1024, a muffler to please him; 1949, 90 cents an hour; 1974, first local jaws of life; 1999, Tultex shifts to marketing instead of making. (PHOTO: 1928 schoolhouse)

1924, Pythians plan on gifts for 1,000; 1949, first Weimaraners; 1974, EACH to help; 1999, Tultex announces 2,600 layoffs.

1924, traffic court; 1949, largest ever crowd in Public Square as Santa arrives; 1960, local women in Va. State College Symphonic Band; 1974, Beckner building demolished; 1999, house fire deaths. )PHOTO: Fire at Watt Hairston building, looking downhill on Jones Street. Courthouse is at the right.)

1924, Fire at Craig-Bassett store and tragedy at cake-cutting; 1974, Bassett-Stanleytown Professional and Businessmen’s Ass’n; 1960, 200+ local civic groups; 1974, Kmart’s Bombshells; 1999, Frank and Jeannie Draper cooking. (PHOTO: 1951 burning of Banner Warehouse, in area where Black Box Theatre is now. You can see the former county administration building, where museum annex now is)

1924, ads; 1949, new highway mail bus service; 1960, timber rustlers; 1974, DuPont lay-offs; 1999, protesting China. (PHOTO: 1941 Franklin and Main streets. Globman's Dept. Store, A and P Supermarket, Townes Building and mostly out of sight, Banner tobacco warehouse.)

1924, Piedmont Trust Bank; 1949, Montgomery Ward; 1960, pot bust in Leatherwood; 1974, Christmas Parade; 1999, Collinsville VFD. (PHOTO: 1908 Nora Weisiger, Hunter Pannill, John Hamilton, Laura and Hattie Barrett and unknown driver)

1924, suggestions by Mattie Rogers Smith and Helen Nance; 1949, 2-way radios for police; 1960, Buddy Gregory’s letter to Santa; 1974, comprehensive plan for Martinsville; 1999, JC Penney Outlet Store. (PHOTO: 1905 view of courthouse from Bridge and Church streets.)

1924, more manners; 1949, first worker death at Philpott Dam; new convent for Myrtle Road; 1960, Community Rec Center classes; 1974, Greyhound buses back; 1999, Christmas Parade. (PHOTO: 1951 burning of Banner Warehouse, in area where Black Box Theatre is now. You can see the former county administration building, where museum annex now is)

1924, new building on Fayette; 1949, Christmas Seals sale; 1960, Christmas Cheer organizers worried; 1974, Franck tiebreaker on bingo permit; 1999, SPCA supports Christmas Cheer. (PHOTO: Williams Store in the Pythian Building)

1924, “The Flapper Grandmother”; 1949, women plan blood drive; 1960, telegraph from Santa Claus; 1974, Fieldale Mill closes for week; 1999, free Thanksgiving meals at The Gallery, Sportsman’s Club, Fontaine Baptist Church, Santa Fe Southwest Grill.

1924, more manners; 1949, housing developments for Fieldale-Collinsville area; 1960, Frank’s Food Fair; 1974, FNB of Bassett; 1999, Dr. Epes at Southeastern Eye Center. (PHOTO: Two women in front of Hotel Stevens)

1924, Better Manners Week; 1949, churches unite for Thanksgiving services; 1960, milestone train rides; 1974, Tayor’s Supermarket; 1999, new paint and ink plant. (PHOTO: Thomas Block, along Main Street from Bridge to Walnut, with Smiths Hardware, Putzels Grocery Store, Gregorys Confectionery, Lavider Store and Thomas Law Office at later home of Kearfott Drug Store.)

1924, church ladies sell pies, cakes, dressed rabbits, squirrels, celery and more; 1949, Virginia-Carolina Flying Service; 1960, City electric lines disturbing local TV and radio reception; 1974, American Furniture Co. lays off 10% of workers; 1999, Sanville Utilities owner faces federal charges. (PHOTO: The Henry Hotel was home to many a visiting salesmen.)

1924, toy ads; 1949, quail flee dogs at first day of hunting season; 1960, Martinsville Machine Works makes new machine for furniture industry; 1974, Hop-In Market robbed; 1999, contemporary worship at Smith UMC.

1924, KKK march through town; 1949, test for new Smith River bridge; 1960, Pony League baseball; 1974, John Crews, Al Ramsey and Ebb Williams on TV from Caesar’s Palace; 1999, Cindy Lucas’s Top-Toe Designer Resale Shoes. (PHOTO: Telephone pole installer Tuck Fontaine on top of a telephone pole in 1903. The Setback Building, home to the law offices of Gravely and Carter and dentist C.T. Womack, is at right.)

1924, Moore’s Interstate Bus Line; 1949, first trip to dentist at 96; 1960, Judd Schreibfeder’s acting career; 1974, Christmas Club prizes; 1999, MURA and Gateway Streetscape sell Christmas decorations. (PHOTO: Sinclair Gasoline station was started by Henry Sinclair in 1916)

1924, “if you hesitate to follow their signals they may have to Ku Klux you”; 1949, new garbage machine for dump in Chatham Heights; 1960, attention for new MHS gym; 1974, “The Loan Arranger”; 1999, school computer labs open at night for parents to learn.

1924, Christian, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches share revival; 1949, final fundraising for hospital for black patients; 1960, 8-year-old shooting champ; 1974, Bob White’s Chevyland; 1999, bankruptcy for Patrick Community Hospital. (PHOTO: Post Office on Church Street, with a clock and a newsstand at the corner opposite, in 1953)

1924, new Studebaker; 1949, 4,501 customers for city electricity; 1960, Globman’s Toyland; 1974, new pollution controls for 18 industries; 1999, death of Martinsville Speedway founder.

1924, first day of Hooker-Bassett Furniture Co.; 1949, Santa’s flight plans; 1960, consumers’ opinions; 1974, crimes against taxi drivers; 1999, $5 Christmas trees.