April 12
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
The United States Civil Service Commission held an examination at the Grammar School Building in Martinsville to fill the position of rural carrier in Axton. The salary of a rural carrier on a standard daily wagon route of 24 miles was $1,800 per year, with an additional $30 per mile per year for each mile or major fraction of a mile over 24 miles. The salary on motor routes ranges from $2,450 to $2,600 depending on length. The exam was open to both men and women who live in the territory of the Axton post office. Appointing officers had the legal right to specify the sex desired in requesting candidacy of eligibles. The only women who would qualify to be considered were widows of U.S. veterans or wives of disabled veterans.
(In April 18 newspaper) A meeting of the stockholders of Hooker-Bassett Furniture Company was held, to take steps in securing the charter. Maximum stock was fixed at $500,000. John A. Brown was chair of the meeting and J.B. Dillon was secretary. Officers were named: president, J. Hooker; vice president, C.C. Bassett and R.S. Brown; secretary and treasurer, W.B. Dillon assistant secretary and treasurer, S.A. Hooker; directors: the five officers named above and J.B. Dillon., J.A.J., A.Brown, M.S. Schottland and S.H. Hooker.
75 years ago – 1949
Mrs. Rosie Hall was charged with the shooting death of her husband, William Hall, a Henry County farmer. Mr. Hall was 36, and Mrs. Hall gave her age as 56, though Bassett officers said she was really over 60. Mrs. Hall was arrested at the home of the neighbor who had called police. Mrs. Hall had a bleeding forehead which she told officers was the result of her husband hitting her with a flashlight. [On April 28, 1949, she was found not guilty due to self-defense.]
Meanwhile, a Martinsville man was sentenced to a year on the state convict force on two charges of beating his wife.
1960
A 23-year old Mount Airy, N.C., grocery clerk was released on $250 bond after being charged with throwing a bottle at one of the speeding cars at the Virginia 500 shortly after Richard Petty took the lead. The bottle shattered when it struck the pavement a few feet in front of Petty’s car. Deputy C.P. Witt made the felony arrest.
Dr. H.M. Price detailed plans for the following month’s Chest X-Ray tubercular effort for the Retail Merchants Association. Mobile units would visit the city and county so that anyone who wanted could have chest X-Ray examinations without cost.
50 years ago – 1974
At a recent fundraising supper at the Snow Creek Rescue Squad, the volunteers ran into a problem with the fire station where it was being held was out of water. Neighbor David Smith came to the rescue, providing water from his house through a hose.
25 years ago - 1999
Volunteers from Gateway Streetscape Foundation were working on beautification at four area schools, Stanleytown Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary, Bassett middle and Spencer-Penn Elementary. Melissa Hairston was one of the volunteers.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.