July 29

100 Years ago – 1924

Ad: “WANTED. Dried apples, blackberries, huckelberries, eggs, chickens, butter and beeswax. Highest Market Price paid. T. Calvin Martin, Martinsville.”

75 years ago – 1949

About 100 ballots had been received for absentee ballots in the Aug. 2 primary.

1960

John Redd Smith Jr. was the chair of the Martinsville-Henry County Republican Committee. He had been watching the race between presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. He was quoted in the Bulletin’s Stroller as saying, “What impressed me the most, though, was the high level of statesmanship evidenced by Vice President Nixon throughout the whole convention. If the Democrats will rise to the same plane, it could be a historic campaign this year.” [Rise they apparently did, because Kennedy defeated Nixon. Nixon’s time in the White House would not come until nearly a decade later, from 1960 to 1974.]

50 years ago – 1974

“Operation Up” was a new program to provide training for some mentally disabled persons. It was claimed to be the first of its kind in the state and had been in operation for about a month. It was organized under the State Developmental Disabilities Planning and Advisory Council and financed with 70% federal funding and 30% private donations. The nine-week program had 12 students and five teachers: Emily Strader, Gilda Millner, Carolyn Creasy, Charles Barber and Frankie Leavitt.  Most of its activities were done in the downstairs area of First Presbyterian Church, and Shiloh Way of the Cross Church offered its van for transportation. If this pilot project were to become year-round, it would be the firth in the area to serve mentally and physically handicapped people. The first was Martinsville Association for Retarded Children (MARC), which operated for several years out of First Baptist Church.

The Fairystone Squares square dance club met one night a week and had membership of 20 couples.  The club sponsored three festivals a year and performed for various civic functions and meetings.

25 years ago – 1999

NEOCOM Microspeclialist In., back in the days when internet was new, was running this ad: “Imagine you could have a 100% digital, high speed data connection to your home, complete with full internet access, two voice lines featuring caller ID and call waiting, including all telco and ISP fees for under $59.95 a month.”

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