PSA general manager Sid Clower, four temporary Henry County PSA employees had to be let go. It was part of cuts in PSA’s $10 million budget to cover that shortfall. Pillowtex had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2000. Also as part of cost-cutting measures, one PSA employee would be transferred to a vacant job with the county.

JANUARY  17                                                                                                                                                       75 years ago – 1951

Night classes for adults at Martinsville High School included typing, bookkeeping, shorthand, business English, office practice, wood and clothes construction, shop math, Bible literature, blueprint reading & architectural drawing, English grammar and driver training.

50 years ago – 1976

Eddie Lee “Shanghai” Thomas was found guilty of the murders of Sallie Aliff of Horsepasture and her four children and sentenced to five life terms in the state penitentiary. The sentence was passed by Henry County Circuit Court Judge John D. Hooker.

A fire broke out in the county landfill. It could not be put out with water, so bulldozers covered the burning trash with dirt. Then Supervisor Jack E. Dalton accused Board of  Supervisors Chairman S.E. Moran of wrongly hiring the two contractors to cover the burning trash. Moran responded that he was empowered as temporary fire marshal to the county. Collinsville Volunteer Fire Chief Reggie Fulcher defended Moran’s decision.

25 years ago - 2001

After 11 months of construction, Public Service Authority had about 325 new customers from the Oak Level Water Project. It was especially good for Ethel Jones, whose well pump had broken 2 weeks before the water lines were completed. She was hauling water from her granddaughter’s house while PSA employees worked even on their day off to hook the waterline to her home.

JANUARY  18                                                                                                                                                     75 years ago – 1951

E.A. Sale, president of Sale Knitting Company of Martinsville, was named as president of the Virginia Military Board of Visitors, succeeding Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall. Sale had been on the board since 1944.

A wage dispute between the employees and management of Loom-Tex Corporation of Martinsville was being arbitrated. The employees were represented by the Textile Workers Union of America, CIO. They were asking for a wage increase of 8% plus 3 cents an hour, retroactive to Sept. 18, 1950.

50 years ago – 1976

Meana was a German shepherd who spent a lot of time at the Stultz and Few Texaco Service Station in Fieldale. She learned on her own how to open the door by standing on her back legs and using her front paws to unlatch the door and push it open. She had been coming and going as she pleased during the so far 8 years she had been owned by James Stultz and Alfred B. Few.

JANUARY  19                                                                                                                                                    75 years ago – 1951

The Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) held a banquet at Club Martinque to choose Outstanding Young Man. The banquet was the culmination of Jaycee Week. Attorney Claude E. Taylor Jr. won the honor.

50 years ago – 1976

The cost to make a phone call at any one of the 265 phone booths in the city and county went up from 10 cents to 20 cents.

25 years ago - 2001

Michelle Woods was shot and killed in front of her boyfriend, Michael Giles, and her four children. The man charged in her murder had a warrant against him from March 2000 for threatening to kill her.

JANUARY  20                                                                                                                                                   75 years ago – 1951

Pannill  Post 42 of the American Legion was planning a series of community forums on controversial topics. Themes included “Should the U.S. Drop An Atom Bomb on Russia Now?”; “Should Martinsville Have Prohibition or Cocktail Lounges?”; “Should the U.S. Quit Europe and Set Up An Armed Curtain Around the Americas?” and “Should the U.S. Evacuate Korea?”. The series would start at the end of February. On each topic, four speakers would be chosen, representing two opposing sides. Each would speak for 15 minutes, then the floor would be open for comments from the audience. The series would be held in the high school auditorium and admission would be free. The program committee was Seymour Rosenberg, Claude Taylor Jr. and Dr. Sam Kaufman. Taylor was the Legion commander.

25 years ago - 2001

Doris Draper, owner and operator of Drapers Flowers and Gifts in Oak Level, was one of 130 florists from across the nation who were doing flowers for the inauguration of President George W. Bush. She and the other florists volunteered their services, and the Republican Inaugural Committee paid for their lodging, food and transportation. Draper was assigned to the Pension Building, where the inaugural ball was held.

JANUARY 21                                                                                                                                                     75 years ago – 1951

The Lester Lumber Co. had a city permit to construct a new tobacco auction warehouse in a triangle between Liberty Street, Liberty Street Extension and Franklin Street, near the North Martinsville Grammar School. The building would be 200 by 300 feet and cost about $50,000. The warehouse would replace the Planters’ warehouse which was destroyed by fire on Jan. 7.

25 years ago - 2001

Sharon Dodson had begun her role as superintendent for Henry County Public Schools.

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