March 11 through time
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
The Willis Senate Bill, which prohibits all chance amusement devices of games without exception, was passed into law. “County Fairs Hard Hit by Willis Bill Now Law of State,” read the front-page headline in the March 11, 1924, Henry Bulletin.
The regular monthly meeting of the WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) on March 11 was in the home of Mrs. J.W. Jones, with joint hostess Mrs. J.L. English. The program followed the plan “Observance of Prohibition Law Soon to Be Stylish” by Mable Walker Willebrandt, Assistant Attorney General.
75 years ago – 1949
The body of Pvt. Buren W. Ingram, 33, arrived in Martinsville. He died in Africa in November 1943. His family included wife, Sally Stultz Ingram of Moss street; parents, Mr. and Mrs. John I. Ingram of Mayodan; sister, Mrs. Robert Grogan of Mayodan; and brothers, Johnson and Sam Ingram, both of Martinsville.
1960
A Ridgeway house burned to the ground. Firemen were unable to reach the scene in a timely manner.
The spring fashion show by the Martinsville-Henry County Women’s Club the district high school play festival and the annual District E meeting of the Virginia Education Association were postponed and the District VI high school music festival was canceled because of snow. The regular meeting and nomination of BOP Elks Lodge No. 1752 took place as scheduled.
Finally there was a respite from the snow, after a mere 1.5 inches fell. Freezing nighttime temperatures continued to plague the area after enjoying the toasty 40’s during the day. Schools and businesses in the area looked forward to returning to “normal”.
50 years ago – 1974
An advertisement for Virginia National Bank/Henry County, Downtown and Rives Road, shows two pretty middle-aged women, one elderly woman with white hair and cat’s-eye glasses, and one woman who looks to be about 50 and has her hair in curlers; she is in the middle and holds some roses in packages. The ad reads: “Lillie Perkins and the girls of the Green Thumb Garden Club have some of the loveliest roses ever to grow thorns. But this year they’ll be pruning roses they hadn’t counted on growing. They’ll be growing roses we’ve given them. And so will a lot of Henry County’s other green thumbs. Because we’re giving two free American Beauty rose bushes to everyone (green thumb or not) who opens or adds $50 or more to any of our All American Savings Plans. …”
25 years ago - 1999
American of Martinsville announced that it would add 200 jobs over a 2-year period. It had at the time 1,000 employees, and it was negotiating for the purchase of the former Tri Wood Inc. Building on Route 785.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.