July 6

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

Prizes were listed for the upcoming Henry County Fair. They included: $10 cash for 10 best ears of corn, from Peoples National Bank; $5 for best pen chickens, from First National Bank; one box of candy for best map of Virginia by 7th grade pupil, from Central Drug Co.; 100 gallons of gas for best decorated automobile, any make, from O.D. Ford Motor Company; five pound box of Log Cabin tobacco for best grade Henry County filler, from W.A. Brown Tobacco Co.; riding bridle for best lady rider, from Walker-Fair Hardware Co.; umbrella for best pair of geese, from A.B. Globman; piano stool for best 6 biscuits by Club Girl, from A.T. Jones & Co,

75 years ago – 1949

New water lines were laid to Grayson street in preparation of installing a 6-inch line there to increase the water supply. Residents had complained that the ¾-inch line originally there was inadequate. / Building permits were issued: To C. Morton Marshall, outbuilding on Pine Hall Road, $100; Delia Scales, residence on Peters Street, $500.

1960

Drewry Enoch Moore, who was born at the old mill site on the Mayo River, turned 100. He had had three careers: at Moore’s Mill, until he was 59; then his five sons came back from World War I and convinced him to sell the ill. He moved to Leaksville, where he had a flour mill, lumber company, contracting company and wholesale and retail paint supplier. After everything was lost in a fire, he bought a mill in Salem, and worked there until age 83. He and his wife, the former Alice Kellam, had 14 children, then raised four of their grandchildren who had been orphaned. Mr. Moore started every day reading his newspaper, and read the Bible each afternoon. His philosophy was “A man who is not visionary doesn’t get far in life.” His birthday party was held in the church he helped build, Mr. Zion Methodist, off Horsepasture-Price Road. The land for the church had come from his mother’s family, and the church was built with lumber from the Moore sawmill.

50 years ago – 1974

About 4,000 people converged on Leatherwood for the fourth annual Virginia-Carolina Fiddlers Convention at Leatherwood Park, which was off Route 57 east 7 miles east of Martinsville. The property had a 40-acre lake, and festival-goers could fish, ride trails and camp, all for free. The coordinator was Bill Lawrence. Admission for both days was $5, and $3 for one day. First-place prizes for both fiddle and band were $350, with $80 for second and $40 for third. Lower prize levels were in effect for other categories.

25 years ago – 1999

The Axton cannery opened for the season. Hildred Moorman, who had been canning at home for more than 30 years by then, had worked at the cannery for 6 years. Harry Hairston, a retired DuPont man, also worked at the cannery. The cannery was open on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Dec. 16. Area residents would bring food they’d grown at home to be canned and preserved, usually between 200 and 1,000 quart-sized tin cans each day.

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