1925, Kiwanis ramp it up; 1950, Thornton’s Bakery; 1961, addition for John Redd school; 1975, City firemen rescue Edith Taylor’s cat; 2000, Tultex layoffs include City’s vice mayor.

(PHOTO: Starling Avenue Baptist Church and the barber shop that used to be beside it)

1925, start of Pannill Knitting; 1950, Bassett Garden Club; 1961, county/city department leaders’ salaries; 1975, HCA-Martin returns to full production; 2000, Job Fair 2000, and Ridgeway takes on Henry County.

1925, boy drowns after leaving school early; 1950, March of Dimes committees; 1961, Fairfield Hunt Club near Axton; 1975, Drunken Springs; 2000, Patrick Co. IDA negotiates hospital debt.

1925, disposition of Hairston estate; 1950, Pannill Post 42 declares “T-Day”; 1961, stores’ spring-summer schedule; 1975, Oak Ridge Boys at MHS; 2000, Tultex bankruptcy public meetings.

1925, tour of mica plants; 1950, coal shortage; 1961, bulldozer knocks down telephone, teletype lines; 1975, bus station torn down; 2000, MLC store.

1925, Piedmont Produce Company and Chicago furniture market; 1950, NAACP lawyers defend Martinsville Seven; 1961, marriage licenses; 1975, “I’m OK, You’re OK”; 2000, inmate with AIDS.

1925, experimenting with traffic arrests; 1950, adult education at MHS; 1961, shooting by grave-diggers; 1975, Family YMCA; 2000, pet rocks.

1925, a surprise quiet wedding; 1950, new studio for WMVA; 1961, lost & found; 1975, comprehensive plan for City; 2000, last day at Tultex.

1925, Virginia’s largest distillery in Ridgeway; 1950, slow sales in Chicago; 1961, Drewry Mason High School’s Dramatic Club; 1975Kyle Oakley killed in robbery; 2000, state aid to Tultex workers; freak accident killed postal worker.

(PHOTO: Drapers Barber Shop)

1925, court day; 1950, men who went to Chicago furniture market; 1961, Chamber’s budget; 1975, cutbacks at Bassett; 2000, oldest log cabin, and Tultex’s new loan. (PHOTO: Courthouse Square)

1925, vehicle owners must pick up tags; 1975, new lines for AEP; 1961, how Stella was named; 1975, Roses sale; 2000, J.C. Wooldridge Inc. to close. (PHOTO: looking down Main Street from courthouse, 1874)

1925, Mort Hairston falls to his death; 1950, Farmers Warehouse deemed unsafe; 1961, Paul Toms’ letter to Santa Claus; 1975, Mrs. Rives Brown Jr. explains Big Jane; 2000, Matt Ashburn’s Y2K journal. (PHOTO: Craig and Bassett Store and Undertaking)

1925, pony fall; 1950, deals at Troxler; 1961, E. Lyle Clark Jr.’s prize cow; 1975, donations for James Aliff; 2000, Men’s Roundtable, and year’s first baby Cameron David Spencer. (PHOTO: Phospho-Litihia Springs in Ridgeway)

1924, cholera outbreak at P.S. Ford’s kennel; 1950, prizes for Douglas Edward Woods Jr.; 1975, crazy weather in Ridgeway; 2000. Chaplain Richard Morris retires, and Fieldale loses Officer David Deisher. (PHOTO: Church Street in the 1940s)

1924, Women’s Christian Temperance Union; 1949, Hedgecock Brick Co.; 1960, prizes lined up for first baby of 1951; 1974, Eagle Sandwich shop and a pool hall to go; 1999, Y2K precautions.

1924, RMA keeps track of local credit scores; 1949, prizes for New Year’s baby; 1960, 1,000 local people get measles; 1974, Martinsville Convalescent Home; 1999, Mickie Martin is over new Enhanced 911 for Patrick County. (PHOTO: Jesse Shackelford’s home and hospital)

1924, call 157 for liver pudding, side meat, pickled hot feet, chip beef and more; 1949, Fontaine Converting Works Inc. provides insurance for workers; 1960, cost to keep prisoner nearly doubles, to $2 per day; 1974, organizations help James Vernon Aliff, whose family was murdered; 1999, Church of God gives use of baseball field.

1974: Neighbor and coworker Shanghai Thomas arrested for murders of the Aliff family; also on this date, 1-digit phone numbers; hazards for children, article by 5-year-old Timothy Downey published, loans for laid-off workers.

Momentous time in local history - the Aliff family were murdered 50 years ago today. Also, Christmas party for less fortunate children at Club Martinque (1949), 4-year-old Frankie Bullock’s disappointment and 1999 Junior Misses Shauna Rose and Alexis Hairston. (PHOTO: Oct. 29, 2909, Glidden Tour along the National Highway from NY to Atlanta, eight gas buggies and 20 people showing that cars were safe and reliable.)

1924, 1949 and 1960, Pythians’ Christmas tree with gifts for 1,000 to 1,500 children; 1974, tragedy in Bassett; 1999, 700 at Mission Center’s Christmas dinner.