March 13 through the years

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

100 Years ago – 1924

The Martinsville Station of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, accepted $2,000 as a minimum quota to raise within 5 years for the cause to go toward a retirement fund for aged ministers. The goal from the entire denomination was $10 million, which also would support infirm ministers and widows and orphans of ministers.

Mr. J.W.F. Beckner, the proprietor of Beckner’s, a soft drink and confectionary business conducted by him in Hotel Henry near the hotel’s entrance, will take charge of the Henry Hotel after manager Mr. Percy W. Winter leaves his post at the end of March. Eight other people, including three from Martinsville, had applied to manage the hotel. Mr. Beckner had run his business for about three years.

75 years ago – 1949

An ad for Ford Insurance Co. on Church and Walnut streets features a drawing of two stick figures. The woman is standing, slightly bent over, hands held to her temples, as she says “There go my life savings!”; the man has tripped over a child’s scooter, with his carton of milk jars tumbling down. The text reads, “How much if the milkman trips? Maybe $10,000! If anybody hurts himself on your premises – if you hit a caddy with a golf ball – if your children cause injury to others – big lawsuits may practically ruin you. Bur for $10 a year an America Fore policy will protect you up to $10,000 …”

1960

After 157 hours, 41 minutes, the Senate filibuster over the Civil Rights Act came to an end. Leaders agreed that there would be no more around-the-clock sessions. At this point it was predicted to be a measure providing for court-appointed referees in voting rights cases, an anti-bombing provision, the preservation of voting records and penalties for obstruction of court orders in school desegregation. The latter seemed unlikely after being killed in the Senate 49-35.

Ten year-old Frances Fair Merriman of Fieldale won the Zone contest for the Bland Memorial Music Scholarship, sponsored annually by Virginia Lions Clubs. Fair was entered by the Fieldale Lions Club and competed with young musicians from as far away as Roanoke.

50 years ago – 1974

County residents got their first look at the plans for the Henry County Administration Building, which it was estimated would cost between $2.5 to $3 million. It was being built on Kings Mountain Road, where a new jail had just been built, and a social services building had been open since the 1960s.

The first planning director for Henry County was hired: Dennis R. Patton, 27 of Monroe, N.C., with a salary of $14,600.

25 years ago – 1999

Eight dilapidated houses had been torn down from Moss Street, but a massive, graceful oak tree was saved. Mildred Sink, who lived across the road from the tree, said it was over 100 years old but could have been older than 200.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.