Jan. 31
1925
Woody’s Department Store of Bassett advertised, “There is a chicness about these new Hats that will instantly appeal to every woman who appreciates the newest in Millinery. In inviting you to inspect our new line of fashionable Millinery we feel sure that you will be more than pleased with our styles and prices.”
1950
The influenza epidemic in Martinsville seed to be abating, with attendance at schools and factories picking back up. There were 709 absentees from City schools on Jan. 31.
1961
The Mother’s March through the March of Dimes local chapter to raise funds for polio victims was held. About 1,000 women went door to door to collect enough money to pay off a $22,000 (worth $235,000 today) debt owned by the local chapter to the National Foundation for treatment and care of polio victims. Much of that came from 1959, when 41 victims were stricken with polio. Except for 10 districts whose totals had not yet been tabulated, $4,975 was collected. Volunteers worked at First National Bank until midnight counting the donations that had been taken between 7-9 p.m.
A state audit had revealed a deficit of more than $11,000 (worth $117,000 today) in the cafeteria fund at Drewry Mason High School, spread over 3 years - $3,102 in 1958, $2,979 in 1959 and $2,499 in 1960. County School Superintendent J. Foster Hollifield said that most of the deficit was from federal aid funds used to buy food and from the money students paid for their meals – 30 cents each. County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kenneth Covington said he did not discover any criminal violation in the matter. Principal O.E. Pilson said it just looked like a case of bad management.
1975
Water in Axton, including at Axton Elementary School, Eanes Drive-In restaurant and about 30 other private customers, had had no chlorine and some bacteria, according to test results. The health department allowed the water to be used for washing and bathing but not boiling. Axton School used a 23,000-gallon underground reservoir which it had drained and cleaned and refilled, with a heavy dose of chlorine added to disinfect the reservoir. Then it was drained and refilled again. After being filled a third time, chlorine was run through the pipeline to disinfect it.
2000
Roads were iced over after 3 to 4 inches of a wintry mix fell over the area over the weekend, marking the fourth time of snow or ice over a week and keeping schools closed. A bus trip to Richmond for area displaced textile workers was postponed to Feb. 2.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.