July 16 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
At the Hamilton Theatre the movie “Fighting in France” was being shown. It showed American soldiers, members of the A.E.F., from the day of embarkation to the signing of the Armistice. The picture show was released by the War Department.
75 years ago – 1950
The new city parking lot on Fayette Street opened. It had 101 parking meter spaces with the cost at 5 cents an hour. The meters would take up to 25 cents at a time. The lot had lights, which permitted nighttime parking at the same price as daytime parking. In its first week it took in $126.15, which was expected to average $6,759.80 in a year.
50 years ago – 1975
On sale at Roses Dollar Days: Picture frames, $1; T1-1200 calculator, $18.87; Mr. Bubble powder, 2 for $1; ladies gowns and sleep coats in blue, pink, yellow or white, $2.99; Crestline hibachi grill, $7.88; girls’ sun suits, $3.70.
25 years ago - 2000
Ron “Fish” Clifton of Ridgeway created art out of scrap metal and all sorts of other found objects. He was 53 at the time. Passersby could see a dinosaur made of meat hooks horseshoes, rims from barrel tops and more outside his singlewide trailer not far up Old Leaksville Road from Highway 87, and a 1976 FLH Harley Davison Electra Glide to which he had been adding metal artwork for 20 years. He would continue making the art for decades more.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.