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.

To search from the items on this page only:

To search the entire website:

Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 16

1924, plants for the yard; 1949, Drunken Springs still; 1960, Tiny Norman takes in strayed peacocks; 1974, X-rated movie war continues; 1999, VPS warn law enforcement officers. (PHOTO: Chief Tassell Service Station across from Henry Hotel)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 15

1924, convention at Baptist Church in Bassett; 1949, reprieve from execution; 1960, pink eye epidemic in cattle; 1974, X-rated “Orgy of Revenge” seized; 1999, dentist Dr. George Stermer and others helped refugees. (PHOTO: Central Grammar School on Brown and Cleveland)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 14

1924, conference at Broad Street Christian Church; 1949, wet weather gives peach crops brown rot; 1960, an odd dome; 1974, baton classes by Kathy Hylton Anthony; 1999, new home for probation office. (PHOTO: Draper’s Barber Shop. Note the spittoons.)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 13

1924: Farmers are blue over too much rain; 1949, tobacco & wheat damaged by too much rain; 1960, first tomatoes; 1974, movies; 1999, Clearview School starts year-round schedule.(PHOTO: Church Street, 1940s)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 12

1924, Rexall’s 1-cent sale; 1949, Globman’s under construction; 1960, New Assembly of God Church in Brewers Body Shop; 1974, pollution problems; 1999, Carolyn Beale involved in the arts.

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 11

1924, Globman’s Dollar Sale; 1949, Henry County tobacco growers program; 1960, W.J. Fain and son Bobby get 42-inch rattlesnake in Dyer’s Store; 1974, Ralph Lester and H.W. Bartholomay head United Way Campaign; 1999, new computerized fingerprinting equipment. (PHOTO: the Roxy theater)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 10

1924, tent revival on Fayette Street; 1949, Latvian war refugee family taken care of in Martinsville; 1960, 12-year-old Axton boy busted; 1974, canneries at Spencer-Penn and Axton; 1999, Eltham Manor in Bassett (PHOTO: Astor Cafe and Chief Tassel building)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 9

1924, school carpenter falls to his death; 1949, Mt. Vernon Baptist expansion; 1960, pharmacist ad; 1974, first black Ruritan Club ever, in Carver; 1999, Taylor’s Supermarket. (PHOTO: Baldwin’s Pharmacy)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 8

1924, “the most drastic law ever passed by a legislative body in the United States on any subject”; 1949, firemen save Lester Bros. plant from fire; 1960, July Value Days; 1974, seven new houses and other permits; 1999, Carter’s “Biggest Sale of the Year!”

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 7

1924, Fair prizes include set of cups & saucers, coffee and a dozen bath towels; 1949, City votes to spray with DDT; 1960, former resident amazed at growth; 1974, Dwight Dillon, Chauncy Drewry, Doris Minter, Shirley Witt and Barry Speakman at work; 1999, National Catalog Corp. to open service center at Patrick Henry Mall. (PHOTO: Courthouse Square)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 6

1924, big prizes for Henry County Fair; 1949, new water lines for Grayson Street; 1960, Drewry Enoch Moore turns 100; 1974, 4,000 in Leatherwood for Fiddlers Convention; 1999, Axton cannery and Hildred Moorman.

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 5

1924, Henry County allowances; 1949, sawmill fire in Leatherwood; 1960, liquor trial on 40 takes longer than anticipated; 1974, trade school opens in prison Camp 28; 1999, Celebration 75. PHOTO: Phospho-Lithia Springs resort in Ridgeway)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

July 2

1924, men jailed in bath cell break out; 1949, furnituremen in Chicago; 1960, Pack 71 winners; 1974, factories closed for vacation; 1999, free gift at Belk’s Lancome counter included freshly baked French bread.

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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.)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More
Holly Kozelsky Holly Kozelsky

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)

Read More