August 4
100 Years ago – 1924
“To combat the propaganda of the National Council for prevention of war, The National Americanization Committee of the American Legion is organizing its forces,” the Henry Bulletin reported. The organization of that anti-war body was said to have been due to the effort of the communists who were thought to be preparing for demonstrations across the US on Aug. 4.
Residents of Broad street, between Chestnut and Church, were very upset over the proposed location of a morgue or undertaking business in the Baptist church’s old building on the east side of Broad street. G.E. Townes was the funeral director who just had purchased the old church for that purpose. Several of the building’s neighbors appeared before City Council asking for an ordinance to prohibit the use. On Aug. 4 Martinsville Town Council held a special called meeting to vote on the matter and passed an ordinance saying a morgue or funeral business could not be within 200 yards of dwelling housesthou
75 years ago – 1949
Ladies Specialty Shop, over Nat’s Grill, hosted Miss Alice Knight, a beauty consultant for Palm Beach Cosmetics, for a cosmetics demonstration.
1960
A 23-year-old was arrested for being drunk in public – in the Patrick County courtroom, where he was making his way to the witness stand on a previous charge of being drunk in public. When he next went to court, this time on two cases of drunk in public – you guessed it! He was arrested again for being drunk in public. “This time Judge Ruth O. Williams took no chances,” the Martinsville Bulletin reported. “She ordered Williams (no relation) to jail without bond.”
50 years ago – 1974
Carlos Smith of Patrick County and Roscoe Stowe of Pittsylvania County were the first tobacco farmers to bring their leaf to the New Farmers Warehouse for the year’s Old Belt Market.
25 years ago – 1999
Andre Terdell Pace, 17, of Carver Road, dies from injuries sustained after a bike he was riding as hit by a hit-and-run car on Route 684.
A car crashed into the Post Office on Spruce Street. Annie Shelton, 85, of Martinsville, had parked in front of the entrance to the building and meant to back out, thinking her 1989 Ford Escort was in reverse – but it wasn’t. Her car crashed through both sets of double glass doors and took out a stamp machine before it came to rest against a counter.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.