Feb. 15
100 Years ago – 1925
Ad: “All Star Wrestling and Boxing Bill, Globe Theatre, Saturday, 15th. 8:15 p.m. Battle Royal, Young Brown of Martinsville, Weight 160, vs. Joe Johnson of Martinsville, Weight 160, 6 Rounds.” Also K.O Martin, champion heavyweight of the South, vs. Eddie Steptoe of Ohio, then wrestling with “Harry Cheaney of Danville, Weight 160, vs. Young Lewis of Martinsville, Weight 160, Best two out of three. … Benefit of Local Unit National Guard.”
75 years ago – 1950
As part of a “Know Our Neighbor” tour, 24 members of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, traveling in a chartered Greyhound bus, had a visit in Martinsville which included a tour of DuPont.
1961
The City of Martinsville set a new goal of a modern municipal library within five years. The president of the board of trustees of the Martinsville Memorial Library Inc., Dr. C.D. Myers, presented the goal, which had been voted on by the board during the week before. At the time, the library was in an old house. Meanwhile, the Women’s Auxiliary was going to be expanded into a “Friends of the Library” group.
50 years ago – 1975
The Railroad Nuts met informally now and then. The group was headed by Assistant Librarian Wilbur Sims and included David Ramsey, Alan McClain, Hugh Kearfott, Richard Spencer and Mervyn King. (Did they ever imagine that half a century later, Dr. King would be opening a world-class museum to showcase his extensive collection of toy trains and accessories from Lionel, Marklin and other makers?)
25 years ago - 2000
A local family inspired a bill that, if enacted into Virginia law, would require insurance companies to cover the cost of the equipment needed for the care of diabetes at home. Chris and Karen Starnes’s 17-month-old baby, Carriella Starnes, had diabetes, and the couple paid more than $200 per month for needles, syringes, blood sugar testing equipment and other supplies. De. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville, introduced the House bill, and the Starneses testified in support of the bill before the House Corporations, Insurance and Banking Committee in Richmond.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.