June 28

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

The Preston 4-H Club held an ice cream social at the home of Mrs. J. W. Baker.

Ad: “Carey Asfaltslate Shingles. The Single that Never curls. The beauty of Carey Asfaltslate Shingles is lasting, because the never curl, and the sage green, Indian red, and blue-black colors never fade. Call on us for samples and prices. G.M. Finley, Martinsville, Va., Phone 2022 – Window Sash and Door; Lehigh Cement-Lime-Plaster; Building Materials of all kinds.”

75 years ago – 1949

For the third time in 29 months, sudden death claimed a City Hall janitor. The latest to die was Moses Hairston, 49, of Roundabout Road, who dropped dead on his porch as he was leaving to go to work. The first to die was Lindsey “Speed” Burgess, after 10 years on the job; the second was Ernest Curry. All three perished of heart attacks.

1960

The Martinsville Bulletin’s Stroller column recounted that eight tractor-trailers were 2 hours late in leaving Martinsville with their cargo from the R.P. Thomas Trucking Co. lot on the Danville Road. The truck were gassed and ready to go, but when the drivers showed up, got their trip tickets and went to the trucks, the keys weren’t in them. They weren’t in the office, either. Paul Stone, the big boss,was called, and he asked the City police for help. They searched the neighborhood, watched with interest by a 5-year-old boy. Finally, when someone asked the boy if he knew anything about the missing keys, he replied, “Sure! I took and hid them so they wouldn’t be stolen.” Then it took him half an hour to remember where he had squirreled away those keys. The boy was not named in the article, but he very well may still be living here and perhaps even reading this article - does he remember this?             

50 years ago – 1974

ANCHOR (A New Chance Organization) got its second probation home, a girls’ home at 312 Brown St. Their first home, at the corner of Brown Street and Cleveland Avenue, was for boys. The homes provided professional counselors to aid teenagers who have had troubles at home or minor brushes with the law.

25 years ago – 1999

Martinsville Christian School, which was operated by Druid Hills Baptist Church (Michael Bender, pastor), closed. It had been in operation for 23 years. At its peak, it had 125 students, but in 1998-99, only 68.

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