Dec. 21

100 Years ago – 1924

Wedding announcement: “Mr. D.A. Dunn, a popular young farmer of Loneoak community, and Miss Evelyn Morris, an attractive daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.I. Morris, of the same community, were married by Rev. J.P. McCabe Sunday afternoon at the Baptist Parsonage, Church Street.”

75 years ago – 1949

Martinsville jeweler H.B. Byrd Jr., 30, was held in Henry count jail without bond on a charge of murder following the death of Kenneth V. Vaden, 26. Byrd was accused of shooting Vaden, an executive of a mill in Gretna, four days previously at Green Leaf Tea Room. Vaden was in the hospital then died of pneumonia. Byrd was taken into custody from the home of his mother on Starling Avenue.

1960

Patti Mays was a baton teacher. Her students included Lisa Lawrence of 809 Augusta St., Betsy Harrison of Fieldale and Pam Harel of Dearborn Street, all 4. Mays had 86 baton students at her classes in the Brown Street gymnasium of the Community Recreation Center. Some of her students competed in area contests held by the International Baton Twirlers Association (IBTA). Mays had an instructor’s certificate from IBTA and was in the senior girls’ New York State championship in 1950.

50 years ago – 1974

Vehicle purchases by staff of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office were under review. Public records in the Henry County courthouse showed that over the past 6 years almost two dozen automobiles and one motorcycle were purchased at court-ordered sheriff’s department auctions by the sheriff and eight deputies and special county police officers. Prices included $10 for a 1969 Honda motorcycle, a 1966 Chevrolet BelAir for $115 but valued at $550, and between $5 and $55 for eight other cars by one deputy. Also, one of the deputies was being paid by the county for working on sheriff’s department cars on his own property, even though state law prohibited government employees from doing additional contract work for their employers.

25 years ago - 1999

The Toy Store opened for three days in the former Acme grocery store in the Dutch Inn Plaza in Collinsville. The Toy Store was a joint project between the Salvation Army and Christmas Cheer to provide toys and food at no cost to displaced textile employees and their families. Fifteen to 20 volunteers each day walked through the store with each patron. Lt. Erik Nickell was the head of the Salvation Army.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.