April 2

100 Years ago – 1925

Dr. M.S. Shaughnessy of Massachusetts arrived in Martinsville and reported that Martinsville doctor Dr. M.E. Hundley was sick with intestinal trouble in a hospital in Bermuda. Hundley and Shaughnessy had been passengers on the Royal Mail liner Araguaza, and while on the ship they performed an emergency operation on the ship’s purser, Herbert Stoddart. The day after the ship arrived in Bermuda, Hundley became ill. He ended up in the Bermuda hospital in a bed right next to Stoddart’s.

50 years ago – 1975

Federal Community Development Act funding was new. The City of Martinsville didn’t apply for that funding because officials were skeptical about what kinds of strings might be attached. However, Henry County officials were more optimistic about it, and the County was planning to take advantage of a possible $342,600 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for water line extensions in Bassett and Stanleytown and the acquisition of property at the proposed Fisher Farm Park. Henry County Planning Director Dennis Patton said that accepting the funding would require the county to comply with various federal civil rights laws, safety regulations and other standard governmental regulations.

25 years ago - 2000

Bassett High School senior Justin Helms, 18, of Skyview Trail, Martinsville, was starting an apprenticeship of 4,800 hours spread over 4 years at Arrington Engines, under Joey Arrington. Arrington Engines was the first area business to join the registered apprenticeship program with Henry County Public Schools. The company built engines for Dodge trucks for some of the main NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.