Dec. 8
100 Years ago – 1924
This half-page ad for C.W. Holt told of ladies’ coats, Paris-inspired evening gowns and “Street Dresses of cloth or silk,” and also, “And from the far off Philipines comes the new and best selection of night gowns and step-ins in fourteen new designs. These are made where women work for unusually low wages, thus the price $2.15 and up.” Next to that is an illustration of what looks like a Middle Eastern shepherd such as in illustrations of the birth of Baby Jesus. Then near the bottom is this: “The Man – Must not be overlooked. For twelve long months he labors so that the woman may spend. Now let’s make him happy with a gift he can use and will appreciate.” The list included heavy bathrobes with slippers to match, smoking jackets, belts with sterling buckles, neckwear, lounging robes of heavy silk, hand bags and suit cases, watch chains and pen knife, shirts (“he always wants a new one”), sox, Stetson hats, carpet slippers and moccasins plus “scores of other gifts that he can use.”
Notice: “Apples! Apples! Parties wishing good eating apples for the Christmas holidays better place their orders, from the 12th to 18th of this month. As the apples need from 10 days to two weeks in which to ripen after being taken out of Cold Storage, I have 30 barrels Staymans, 30 barrels Winesaps, gathered from my young orchard (run of orchard), and very fine, price $6 per barrel either at the Storage or delivered in town. Also 100 Bushel Boxes, Winesaps at $1.50 per box, Good cooking and eating stock, but grown in my old orchard and No. 2 grade. Phone in your orders 138, or see me or my son. Riverview Orchard, E.J. Davis, Prop.”
75 years ago – 1949
The City and County Welfare departments had a combined 300 needy families they were hoping to supply with food and clothing through drives held during the Christmas season. On different days, the Martinsville Bulletin ran stories describing some of those 300 families, along with information on how readers could donate to the drives. The front-page article “Aged Invalid Needs Clothing And Food For Bright Christmas” on Dec. 8 starts out, “Here in Henry county a 67-year-old woman, just recovering from a second stroke of paralysis, is trying to take care of herself and a mentally sub-normal daughter. Their home is in one room in a desolate dwelling. The adult daughter has the mind of a small child and she is incapable of doing anything much for her sick mother. The only income of this pathetic pair of people – a grieved mother and her loving daughter – is $22 a month paid in old age assistance.”
1960
It was the driest November in many years, and Henry County state forester William Kidd warned that the abnormally dry season made the area vulnerable to fires. The fire lookout towers at Mountain Valley and Chestnut Knob had been manned since early November, which was unusual for that time of year. The woods around Philpott Reservoir were so dry that Philpott officials were considering closing the area to hunters.
50 years ago – 1974
A study was being conducted by a graduate student of Virginia Tech on the decline in the rabbit population. An abrupt decline in the number of rabbits had been noted since the early 1960s. That decline was noted in records at the local Game Checking Stations at Camp A.P. Hill and Camp Pickett. The reason for the decline had not yet been discovered, but disease was one theory. Harry Jacobson, the graduate student conducting the study, said that even if a rabbit were diseased it still could be eaten, but like with all wild game, the meat should be cooked thoroughly before eating it, and dogs should never be fed uncooked rabbit meat. The study was scheduled to continue through late 1975.
25 years ago - 1999
Stanley Furniture announced that it would hire between 200 and 250 new employees for its new plant in the Bowles Industrial Park. Most would be hired between Dec. 20 and Jan. 8. Pay would range from $7.50 to $10 an hour, based on experience. Bob Sitler was the vice president of human resources at Stanley.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.