April 17
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
The Business and Professional Women’s Club celebrated its first anniversary in the dining room of the Baptist Church.
Work on railroad siding and several homes for employees was beginning for a big furniture factory near Edgewood. The site for the new factory was obtained from G.T. Franklin, who would be a large stockholder. Between 50 and 75 houses would be built. Officers of the soon-to-be company were Thomas B. Stanley, president and treasurer; J.D. Bassett, vice president; and Fred A. Stanley, secretary; all of Bassett.
75 years ago – 1949
In its “Main Drag” column, the Martinsville Bulletin reported that among the happenings in town was “Miss Frances Goins being chosen as the most beautiful senior at Ridgeway high school.”
1960
Twelve area people were arrested and charged with selling a total of 375 gallons of untaxed whiskey to an undercover agent, among various other charges. Federal ATU agents had been working for over six months to make the bust. All twelve men posted bonds ranging from $500 to $50,000 and would appear before U.S. Commissioner English Ford in Martinsville later in April.
A second citizen was cited for jumping the trout season by two days and would appear in county court. He was cited for fishing without a license and for fishing in a trout stream during closed season.
50 years ago – 1974
This entry in the Stroller column: “The Martinsville High School bed-pushers have passed the half-way ark to push a bed at least 800 miles. This would break the world record of 724.985 miles set by a group of British students. Actually, the MHS students may go on to hit 1,000 miles if things go well. The whole idea is to attract attention, which will attract visitors, who ay donate to the students’ fund raising drive. To date they have collected only about $25 or $30. The “dirty dozen” working in teams of four on four-hour shifts are: Rusty Woodruff, Danny Turner, David Judkins, Mare Dugas, Steve Jester, Barry Barker, H.A. Altice, Tim Altice, Jim Irby, Tim Wagoner, Steve Sides and Steve Cardwell. [They would go on to surpass the record the next day. Now, the Guiness Book of World Records lists: The record distance is 5,204 km (3,233.65 miles), in the case of a wheeled hospital bed by a team of nine employees of Bruntsfield Bedding Centre, Edinburgh, UK from 21 June to 26 July 1979.”]
25 years ago - 1999
Playing at the Rives Cinema: “The Matrix” with Keanu Rives and Laurence Fishburne; “Never Been Kissed” with Drew Barrymore and David Arquette; “Doug’s 1st Movie.”
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.