1925, Broad Street buildings nearly finished; 1950, Martinsville Seven in Virginia Supreme Court; construction starts on Philpott Dam; 1975, worker paralyzed after fall at Bassett Superior plant; 2000, BB&T offers to rent third floor to City. (PHOTO: 1930s Broad and Church)

1925, permit needed for hogs in city; 1950, Martinsville Library grows; 1975, scrap paper drive; 2000, Rajah Temple No. 195 officers. (PHOTO: Fuller Memorial Baptist Church)

1925, minstrel shows at Baldwin Theatre; 1950, possible Baptist seminary for Martinsville; 1975, burglar in Druid Hills; 2000, gas prices rise to a shocking $1.52. (PHOTO: Sours Mill at North Fork Leatherwood Creek. Gus Dyer is on the wheel.)

1925, Axton brothers fly to NC; 1950, illegal fishing; 1975, train derailed near Rives Road; 2000, unemployment benefits raise by $36. (PHOTO: Henry County school bus)

1925, a chopping and an enjoyable dance; 1950, wild day at Martinsville Speedway; 2000, EDQ officers investigaing. (PHOTO: Ridgeway station)

1925, first used car dealership; 1950, Central Grammar School turned into storage; 2000, Tultex assets sold. (PHOTO: Fieldale Train Station)

1925, “Nice things to eat”; 1950, Henry Co. tops Virginia for March of Dimes; 1975, new decals; 2000, Trade Show and Moss-Burton redevelopment area. (PHOTO: Hotel Hamilton where Jefferson Plaza is now)

1925, American Legion Minstrels; 1950, Gilberts run out of town for running disorderly house; 1975, food stamps for 2,200 families; 2000, Trade Act brings 220 more to PHCC. (PHOTO: Henry C. Lester home on Church Street)

1925, Mutual Building & Loan Ass’n; 1950, fire door saves First National Bank; 1975, FUMC hosts CROP; 2000, Aloha Wok. (PHOTO: Liberty Heights Pool where the shopping center is now)

1925, Methodist Church in Bassett grows; 1950, Harnsberger’s Market; 1975, polyester double knit on sale at Glo.bman’s; 2000, Family Life Services Medical Clinic. (PHOTO: 1962, Eagle’s Store in Collinsville)

1925, Mr. Koger’s store in Bassett; 1950, help with coal at Prison Farm; 1975, school lunches; 2000, lawsuit over Fieldcrest Lodge. (PHOTO: Martinsville Station)

1925, Jergens Lotion samples at Mountain Drug Co. in Bassett a big hit; 1950, disputed property on Fayette Street; 1975, students Tim Spivey, Dana Bennett and Patricia Moore top investors; 2000, Lynn Wolf, Fike Rogers, Jannie Koumparakis, Randolph Wade and Ira Trollinger read Dr. Seuss. (PHOTO: Church Street from Jefferson Plaza)

1925, Preston Home Demonstration Club; 1950, Bosses Night at Club Martinique; 1975, shot by 15-year-old wife; 2000, remote-control planes at BHS and new air field behind Henry County Administration Building. (PHOTO: Hotel Hamilton where Jefferson Plaza is now)

1925, thousands of chicks; 1950, two-way radios and new Public Health department; 1975, fund for James Aliff, and mourning “The Passing of Old Man Credit” at Woody’s; 2000, Chuck and Doris Marshall safe amid political coup in Africa. (PHOTO: Curing tobacco)

1925, J.W.F. Beckner leases Piedmont Kennel Farm;1950, Blue Ridge Baptist Pastors’ Assn. wants seminary in Martinsville’ 1975, county dog catchers put under county administrator instead of sheriff; 2000, Rocky Reynolds performs in London. (PHOTO: Bassett Train Depot)

1925, Prohibition agents capture two teams and large wagons; 1950, the Globmans buy the Shackelford homesite; 1975, Pam Archer of Martinsville Office Supple does County Admin. Building’s interior design; 2000, Julia Brown is top first soprano. (PHOTO: Virginia Furniture Co. in Martinsville)

Oops! We knew this day would happen — and it has: We have worn outbour website with so many daily articles. We have to clean it up a bit, so we complied all of last year’s January daily history columns into one long document - it’s 29 pages on the computer, 9,828 words. With all those 31 daily columns on this one huge column, we deleted 31, freeing up more blog space for later. All the information remains, and you’ll still be able to find what you look up in our Search fields.

1925, Dr. and Mrs. M.E. Hundley witnesses big Philadelphia fire; 1950, committee for Martinsville YMCA; 1975, sewing men’s knit trousers; 2000, unexpected death of Tiffany Craighead, 14. (PHOTO: Fields and Leggett)

1925, Ensemble suit was the new fashion; 1950, Elks’ Ladies’ Night at Club Martinique; 1975, Max Kendall’s ideas for county; 2000, Rail Trail is proposed. (PHOTO: Billy Roger “Cowboy” Penn riding his horse in Bassett)

1925, fire at Bassett Manufacturing Plant; 1950, possibility of YMCA; 1975, $2 million loss for Fieldcrest Mills; 2000, new area code for 540 district. (PHOTO, Farmers Warehouse)