July 2

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

Three men broke free from jail despite the fact that one would have been released the next morning and the other two had just a few more days to serve. The jail was overcrowded, so Lonie Smith, Will Reynolds and James Edwards had been locked in the bath cell. They sawed the bars at the window [no information on what they used for the sawing] to get out. Two of the men had been in jail for vagrancy and the third on a liquor case.

75 years ago – 1949

 Sixteen furniture men left for the furniture market in Chicago -- of American Furniture Company: R.M. Simmons, Tom Barbour and R.M. Simmons Jr.; W.M. Bassett Furniture Company: L.C. Carter and George T. Hennessey; Hooker-Bassett Furniture Company: M.J. Fogarty, Clyde Hooker Sr. and Clyde Hooker Jr.; Martinsville Novelty Furniture Company: D. Hurd Goode, Earl Greene; Morris Novelty Furniture Company: J. Moss Prillaman, George A. Morris; Gravely Novelty: R.P. Gravely Sr., R.P. Gravely Jr., H.C. Gravely, R.W. Gravely.

1960

Pack 71 of Preston Pentecostal Holiness Church held an Olympic Day at Rangeley Youth Park. James Stanley won first place in the bicycle race, Mike Rodgers second and Mack Davidson third. Mike Rodgers, Donnie Ayers and Mack Davidson won the egg race. Mike and Mack won the ball-throwing. Ronnie Ashworth, Mack, James Stanley, Donnie, Tim Thompson and Mike won the three-legged race.  

50 years ago – 1974

Major companies in the area, except for DuPont, were closed for vacation for the week surrounding July 4. The companies had different ways of paying vacation pay. At Fieldcrest Mills, for example, people employed 15 or more years received 6% of their earnings, or about 3 weeks’ pay; those with 5 to 15 years got 4%, equating to about 2 weeks’ pay, and those with less time got 2% of the previous year’s earnings. Bassett Furniture Industries paid out one week’s salary plus bonuses based on the number of years employed.

25 years ago - 1999

If you wanted to get the free gift with your purchase, you only had to spend $19.50 at the Lancome counter at Belk. Similar to now, the free gift was a full-size nail and lip duo, with mascara, eye makeup remover and a black canvas tote bag – but something we don’t see these days – “and when you come to the Lancome counter, a FREE, freshly-baked loaf of French bread is yours!” the advertisement touts.

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