July 31
100 Years ago – 1924
The church building on Broad Street, the former Missionary Baptist Church, was sold at auction and bought by Mr. G.E. Townes for $5,200. It was understood that Mr. Townes would use the building for his undertaking business. [Townes Funeral Directors and Undertakers – Phone 359, Night, 313]
75 years ago – 1949
City Health Official R.M. Wilso reported that the City was spraying DDT around garbage and Chloridene all around the city to control pests.
Light rains brought some relief in torrid days with temperatures that ranged between 95 and 98 degrees in the later part of the week. On the previous night, the temperature dropped down to 64, before hitting 94 degrees during the day. Rain storms were heavy around Stanleytown and the Patrick-Franklin line, causing creeks to rise. Heavy rain destroyed crops in Bassett, caused the Smith River to rise and caused motorists to pull to the side of the road.
1960
Do you remember that row of rose bushes with cheerful small pink roses that bordered the parking lot of the Martinsville Bulletin on the corner of Broad and Market streets? The Bulletin’s parking lot had been paved in July 1960, and as soon as paving was finished, the Bulletin ordered those roses to plant along it. They bloomed in July, July, August and September. Many of them were cut down in 2015, and the remainders were removed by The Storage Center when it bought that property, spruced it up and moved into it, a couple of years ago.
50 years ago – 1974
Sale at JC Penney: boys’ polyester/cotton shirts with crewneck collar and short sleeves, $1.99; boys’ denim flare leg jeans, $4.80; boys’ sweaters and sweater vests, $3.98; boys’ denim wester jacket, $5.58.
25 years ago – 1999
Wise Recycling held a kids’ recycling contest which ran for a full year. Winners were Heather Ashby, 11; Susan Gilbert, 10; and Bridgette Greer, 12. Heather collected 4,015 pounds of aluminum to hear a $150 cash award; Susan collected 1,142 pounds, with a $100 reward; and Bridgette, 950 pounds and $50. Heather earned a total of $1,402 over the year in recycling proceeds.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.