Looking Back at Jan. 2, from 2025

1925

Eleven-year-old Pryer Millner was badly injured after being thrown from his pony. He and several other little chaps had been riding near the schoolhouse when some thoughtless lad threw a large firecracker under the pony, which startled the animal. As soon as Pryer regained consciousness, he announced that he wanted to see the boy who was responsible for his fall.

1950

At Troxler Furniture’s sale, you could get: a hospital bed for $5.95; a chrome dinette set for $49.95; a kneehole desk for $44.50; a plastic chair for $22.50; and a slightly used pleated back sofa for $89.95.

1961

Clarkdale Steadfast Sandra, a registered Guernsey cow, set the record with 8,940 pounds of milk and 513 pounds of fat, after having been milked twice daily while on a test supervised by Virginia Tech. The 4-year-old cow was owned by E. Lyle Clark Jr. of Stuart.

1975

A meeting was held at the Southside office of First National Bank of Martinsville and Henry County to decide how to allocate the more than $16,300 (worth about $93,000 today) that was raised by several community organizations to help James Aliff, whose wife and four children were murdered the day after Christmas in their home near Preston. Money came from the Fieldale Rescue Squad, the MHC Rescue Squad, Collinsville Fire Department, Preston Ruritan Club, Bassett Rescue Squad, First National Bank, Nationwide Homes employees and Patrick Henry VFD.

2000

The Men’s Roundtable Club Inc. and the Men’s Roundtable Foundation held a Shopping Spree for children on Dec. 19 and a Pizza Party on Dec. 20. Kelvin Perry was the chairman and Bruce Dallas and Clyde Williams were the vice-chairmen.

The first local baby of the new year was Cameron David Spencer, born on Jan. 2 to Alysia and Jeremy Spencer of Confederate Avenue in Ridgeway.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.