March 18 through time

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

The Bassett Minstrels performed on March 18 at the Globe Theater in Martinsville. Admission was 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children, to benefit the Martinsville Baptist Church building fund.

75 years ago – 1949

A third case of spinal meningitis was reported: Miss Virgie Keaton, 30, of Philpott. She was listed in “fair” condition, as well as an 11-year-old, who had been reported the day before.

1960

Melvin Barnes, the second ex-Drewry Mason baseball player to try out for pro ball, and a member of the Nebraska rookie league, left for Daytona Beach to attend the Cleveland Indians farm club camp. He prepared in part by working out at Drewry Mason High School, from where he had been graduated the previous spring.

The long awaited “Spring Festival”, the Martinsville-Henry County Women’s Club fashion show, featured fashions from Adkins Men’s Store, Blanche’s, Globman’s, Heiner’s Tots and Teens, Holt’s, Kolodny’s, Leggett’s and Louise’s Stork Shop. Shoes were from McCollum-Ferrell. Proceeds from the show were used for the club’s foster home care project and dental care for indigent children.

50 years ago – 1974

The Martinsville Police Department got new cars – blue (on the ends) and white (in the middle), and smaller than the previous cars, which were all blue.

25 years ago - 1999

The American Cancer Society held a Daffodil Days fundraiser with a goal of raising $2,300. The cost was $6 for a bunch of 10 and $8 for potted daffodils. Tom Helmstutler was the organizer.

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