Dec. 26
100 Years ago – 1924
Ad: “Wm. M. Whittle INSURANCE – District Agent Penn Mutual Life of Philadelphia, Pa. Careful and courteous attention given to all of your Insurance needs. Life, Health, accident, fire, automobile and all lines of casualty insurance indemnity bonds. Representing only the Older and Stronger Companies. Offices: 4-5 Burch Bldg. Phone 403.”
75 years ago – 1949
About 130 children attended a Christmas party for less fortunate children at Club Martinque. Santa Claus gave each of the children two gifts, which had been donated by Martinsville merchants and factories, and also a bag of nuts, candies and fruits. A local orchestra played music and the group sang songs, and movies were shown. The children were served a meal of creamed chicken on toast, waffle potatoes, chocolate milk and ice cream and cake.
A public hearing was held on the new City Charter for Martinsville, and City Council approved the charter. The next step was to ask Del. W.R. Broaddus to present the charter to the General Assembly in January.
1960
The Stroller column on Dec. 26 recounted 4-year-old Frankie Bullock’s disappointment. At a Christmas party at the Bassett Recreation Center, Frankie had gone up to Santa Claus, but his parents had not realized it. Frankie heard the kid ahead of him ask for an electric train, and Frankie thought it was a good idea so he asked for one, too. However, on Christmas morning, there was no train under the tree. He complained to his father, who said he didn’t realize the boy had wanted a train. Frankie told him that he had asked Santa Claus. “Mr. Bullock then explained: ‘Well, you must have talked to the wrong Santa Claus, then.’ And so Frankie spent the rest of the day mumbling, ‘I talked to the wrong man.’”
50 years ago – 1974
Most of the Aliff family of the Preston community was murdered: mother Mrs. Sally Davis Aliff, 34; Peggy, 10; James, 4; Charlotte, 8; and Vernon Darrell, 2. Mrs. Aliff’s husband, James Vernon Aliff, found her badly beaten, partially clothed body on the bedroom floor beside the bed. Shortly later, neighbor Jack Hill discovered the bodies of the children in a ravine in the woods behind the house. The 2-year-old was found still holding two tiny plastic red roosters in his hand, and the 4-year-old was still holding a blue metal truck in his right hand. None of the children had shoes on. In the house investigators found signs of a struggle and a meal that had apparently been interrupted.
On the farm of Mrs. Geneva Wilson of Route 3, Axton, was the oldest known cow, Whitey. Whitey was 34 years old. She wasn’t producing milk anymore but was kept on as a sort of a pet. It was easy to remember Whitey’s age, because Whitey had been born on the same day as Mrs. Wilson’s 34-year-old grandson, David Moxley of Axton.
25 years ago - 1999
The Martinsville-Henry County Junior Miss was Shauna Rose, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Rose and the Southern Piedmont’s Junior Miss was Alexis Hairston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Hairston. Junior Miss was sponsored by the Martinsville Business and Professional Women. The two local Junior Misses were scheduled to compete in the Virginia Junior Miss Scholarship Program Jan. 7 and 8 in Roanoke.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.