April 25

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

A non-resident, B.I. Nance, was caught fishing at the Morgan Ford bridge by Game Warden Minter. He was arraigned before Justice L.A. Starling and fined $50.

75 years ago – 1949

Henry County paid a bounty on foxes, crows and hawks when the heads were presented to the county clerk with affidavit that the animals were killed within the county. County Attorney Cary Randolph announced on this date in 1949 that anyone who tries to collect bounties in Henry County on animals shot outside Henry County would be subject to criminal persecution.

The city prison farm had been closed since 1945, because without at least 35 prisoners there it just didn’t pay to operate it. City prisoners also had worked in the city rock quarry. During the late 1940s all city prisoners served their time in the county jail.

The third trial of the Martinsville Seven – that of Booker T. Millner, 19 – was supposed to be held, but was postponed due to sickness of a witness.

1960
Pursuant to being awarded the concrete contract for the new $1,400,000 office building being erected by Bassett Furniture,  Doyle Ready-Mix Concrete announced a new $50,000 installation for production of ready-mixed concrete in Bassett, in addition to their two plants in East Martinsville. Built on Norfolk and Western property on Route 57 near the Bassett Superior Line facility, the plant had portable capacity with permanent installation. It was completed within three weeks.

The 21st Army Corps established a firing range on its 283-acre outdoor training site at Runnet Bag Cove on Philpott Lake, including about 20 acres or so of actual lake which was consequently closed to boats and fishermen. The total property was closed to the public but it was used by state and local police organizations. Army boats patrolled the area when in use.

50 years ago – 1974

The Fieldale-Collinsville Cavalier girls volleyball team captured the championship of the MHC league. Teammates were Pam Collins, Deborah Woody (captain), Teresa Hodges, Karen Doss, Rochelle Penn, Pam Martin, Cindy Durrette, Barbara Stone, Karen Turner, Rose Turner, Kathy Turner, Deborah Gwyn (timer) and Natasha Smith (recordkeeper). The coach was Carolyn Smith.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.