July 4
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
The Henry County Short Course school for girls came to a close on the Fourth of July, 1924, with a county-wide rally, field-day sports and Independence Day celebration. The girls had spent a week in classes and demonstrations in canning, poultry and home nursing. County Home Demonstrator Miss Emma Bratten was in charge, and of faculty, the local one was Red Cross nurse Mrs. Freda Drewry of Martinsville. The girls were chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. King Jones of Ridgeway, Miss Dorothy Lacy of Scottsburg, Mrs. W.W. Kellogg of Preston, Mrs. George T. Winn of Axton and Miss Preston Starling of Lone Oak [which is the area around the end of Irisburg Road]. Local businesses had donated food and supplies, and National Guard Company H 116 Inf. Had donated the use of army cots and tents. The Roundabout Club let the girls use their clubhouse for the week. That club was located in a bend in the Smith River in the Koehler area. The Kiwanis Club took the girls to the moving picture and then to get ice cream one evening.
75 years ago – 1949
Danny Greene, son-in-law of Abe Globman and a World War II veteran was elected commander of the Pannill Post No. 42 of the American Legion. He succeeded Jack Frost. Other officers were William F. Owen, first vice-commander and membership chairman; Eric Sholtz, second vice-commander; Jack Carter, finance officer; T. Ed Moore, sergeant-at-arms; W.W. Hill Jr., historian; Leonard Stone, chaplain; T. Spencer Dallas, service officer; Charles M. Bradley, judge advocate; and Dan W. Cheshire and James Heizer, members of the executive committee.
1960
Carolyn Minter, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archie Minter of City Route 1, was headed to the Knights of Pythias public speaking contest finals in nearby Roanoke, on Aug. 15. That comes she won the local public speaking contest sponsored by the Patrick Henry Lodge in April 1960, then the regional (10 states and Canada) competition in Ohio, in June.
50 years ago – 1974
Opposition to the Martinsville Drive-in Theater, which showed X-rated movies and was located in Rich Acres, was growing. James D. Washburn Jr., the chairman of the Fontaine Ruritan Club’s “Martinsville Drive-In Theater Project,” told the Martinsville Bulletin that 98% of the residents were against the theater. Portions of the movie screen could be seen from people’s houses, and from his house, the whole screen could be seen. Minors could watch the X-rated movies from holes in the fence around the theater. Being near the theater made it hard to sell a house.
25 years ago - 1999
The Philpott family – 100 relatives from five generations -- held their annual 4th of July celebration in Philpott. The tradition had been started by A.L. Philpott.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.