Feb. 6 through time

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

1924

The American Legion Pannill Post 42 planned to honor the late Ex-President Woodrow Wilson in one of the local churches at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, the same time as his funeral in Washington. The business houses of the city were asked to be closed for the service. The committee in charge was K.C. Whittle, A.B. Antrim and W.R. Broaddus.

Also 1924, On Wednesday, Feb. 6, the Sutherlin block across Franklin Street from Public Square (the courthouse), cornered on Main Street, were sold, thought to be the largest transaction in Martinsville. It included seven brick stores from T.E. Gravely & Co.’s hardware store on the corner of Main Street and Public Square down to the Army and Navy store. The purchaser was Henry County Development Company – H.A. Ford, M.R. Schottland, T.M. Ford, J.L. English and N.S. Schottland (most also were officers of the H.A. Ford & Co. Inc.), buying the property from the Bassett heirs and their representatives of Birmingham, Ala.

1949

Irving W. Ramsey of First National Bank was named the chair of the year’s Red Cross campaign locally. The goal of the campaign, which would be held March 7-12, was $5,912.

1960

Cattleman Millard Pigg of Spencer was elected to the board of the Virginia Angus Association.

1974

In the 1970s, special police forces in Stanleytown (3 officers) and Fieldale (2 officers) were supported financially partially by the County and partially by Fieldale Sanitary District and Stanley Furniture. The Henry County Board of Supervisors was tied on whether or not to continue supporting the police forces or absorb the work and the full authority into the Sheriff’s Department. On Feb. 6 court-appointed tiebreaker William F. Franck voted to end Henry County payments. The County already had ended payments for the Bassett officers. Albert Lee Prillaman, director of human resources for Stanley, said the company would make up the difference in salaries. The Supervisors agreed to allow the special police forces to use County small equipment such as radios.

1999

Kids went to school on Saturday, Feb. 6, as a makeup school day. Sandi Roberts was a senior then at Fieldale-Collinsville High School, and she told a Bulletin reporter that at least it was better than losing a day of spring break. Her friend Elizabeth Martin agreed.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfiche at the Martinsville Branch Library.