Jan. 22
1925
Ad: “An Opportunity for Boys and Girls to become Telegraph Operators. The occupation is Broadening and Educational in its nature; the rewards are great; it is a natural stepping stone to higher and better positions; and there is a great and constant demand for the Trained Telegraph Operator. Day or Night Classes. Usually requires 4 months to graduate. Tuition $10 a month. It’s easy to learn and operators make from $135 to $200 a month. … Roanoke School of Telegraphy, Peters’ Building, 3rd Floor, Campbell Avenue and 1st St., S.E.”
1950
State ABC Agent Floyd F. Vincent was shot to death during a liquor raid in Bland county. The 35-year-old had lived in Martinsville.
As part of the March of Dimes fundraising drive to help polio victims, an iron lung in operation was demonstrated in the Eagle store window fronting on the Square.
Mrs. Ruth Giles Fischer of Martinsville won the prize of a subscription to Reader’s Digest for her list of suggestions for the new Public Library. They included a larger world globe, more chairs for children, wall maps, pencil sharpeners, book ends, copies of great paintings, another large dictionary and chairs with arms for larger books.
1961
The Mutual Savings and Loan Association of Martinsville reported an excellent year when its assets increased 18% to $2,829,700.
1975
A situation in Henry County inspired the introduction of legislation into the House of Delegates: a bill that would prohibit a sheriff, his deputies or his employees from buying property sold by the sheriff’s department. That was because of recent news that Henry County Sheriff C.P. Witt and his deputies had been buying vehicles at sheriff’s auctions – at unusually low prices.
Foxtree Apartments on Chatham Heights Road advertised: “2 bedroom townhouse apartments … everything you love is close to you! Excellent location – near schools, churches, shopping, bus service – Modern facilities, dishwasher, no-frost refrigerator, self-clean range, disposal, trash compactor – Central air conditioned, 1 ½ baths, plus shag carpet – vinyl wallpaper in dining area and baths, with a million dollar mountain view – community room, laundry facilities … Wells & Donavant Co., Inc.
2000
More than two dozen legislators from across Virginia met with people laid off from local factories which had closed and promised to take those concerns back to the General Assembly. The 2-hour meeting was hosted by Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville, Del. Barnie K. Day, D-Meadows of Dan, and Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Ridgeway.
A snow storm added more snow on top of snow that already had been there. Lt. Jim Minter of the Martinsville Police Department reported that there were five wrecks alone just after it started snowing at 6:30 p.m.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.