Oct. 19
100 Years ago – 1924
The Martinsville Cotillion Club was a new club organized with about 25 young men of the city. They gave a dance two times each month, from 8:30-11:45 p.m., in places such as Municipal Hall. The Piedmont Serenaders performed the most popular dancing selections.
A report from Virginia Prohibition Agent R.A. Fulwiler stated that 3,579 stills had been captured in Virgina over the prior year, and 3.468 people were arrested for violations.
75 years ago – 1949
John William Riddle of Mountain Valley returned home after having been missing for five and a half days. The 29-year-old sawmill worker was covered in scratches, wearing only trousers and a shirt, no shoes, hat nor jacket. He asked
Pannill Post of the American Legion’s membership goal for the fiscal year, which started in September, ws 600; it had reached 280 members. When he got home, he asked his mother, Mrs. Polly Riddle, for buttermilk and bread, then fell into a deep sleep. Deputy Sheriff O.B. Wells went to question him, but did not want to wake him up from the sleep. He and other officers had led a force of about two dozen neighbors in the mountainous area in search of Mr. Riddle.
1960
Mr. and Mrs. Russ Reardon left California driving cross country with two cats and arrived to their new home at 1115 Chatham Road in Martinsville with a dozen. The Siamese and Manx cats had kittens, which they described as having combined beauty and intelligence. and the couple was searching for good homes for them. What a way to meet your neighbors and new friends.
50 years ago – 1974
Digging began at a site on property owned by A.L. Philpott near Basett, by the Patrick Henry Chapter, Archaeological Society of Virginia, led by Richard Gravely of Mulberry Road. Ten chapter members were digging at the site and by a week and a half uncovered the graves of two Indians along with a refuse pit, from more than 1,000 years ago. The skeleton of a probable 18-year-old female was found by Mrs. Sally Burns of Martinsville; it took six hours of careful digging to unearth the bones. The other, that of an estimated 30-year-old man, was found about 15 feet away. Gravely estimated that the Indians lived in the area for 20 to 25 years until the land could no longer support them so they moved on.
A Big Gospel Sing was held at Martinsville Senior High School, with all proceeds benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Campaign. Featured groups were the Tunstall Trio, Revelations, Joyful Noise and Mill Creek Trio. The emcee was Bob Thacker of Gospel Songs, Channel 12. The advertisement was sponsored by Sureway Food Fair Stores, with locations on Memorial Boulevard, 762 E. Church St. and 613 S. Virginia Ave.
Robert Jeffrey Clingenpeel, 17, of 1003 Maplewood Court got only small cuts to his lip and nose when his car plunged into Lake Lanier. He lost control of it on Lakewood Trail. A day or two later, Odell Handy and Lewis Montgomery used a magnet attached to a cable to search for the car, where it had sunk into 25 feet of water about 15 to 20 feet from the bank. Then they pulled it out.
25 years ago - 1999
Renovations were made at Fairy Stone State Park on the conference center and the bunkhouse built by the Civilian Conservations Corps in the 1930s. The renovation costs totaled about $600,000.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.