Jan. 30
1925
A front-page article in the Jan. 30 edition of the Henry Bulletin stated, “Those on the streets of Martinsville experienced all the thrills peculiar to a real classy automobile race, without the pleasure of having placed a bet on the probable winner. Some of the local officers espied a large car heading in on Fayette street, of the type usually used in the liquor traffic, and immediately gave chase … The race was on. Tearing thru the one-way street from Main to Church, in violation of the traffic laws, at a speed which would have caused Barney Oldfeld in his days of triumph to think ‘what a fool I am,’ the cars turned Church … The power of both cars was tested. With the humming of motors, whirr of wheels regardless of human life, the cars pushed to their limit, kept up their frightful grind until Ridgeway was reached …”
1950
Classified ads: ANYONE desiring a ride from Bassett to DuPont, meeting all shifts, call Bassett 3616. Lucille Rakestraw Krontz. / SEWING MACHINES and radios sold and repaired. Parts for all of them. Needles, buttonhole attachments Pinking scissors, motors and sew lights. O.K. Machine & Radio Service. Dial 8289 day, 9145 night. / STARLING AVENUE 104 – Private bedroom, steam heated. Automatic hot water. Dial 9357. / STARLING AVENUE 403 – Brick Haven Apts. Nice room for two girls, with kitchen and laundry privileges. All modern conveniences. Dial 4188. / STARLING AVENUE 214 – Gentleman to share two rooms and bath with another gentleman. References. Dial 5159.
Air pollution in Martinsville was getting to be such a problem that residents were complaining about it at City Council meetings, and Council was considering bringing back the Citizens’ Smoke Abatement Committee. Councilman E.E. Stone said the most complaints he had received came from the Forest Street and Rives Road area. City Fire Chief Clay Easterly reported that much of the problem was from improper firing of industrial furnaces, burning waste materials instead of proper fuel. He said that the last time a Citizens’ Committee was on the case, local industries were persuaded to burn fuel properly.
1961
Henry County was one of 20 counties in Virginia that had more than 1,000 members of the 4-H clubs during 1960. Pittsylvania had the most – 2,416. Across the state were 2,418 4-H clubs in 1960, with a total of 71,960 members. Their most popular projects were in clothing, food, electric, safety, home grounds beautification, wildlife, forestry, gardening, home management, home furnishings, livestock and entomology.
1975
The price of sugar had gone way up. Laurel Park Grocery didn’t even have any grocery for sale; owner and manager Thomas Lewis said he didn’t want to pay $3.75 for 5 pounds of sugar when the price should be $1.50 for 5 pounds. Ed Musgrove, the manager of the Kroger store on Spruce Street, said in November the store brand sugar had sold for $3.29 and had gone down to $2.79. J.N. Joyce of Sureway on Memorial Boulevard said sugar had gone up to $3.95. Overall, sugar had risen 400% in 1974.
2000
Kantilal “Kenny” Patel, prorprietor of the Days Inn on Greensboro Road, was robbed in his parking lot while getting things out of his van. Two North Carolina men were arrested the next night.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.