March 7
100 Years ago – 1925
Circle No. 4 of the Ladies Aid Society had a sale of “nice things to eat” – cakes, pies, dressed chickens, etc. – at Roberts Drug Store.
75 years ago – 1950
The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis [polio] commended Henry County, in a letter from its headquarters in New York City to Pannill Post No. 42, for having the highest per capita funds collected in the March of Dimes and the Emergency campaigns, from any county in Virginia.
The Martinsville High School debate team had a practice debate with the George Washington of Danville team. The MHS team members were Buddy Eanes, Mary Evelyn Richardson, Peggy Wortington and Shirley Gregory.
50 years ago – 1975
Henry County automobile license decals had a new design. It was a replica of the county seal and colors adapted the previous September by the Board of Supervisors, in green, yellow and red, with symbols representing the county’s industry schools and churches. They replaced the image of the county courthouse which had been on the stickers before.
Star Grocery at 900 E. Church St., was robbed at gunpoint. Cashier Nancy Ellis estimated that the thieves got $150.
25 years ago - 2000
More than 1,500 people attended VIP day at the Business 2000 Trade Show, sponsored by the MHC Chamber of Commerce. It was held at the Harris Teeter building on Brookdale Road. More than 100 businesses and organizations had booths.
City Planning, Zoning and Housing Manager Wayne Knox told members of the Martinsville Planning Commission that the city was looking for buyers in the Moss-Burton redevelopment area. The City would build 14 three-bedroom, two-bathroom houses in which cost from $62,000 to $92,000. However, he said, the high unemployment rate in the area made selling difficult.
Glenda Hall won the Woman of the Year Award by the Martinsville Business and Professional Women’s Club. She was very active in BPW, the Exchange Club, MHC Junior Miss Committee, on the board of directors of FOCUS, ACTEENs, Henry County Baptist Association and more, plus she had a daycare in her home.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.