Looking Back …
A look at the people and happenings of the area over the past 100 years
If you have information, pictures, artifacts, old company or church newsletters, family letters or anything else that sheds light on life in MHC-Patrick through time, please consider sharing them with the museum - either lending or gifting us the originals, or copies.
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July 4
1924, Henry Co. Short Course for Girls; 1949, Danny Greene president of Pannill Post; 1960, Carolyn Minter heads to state finals; 1974, opposition to X-rated movies in Rich Acres drive-through grows; 1999, 100 Philpotts across five generations. (PHOTO: 1921-1947 Shackelford Hospital)
July 3
1924, man arrested in Roanoke for jumping boarding bill in Martinsville; 1949, Thomas Jefferson hotel; 1960, Lester Lumber Co.’s major expansion; 1974, tensions high between ER doctor and rescue squad volunteers; 1999, Aaron Clark as Ziggy the Clown.
(PHOTO: Dr. Jesse Shackelford’s hospital in Irisburg)
July 1
1924, Mr. Eans’ grocery store and movies at the New Hamilton; 1949, NAACP gets Martinsville Seven trial transcripts; 1960, Fireman’s Bazaar and the new Blue Law; 1974, a new, real emergency department at Memorial Hospital; 1999, no large sign for Aiken Summit Wesleyan Church. (PHOTO: Henry County Courthouse, 1906. Note iron stairs going up the center.)
June 30
1924, peaches available for 4 days; 1949, water problems on Greyson and Highland; 1960, flooding damage to carnival; 1960, dispute over Patrick/Henry border; 1974, county supervisors make plan to stop X-rated movies at drive-ins, and Martinsville native dies in restaurant fire in NYC; 1999, BHS grad Chad Bassett hits the ground running. (PHOTO: flooding in Bassett)
June 29
1924, Banner Grocery builds cold storage on Franklin Street; 1949, Smith River rising, 14-year-old with polio, missing 3-year-old found; 1960, mobile X-ray unit returns; 1974, the county’s first computer (Burroughs B-700); 1999, construction for Lowe’s to begin, and Adelphia cable. (PHOTO: Smith River flooding 1937)
June 28
1924, Preston 4-H Club, and Carey Asfaltslate Shingles; 1949, death claims third City Hall janitor; 1960, funny reason trucks were stalled; 1974, ANCHOR home for girls; 1999, Martinsville Christian School closes. (PHOTO: New People's Bank in Martinsville early 1900s. Bank was built in 1891 with granite from Rocky Mount)
June 27
1924, the Hooker construction boss shot by a worker improves; 1949, Rev. W.H. Hobson requests black deputies be hired; 1960, free chest X-rays by Patrick-Henry TB Chapter; 1974, big prize for George Giles. and funny way of seeing popularity of TV shows; 1999, Pluma attempts a turnaround. (PHOTO: Dr. Houchins, Dr. Hundley, Virginia Betty Bondurant, Annie Minter, Dr. John Shackelford in the Square 1910)
June 25
1924, C.W. Holt store; 1949, thousands attend Henry County Horse Show; 1960, Southside Swimming Pool Ass’n (Clyde England, Jane English, John Swezey); 1974, YMCA directors; 1999, award for Darryl Holland, and Bassett Furniture & Nancy Moore help refugees (PHOTO: laying cornerstone for C.W. Holt store, 1919)
June 20
1924, the major Chautauqua program series; Hooker-Bassett superintendent shot by worker; 1949, local chapter NAACP offered to help Francis DeSales Grayson, but only if group they called Communist did not get involved; 1960, Community Recreation Center neared completion; 1974, amidst high inflation and interest rates, mobile homes edged out stick-built houses.
June 19
1924, Phospho-Lithia Springs Hotel in Ridgeway opens for the season; 1949, Father’s Day takes off as a holiday in the years after WWII; 1960, James Cox Jr., 11, injured in explosion. (PHOTO: old police and fire departments on Main Street, now the parking lot behind the Bulletin office [old Grand Piano building])
June 18
1924, Underselling Store reimburses gs for more than 50 mile travel or railroad fare; 1949, Martinsville post office takes in $12,590 in one month; 1960, tobacco allotment; 1974, K-Mart Super 9 Sale; 1999, nightlife at the Flying Dutchman Lounge. (PHOTO: Rodman cannon at the Historic Henry County Courthouse)
June 17
1924, 40 tykes seen at Dr. Newman’s free Clinic for Delicate Children; and city to stop paying for sidewalks; 1949, counterfeit money; 1960, prolonged dry spell; 1974, US Comptroller of the Currency turns down two proposed banks, including one by Worth Carter; 1999, refugee family from Kosova welcomed to Martinsville. (PHOTO: 1934 ads)