Col Bryant “was a very efficient officer, and the town never had a more enthusiastic booster and promoter of expansion.” He had little means himself, but he had the ability to “make plans so plain and plausible to others, that he easily elicited capital in many enterprises that meant for the town’s prosperity.”

In a 1990 book on Ridgeway, Virginia, Mary Pace and Mary Pace McGee wrote “When one considers the constant back-breaking toil…and that this was accompanied by frequent child-bearing with little or no medical care, there is no wonder that young women soon became haggard and unkempt, lost most of their teeth, and often died at a early age.”

By 1871 it was reported that there were 19 white and 10 colored schools which operated for an average of 4.4 months with 26 male and 3 female teachers. Thirty years later in 1901, there were 75 white and 32 colored schools, operating an average of 5.5 months each, and at a total cost of $15,048. (Rock Run School is shown in the picture.)

Rodman’s new modified system of hollow casting replaced the sand core with an insulated iron pipe through which large amounts of water was circulated quickly. The barrel, as it cooled from the inside out, would cause each successive layer of metal to shrink upon the cooler inner layers.

When the company sold the houses to employees, the rent paid was deducted from the selling price of the houses. Residents borrowed money from the Bank of Fieldale based on the judgment of Mr. S. Sutton Flythe, Sr. and a handshake.

County records show that our first county sheriff, Robert Hairston, was paid in part with tobacco. Tobacco held such importance that strict government regulations (1752 Acts of Assembly) were created to ensure the size of the container did not vary.

I would live from week to week with the expectation of going to town on Saturday. After I was 11 or 12 years old I would drive the cattle truck to Martinsville with a full cab and with neighbor children – from two to six in number – riding in the truck bed while standing with feet protruding through spaces between the wood strips.

The Great Road had numerous branches and was known by various names: The Great Wagon Road, The Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, The Great Valley Road, The Great Warriors’ Path, etc. It runs through present-day Rangeley.

Patrick Henry declined to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787, saying he “smelt a rat in Philadelphia, tending toward the monarchy,” but was a representative to the Virginia Convention of 1788, which ratified the U.S. Constitution over his objections.

The three tiers of circular concrete looked like a spider web. The outer circle was an 18 inches deep “baby pool,” another, 4 feet deep; and the center sloped to 12 feet with a diving board in the center. The diving platform was three-tiered with a 20-ft high dive.

Bassett was a bustling town in the 1930’s. There were two movie theaters, two department stores, a 5 & 10 cent store, two drug stores, a shoe shop, a barber shop and a jewelry store — and much more — plus, four churches.

The War Memorial was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1985, in front of a crowd of about 400. The statue is made of Georgia Grey Granite with a Crystal White finish, topped with a bronze eagle that has a 28-inch wing spread. The 34,750-pound, 26.5-foot tall statue cost $49,729.

“Old Tassel” was a beloved statesman and chief of the Overhill Cherokee, whose name became synonymous with integrity and truth. He was a friend of Gen. Joseph Martin and an advocate of peace. Chief Tassel and another chief were murdered by white settlers under a flag of truce at Chilhowee.

General Joseph Martin had an extraordinary life spent as a diplomat, general, statesman, explorer, founding father of our great nation, and one of Henry County’s most influential residents.

In the early days of the automobile, Martinsville was a stop on a tour to promote the new horseless carriage.