Sept. 5
100 Years ago – 1924
A wreck described in the Sept. 5 Henry Bulletin on Page 2: “A fleeing Ford coupe, chased by Deputy Sheriff Howard Roach, ran against a post on the Danville road, about a half mile below Axton Sunday night and “spilled the beans.” That is to say, a cargo of bootleg moonshine in glass jars was forever lost to a thirsty world as in the collision with the post the car was badly wrecked and practically all the jars were broken and the liquor soaked up by mother earth.”
75 years ago – 1949
Richard Pleasants Gravely III, 12, died of polio. He had been under treatment, in an iron lung, in Richmond. He was the son of the Richard P. Gravely II who would end up leading significant archaeological excavations of Native American sites in Henry County. Survivors included brother Edward Martin Gravely and sister Ann Starling Gravely. He was a student at Central Grammar School.
In the required filing with the State Board of Elections, Martinsville Mayor Nick Prillaman reported that he had spent $762.95 in a failed bid for lieutenant governor. He originally said he’d run for governor but scaled it down to run under Francis Pickens Miller. He reported that more than half his total campaign expenses were for circulars and placards, with $175 spent on travel.
1960
Back in those years, it was common for people to ask – as in a public advertisement - for rides for long distances. You’d see such a request at least every few days in the newspaper, in the classified ads section, or in the Stroller column. This item in the Sept. 5, 1960, Stroller reads, “Billy Mitchell, a student at Ferrum Junior College, would appreciate a ride to Richmond Thursday morning. Billy, who lives at 204 Starling Ave., may be reached at MC 2-5458.
The emergency polio drive, which had a goal of $28,000 to pay medical expenses for local people being treated for polio, had reached $1,007 in donations. Mrs. Drury Doss was the campaign chair.
50 years ago – 1974
The Stroller column still was listing nicknames for the men of Fieldale; this list was of people under 20 years old, and unlike the previous lists, includes some females: Geoff “Doc” Curwen, Phillip “Charlie Tuna” Erickson, Johnny “Zeke” Arnold, Jimmy “Bowie” Arnold, Billy “Colorado” Rakes, Shawn “Mulligan” Culligan, Tommy “Cornball” Walker, Wesley “Squirrel” Tilley, Timmy “Spock” Daniel, Timmy “Rootin’ Tootin’” Wright, Brent “Keebler” Gourley, Sandra “Horseface” Horsley, Ronnie “Will” Joyce, Terrell “Head” O’dell, Ned “Fred” Dodson, Evelyn “Stork” Laine, Robin “Creamcheese” Wyatt, Dwight “Squeaky” Joyce, Greg “Squid” Taylor, Ronnie “Bobcat” Barbour, Donnie “Bub” Vaughn, Barry “BooBarry” Secrest, Roy “Fatback” Hodges, Kenny “Funky” Rakes, Wayne “Legs” Fulcher, Michael “Hippie” Wyatt, David “Boogie” Secrest, Mike “Dooney” Dodson, Steve “Bongonney” Daniel, Eddie “Slickhead” Warren, Dennis “Flapjack” Whitt, W.H. “Hanky” Martin, Billy “Tree” Adkins, Mike “Weasel” Williams, Bob “Knot” Stultz, Bobbie “Boobie” Adkins, Cecil “Rab” Nelson and Frank “Pete” Nelson.
25 years ago - 1999
Students from Martinsville High School raised nearly $1,200 for a refugee family from Kosova by selling red ribbons for $1 each.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.