June 5
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
Appalachian Power Company was studying Martinsville’s industries to see if there would be enough demand to run powerlines to Martinsville from Dublin, by the shortest route through Floyd and Patrick counties, touching Bassett and Fieldale in Henry county.
75 years ago – 1949
One hundred three students were graduated from Martinsville High School.
1960
Anne Jirgens of Princeton Street received her bachelor’s degree from the School of Pharmacy of George Washington University in Washington, DC. She was the only woman in her graduating class.
Listed for Sale or Trade by Owner: 6-room brick house with bath; 2 nice attic rooms, full basement with shower and fireplace, carport and end porch, built-in cabinets, duct heat, clear red oak flooring, cedar-lined closets, double insulated ceiling, storm windows and doors. 1400 square feet floor space on main floor, big lot with 90’8” on road front. 2/10 mile from Rt. 220 on Lester Road, Collinsville. $18,000.
50 years ago – 1974
An explosive device was found in a patch of grass beside Rt. 57 in Koehler and was sent to Washington D.C. for analysis. It was a glass jar with a battery, wiring and dynamite cap. A handwritten note on it threatened to “get a supervisor.” That was told publicly by Sheriff C.P. Witt; off the record, unnamed sources told the Martinsville Bulletin that the note named Board of Supervisors Chairman Melvin Brown and three other supervisors.
25 years ago - 1999
It was graduation day for Martinsville High School, and the school’s teachers aides provided free babysitting services for children ages 2-8 during the ceremony times so families (and their little children) could better enjoy the ceremony. Tom Fitzgibbons was the principal.
Butch Hamlet won his first Late Model Stock race, during the seventh race of his third season at New River Valley Speedway. He took the lead over Rodney Cundiff on the 10th of 75 laps.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.