March 10 through the years

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

Real Estate Transfers: Martinsville Land and Improvement Co to T. Wood Bouldin: a lot on northside of Chalmers Street, $400; C.B. Warren to Leonard Davis, a lot on east side of Dillard Street, $500; A.T. Jones to J.D. Hodges and S.G. Whittle Jr., a tract of land on the waters of Leatherwood Creek $60;  Valley Veneer Co. Inc. to J.B. Craig, two lots on soil road leading to Bassett, $245.

75 years ago – 1949

City Health Officer R.M. Wilson reported the area’s first contagious disease in 2 months: spinal meningitis. Victim Gladys Martin, 7, of Collinsville, was being treated at Martinsville General Hospital. The Martin home was the first one quarantined in the area since Nov. 5, when the last case of measles was reported; the last case of scarlet fever was recorded on Nov. 4. Since that time, a few cases of chicken pox had been reported, but homes were not quarantined for that disease.

1960

As the Martinsville area dug out from a fresh 9 inches of snowfall, weathermen across the area announced another snow fall to occur in two days.  Roofs and porches sagged as Henry County braced for another battering. Freezing rain topped off the 18+ inches of snow which had accumulated on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  “Normal” life was at a standstill on this frigid Thursday as schools, industries,businesses and bus services closed until at least the following Monday.

50 years ago – 1974

Zoble Morris of Villa Heights was named president of the local American Cancer Society, to take up his role April 1. Other key personnel were Robert E. Leisy, Mrs. R.L. Canupp, Mrs. Mimi H. Riggan, Mrs. Dwight L. Dillon, W.R. Broaddus III, Dr. David B. Roycroft, Carter B. Smith, Mrs. Lloyd W. Wells Jr., Mrs. Strother Fulcher, William B. Wiseman, Ted Balabanis, Miss Gabrielle M. Roy, Mrs. Dennis W. Hammack, Mrs. Philip E. Sprinkle, John L. Manson and the Rev. James T. Craven.

The Jeunettes, a Martinsville dance group, appeared on the Winston-Salem March of Dimes Telethon. They were Kim Hawkins, Rene Shockley, Donna Prillaman, Anita Ashworth, Angela Alexander, Danna Finney, Sharon Hylton and Kim Young, enrolled at The Academy of Dance under the instruction of Katheryn Holt.

25 years ago - 1999

Collinsville Primary School had a robust volunteer program, with 78 volunteers. The program was coordinated by retired first-grade teacher Katherine Easterly. The volunteers included Victoria Bowman and Aaron Tucker.

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