March 7 through the years
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 Years ago – 1924
Preston School honor roll: Seventh grade, Annie Wyatt, Dorothy Baker, Russell Robertson; sixth grade, Effie Gilley; fifth grade, Hubert Gilley, Fred Gilley – Mrs. White, Teacher; fourth grade, Luther Rea, Flora Barrow; third grade, Dudley Robertson, Billy Morris - Kate Koger, teacher.
75 years ago – 1949
The “Prillaman for Governor” club was organized. That Prillaman running for the state’s leadership role was Mayor Nick Prillaman, who announced his candidacy on Feb. 24. (However, it was John Stewart Battle who won the election and served as governor from 1950-54.)
1960
On this date, Dan A. Greene, Vice President of Globman’s Department Store, announced their acquisition of the former First Baptist Church property, including the former church building at the intersection of Church and Broad Streets and two buildings on Church east of the old sanctuary, for $202,000, bringing to more than $1,200,000 the amount invested by Globman’s in their expansion program. They had previously acquired the former Anderson Memorial Presbyterian church property adjoining Globman’s, where a $700,000 addition to the Globman building was constructed.
Snow was being forecast yet again. Icy pavement had already produced damages to 10 cars in 6 pileups, totaling approximately $3,000, while firemen were busy answering two calls for house fires.
50 years ago – 1974
For sale at Cockney Corner in Globman’s Church Street Level: “College Town Puts It All Together!” hip-length checked jacket, $19.99; wide-legged pant, $18.99; top with gather at the bust, $9.99. Other outfit – button-up shirt tucked into pants which have squarish looking pockets on the front, “A rib stencil cream tie shirt sparkles out your fashion message,” both pant and shirt floral print – Shirt (jacket), $15.99; T-shirt, $8.99; pant, $17.99.
25 years ago - 1999
Attorney Charles M. Aaron won a ruling before the Virgnia Supreme Court to allow his client, John Calvin Newman of Martinsville, to seek damages. The boy, 7 years old on Feb. 22, 1993, was hit by a car when he crossed Route 57 to board a school bus. Aaron’s point was that crossing the road, which led him to be hit, was required by the state of Virginia, since going to school is required, and he had to take the bus to do so. A similar case on another girl hit by a bus crossing the road two years before had ruled that crossing a street does not constitute the use of a school bus.
PHOTO: Sallie Hall Slate and her son, Tim Slate, bag tobacco leaves on their Patrick County Farm, 1978. Photo by Carl Fleischhauer, Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project collection, 1977-1981 (AFC 1982/009), Library of Congress.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.