July 7
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
More prizes listed for the upcoming Henry County Fair: Set of cups and saucers for best bundle of alfalfa hay, from Pool Hardware & Furniture Co.; 5 lbs. Chase & Sanborn coffee for best bread made of Gardner’s best flour, from N.F. Burge & Sons; 1 dozen bath towels for best infant’s outfit, from Fieldale Mills; electric toaster for best collection of flowers, from Fountaine-Maury Electric Co.; one child’s sewing machine for best piece of needle work by child under 10 years, from Singer Sewing Machine Co.
75 years ago – 1949
The City voted to spray with DDT. It had been spraying city-wide Chloradine every 3 or 4 weeks, at night, in efforts to kill flies and mosquitos. However, city officials decided to step it up and spray more often, and with DDT. It was arranged to have a visit by a representative of the Insect Controls Sales and Service Co. of Charlotte, N.C.
1960
Former Martinsville fireman Cecil Smith, who had moved to Bluefield in 1944, returned for a visit. The last time he had seen Martinsville was 1948, and after just those 12 years, he did not recognize it. He told the Bulletin that he was on Memorial Boulevard trying to find the A.R. Bradshaw place on Bridge Street where he used to room, but he would up on Park Street, and had to get Patrolman Frank Hundley to take him to it. He said he was amazed at the growth in and around Martinsville and by the expensive look of the houses.
50 years ago – 1974
Dwight Dillon of Bassett was elected a director of the Virginia Association of Insurance Agents – At Piedmont Trust Bank, Chauncy Drewry was promoted to assistant comptroller, Doris Minter was promoted to assistant secretary and Shirley Witt was promoted to main office drive-in supervisor – Barry Alan Speakman joined the staff of Martinsville Office Supply.
25 years ago - 1999
National Catalog Corp., based in Connecticut, announced that it would open a customer service center at Patrick Henry Mall in Martinsville. It would start with 250 employees and have more than 700 by 2005.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.