July 13

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

This entry from Shady Grove in the community news section of the Henry Bulletin: “The farmers around here are getting real blue on account of so much rain. They will have to fight crap grass when the sun does shine.”

75 years ago – 1949

Jesse Frank Wilson, Henry County ACA secretary, reported that wheat and tobacco in fields in the county had been heavily damaged by rain; corn suffered in a few lowland areas. Tobacco was in irregular sizes throughout the county, some stalks tall, some short, and others medium, even on the same fields, because replanting had to be done in places. If rain continued, the tobacco may wilt, but otherwise, warm, dry weather would bring out the crop.

President Truman gave a Fireside Chat over the radio at 9:30 p.m. and also over television from a desk in the movie projection room in the White House.

1960

After a month missing, Duchess, the dachshund belonging to John Wright of Bassett, was returned home. The Rufus Joyce’s of Route 1, Patrick Springs, had found the dog and been keeping her safe. The got in contact with Mrs. Wright after they say a notice about the missing dog in the newspaper’s Stroller column. Mr. Wright, meanwhile, whose dog it was, was overseas.

The first homegrown tomato of the season locally to be reported as ripened was that of Walter Campbell of Fisher Farm Road. It was a Marglobe. However, days after that was reported, C.B. Hensley of 313 Forest Street reported that he had been eating his own homegrown Big Boy tomatoes since the end of June. Others with early tomatoes were Mr. and Mrs. Clifford J. Cox of Collinsville and Mrs. J.H. Dempsey of 602 Rives Road.

50 years ago – 1974

Showing at Martinsville Drive-In on Rich Acres Road off U.S. 220: “Angie Baby” and “Orgy of Revenge.” No one under 18 admitted. At Castle Drive-In in Collinsville: “Fast, Fun, First-Run Relief for What Ails You: A Triple Dose!!! ‘Student Nurse’ – ‘Candystripe Nurses’”. At the Rives Theatre: “Where the Lilies Bloom”; Town & Country, “The Sugarland Express” with Goldie Hawn; at Martin Theatre, “The Exorcist”; and at 220 Drive-In, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

25 years ago – 1999

Clearview Elementary School was the first area school to operate on the year-round schedule, and in July, staff were preparing for school to begin on Aug. 4. John Vartenisian was the principal.   

Hairston Home residents were evacuated due to a fire on the kitchen stove.

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