Sept. 11
100 Years ago – 1924
Between 1,000 and 1,500 people attended the Kiwanis Club’s big barbeque and Brunswick stew held at Taylorsburg (the old Taylor homeplace), near the Mayo aka Moore’s Mill section of Henry County, near the state and county lines. President Kennon Whittle gave the opening speech; Hylton C. Clanton of Mayo gave a speech; and T.H. Self and E.J. Davis talked about the Kiwanis Club and cooperation between town and country people. J.S. Lancaster was the head cook; ice cream made by Piedmont Creamery under the supervision of Claude Turner, and lemonade were served.
75 years ago – 1949
Martinsville Coal Company, owned by H.V. Price Jr., advertised to nudge people to order coal: “How about that blanket last night, did it feel pretty good? You can also have a swell feeling by knowing that when icy breezes begin to blow, you have a full winter’s supply of coal. So don’t delay. Call 2428.” The company was at 405 Bridge St., the same building that houses the old Price Minute Mart on one side.
1960
John Leland Scoggin Jr., 77, died. He was the former editor and owner of The Bassett Journal, and in his lifetime had connections with 11 newspapers in Virgina and North Carolina. He owned many of them. He moved to Bassett from Altavista in 1931, and took over ownership and management of the Bassett Journal and Bassett Printing Company. He served as publisher and editor of that newspaper until he retired in 1956. He was a member of Dick Bell Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and the Dokkies, and a charter member of the Bassett Kiwanis Club and a member of Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church.
Seven people were arrested in Galax in a racial disturbance apparently caused by a school desegregation controversy. Six white teenagers were charged with disturbing the peace. A black man who was accused of shooting at their car was charged with felonious shooting. The troubles started the week before after eight black students from Grayson County’s Oldtown District were ordered to be enrolled in the all-white Galax High School. In response, the Galax school board closed the school, which had 300 white students. Grayson County had no high school for black students.
50 years ago – 1974
Traffic in downtown Martinsville was being studied for making improvements. The first Central Business District (CDB) plan recommended closing Fayette Street and making a new street running west from the intersection of Fayette and Moss streets. However, at least 25 businesses were in operation on the part of Fayette Street near the courthouse. Businessman William B. Muse said that black residents did not support that plan, which would hurt or destroy the black section of town. The revised study left Fayette Street the way it was and looked at changes to widen Bridge Street between Main and Church streets, because that’s where the most traffic congestion was, and also said that Walnut Street also would get very crowded with vehicles during various times of day.
Quality Stamp Redemption Store opened in Collinsville, next to Kings. Ann Southard was the manager. Sureway and Bestway stores gave Quality Stamps with purchases.
25 years ago - 1999
The Virginia Museum of Natural History’s 15th annual Indian Heritage Festival and Powwow was held at the Martinsville High School practice field. A new feature of it was a living history Powhatan Indian village showing life in the 17th century.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.