Feb. 18
By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion
100 years ago - 1924
The First National Bank of Martinsville has chosen plans for its new $50,000 building which would be on the site the bank already occupied. The exterior would be Italian Renaissance faces with Iiadian limestone. The interior would be of Caen tone walls with an ornamental stone ceiling and fixtures of marble and bronze.
75 years ago - 1949
Twenty-four people were arrested in two raids conducted late Friday night, Feb. 18, by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Morton T. Prillaman) and state troopers (Sgt. J.H. Barnes). They were arrested at the 220 Club on Highway 220 north and Knot Hole, a service station 8 miles north of the city limits on the Roanoke Highway, on charges including operating a public gambling house, making illegal sales of liquor and public gambling. At the 220 Club, Deputy Sheriff Rural Gusler said, they found a poker game in progress on the counter, and $30 on the counter.
Dr. Henkel M. Price, president of the Patrick Henry Medical Society, warned the patients taking salt substitutes that they should stop until they have seen their doctors. That is because the American Medical Association had discovered deaths in northern cities traced to that common substitute for table salt, sold by a Buffalo, N.Y., company under the name “Westal.” At least two outlet stores in Martinsville had it on their shelves. Common table salt is sodium chloride, and the substitute was lithium chloride.
1960
Two inches of snow was forecast for the night, to top several inches of snow already on the ground from a storm the week before.
Sixty folks turned out for a meeting about the Sewer Bond Program. The meeting proceeded without incident.
According to M. L. Carper, superintendent, Martinsville City Schools had the highest salary schedule in the state in 1947 and in the following years the students won a record number of scholastic honors. However, since that time, as salaries have dropped in relation to the state, so have the scholastic honors.
Ironically, snow prevented the crowning of the Snow Queen of the Winter Carnival at Bassett High School the prior Saturday. Even more ironically, the same thing happened last year! Never fear, for the event is being rescheduled! The nominees were Senior Kitty Lou Craig, Junior Connie McGuire, Sophomore Fran Lipford, Freshman Pat Hundley and 8th grader Carolyn Prillaman.
50 years ago - 1974
Stanley Furniture Co. was spending $9.5 million to add 400,000 square feet to its factor in Stanleytown. Stanley was considered among the top five or six furniture manufacturers in the world and had increased 60% in volume over the two years prior. In January 1974 Stanley bought the Basic-Witz Furniture Co. with headquarters in Waynesboro and plants in Staunton and Stuarts Draft. At the time Stanley had $50 million in volume but was expecting to reach over $110 million in sales by 1976.
25 years ago - 1999
MainStreet Financial Corp. was bought out by BB&T. Shareholders would receive 1.18 shared of BB&T stock for each share of MainStreet stock they own.
Thirteen people, mostly local, announced plans to create a new bank, possibly called First Community National Bank, to be opened later in the year. They included Andy McCullar, who would be the CEO; Elbert H. “Ebbie” Wampler of Bassett, who along with Spencer Morton and Eddie Bassett, came up with the idea, according to a Bulletin article.
(Photo: “The Horsepasture Store on 58 and 687 (Preston Road) is a good example of a traditional general retail establishment serving a largely rural population. The property has played an important role in the social and commercial life of the crossroads hamlet of Horsepasture and the surrounding rural area.” - 1933 — • Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, John Atkinson, Benjamin Watkins, Paul Clifton, James Lester Roberson, John H Schoolfield, Robert A Schoolfield, et al., Ryan, Robert A, photographer. Horsepasture Store, U.S. Route 58 & State Route 687, Horse Pasture, Henry County, VA. Horse Pasture Henry County Virginia, 1933. translateds by Christianson, Justinemitter, and Mcpartland, Marymitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/va1719/.)
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.