Feb. 7 through the years
100 Years ago – 1925
The ladies of the Christian Church held a sale of dressed hens, eggs, cakes, pies and other foods at Roberts Drugstore.
75 years ago – 1950
Collinsville was undergoing a building boom, with more than $150,000 in construction either recently completed or underway. Ground recently had been broken for the construction of four 5-room houses on Cherwood Drive, costing between $6,000 and $6,500 each. Construction was moving along on the new Collinsville Methodist Church at the corner of John Redd Boulevard and Daniel’s Creek Road. The Boaz Ice Cream Company had started a $60,000 addition at its location to provide daily service for dairy products. A new 2-story store and apartment building made by Jesse and Claude Prillaman on Route 220 cost more than $25,000. Mrs. Mike Daneski was having a $10,000 store built on Route 220.
Martinsville Boy Scouts “took over” Martinsville city government with a meeting of Boy Scout councilmen. The three items on their agenda were securing a youth center or Y.M.C.A. for Martinsville; the use in fluorine in city water to help prevent tooth decay in children; and whether or not the city should again appropriate funding for spreading DDT to kill flies and mosquitos in efforts to prevent the spread of polio. The Boy Scouts acting as councilmen were Clayton Grogan, Billy Shelton, Bobby Martin, Buddy Stump, Jamie Sites, George Ricketts and James Weddle. Gene McDaniel portrayed the commissioner of revenue; Joe Ingram, treasurer; Jerry Prillaman, commonwealth’s attorney; Donand Johnson, clerk of Circuit court; Buck Cole as clerk of Council; and Elbert Wagoner as city manager.
1961
Mrs. H. Grady Moore and Mrs. H. Grady Moore Jr. hosted a luncheon at the former’s home, 1208 Sam Lions Trail, to honor a woman visiting from Germany. The visitor was Mrs. Richard Duster of Wuppertal, Germany, whose sone, Wolfgang Decker, was an exchange student staying with Mr. and Mrs. Claude T. Stone in Bassett. Guests included Mrs. Claude T. Stone, Mrs. L.C. Carter, Mrs. Roy Beamer, Mrs. J.B. Dillon, Mrs. John Barnes, Mrs. Robert Armstrong, Mrs. Jack Helms, Mrs. J.E. Bassett Jr., Mrs. Ellson Ramsey, Mrs. Thomas B. Stanley Jr., Mrs. J. David Stanley, Mrs. Clyde V. Stanley Jr., Mrs. C.L. Woody Jr. and more. They gave the German lady a corsage and a gift of silver.
City Council voted to start the first phase of a $750,000 water improvements program which would take many year to complete. A firt step would be to install a water storage tank in the Booker Road area.
50 years ago – 1975
HCA-Martin was a technology company which processed and dyed nylon yard for use in making carpets and rugs. It revolutionized the process. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange and had 1974 sales of $92 million. Its management team was restructured to Julius Hermes, president; Jack Hankins, vice president of finance and administration; Ronald A. Ressel, vice president of marketing; Robert Newman, vice president of manufacturing and Paul Meunier, vice president of applied technology.
Clyde Lacy, the owner and operator of Martinsville Hotel, was shot at the hotel and died several hours later in a hospital. The 49-year-old lived at 707 Longview Drive, Collinsville. The 32-room hotel is at 20 Fayette St.
The Women’s Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital was getting ready to throw away all unclaimed baby pictures from 1957 through 1973. It was the last chance for anyone to get a picture, by calling Mrs. Edward Palasthy, with a phone number listed for her.
25 years ago - 2000
Wendell Scott Jr., Frank Scott and Earl B. Reynolds Jr. were guests for the Patrick Henry Elementary School PTO meeting.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.