March 2

100 Years ago – 1925

Many ladies of Bassett had received free samples of the Jergens Lotion at Mountain Drug Co. The lotion was a big hit. A woman known as Mae worked at the Jergen’s Lotion counter.

75 years ago – 1950

Roy C. and Jimmy Stone of Stone Transfer Co. had purchased business-zoned property on Fayette Street between First and Second streets several years before. On March 2, 1950, they applied to the City Planning commission to rezone other property on Fayette Street, in front of where the Henry County Training School used to be (before it burned down), to be used to build a trucking terminal. Residents of that area asked that all of Fayette Street from Ailcie street to Roundabout road be re-zoned from business to residential. The planning commission agreed to rezone it all to residential except for that block already owned by the Stones. A trucking terminal did end up being built on that block, and it turned into a real nightmare for the neighborhoods that surrounded it. In November 1996 the City of Martinsville, with the assistance of the Martinsville Bulletin and an anonymous donor, purchased the property, and Environmental Transportation Services moved out in January 1997. Later, houses were built there.

While Granville Gunnell of Ararat was attending his mother’s funeral in North Carolina, some thief entered his home and made off with a shoulder of meat, a radio, a cross-cut saw, an ax and other things.

50 years ago – 1975

Tim Spivey, 9, of South Askin Street, won a class competition to see who could make the most money through investment. He bought and resold books on magic, shoveled snow and did other chores. Doing so, he grew his initial investment of 25 cents into $10.75.  The second-place winner was Dana Bennett of Oak Street, she used her hand loom and fabric loops to earn $5.32 selling pot holders. Third place went to Patricia Moore of Grave Street. She raised $4.85 by performing a variety of household chores for relatives.

25 years ago - 2000

For Read Across America, people across the community read Dr. Seuss books in local classrooms. They included Dr. Lynn Wolf, principal of Mt. Olivet Elementary School, Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers, Fieldale Elementary School Librarian Jannie Koumparakis, School Board Member Randolph Wade and Martinsville Schools Superintendent Dr. Ira Trollinger.

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