Sept. 25
100 Years ago – 1924
Advertisement in the Henry Bulletin: “AUTO and ELECTRICAL SCHOOL – QUICK TO LEARN – EASY TO MASTER. You are interested! Fill in this blank with your name and address, cut it out and mail us at once. 506 Henry St., S.W., Roanoke, Va. I am interested. Send me full particulars and information. (Sign name here)___________ Town or P.O.___________.”
75 years ago – 1949
Stocks of coal in Martinsville were running low, and no deliveries were in sight because of a coal strike. Three Martinsville dealers reported low stocks, and a fourth reported that he had enough to last 2 or 3 weeks.
Henry County schools reported enrollment of 6,633, a 2% increase over the previous year’s figure of 6,517. It broke down to 4,868 students categorized as white and 1,765 categorized as colored in that time of segregation.
1960
Each of the following groups had an article on it in the “News of Women” section in the Sunday, Sept. 25, 1960 Martinsville Bulletin: Wednesday Book Club, Martinsville Business and Professional Women’s Club, Du Mart Garden Club, MHC Woman’s Club, Martinsville Library Advisory Board, Greenwood Garden Club, Fieldale Literary Club, Bessie Wallick Bible Class of Wesley UMC, Flower View Club, Martinsville Altrusa Club, Circle Two of Old Well Christian Church, Old Well Christian Church’s Women’s Circle, Maggie Ivey Circle of McCabe Memorial Baptist Church, Garden Study Club, Martinsville Literary Club, Martinsville Garden Club, Martinsville Garden Club Auxiliary, Progressive Garden Club, Ridgeway Home Demonstration Club, Willing Workers Circle of Horsepasture Christian Church, Women’s Missionary Union of First Baptist Church, Blue Ridge Garden Club, Women’s Missionary Union of Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church, Mary Small Circle of McCabe Memorial Baptist Church, Drewry Mason Home Demonstration Club.
The Drewry Mason High School Future Farmers of America had 120 members. They had a prize bull, Zato Heir 51, that they entered in the State Fair in Richmond. Twenty of the members including the bull’s keeper, Larry Robertson of Axton, went to the fair.
50 years ago – 1974
Winners at the Patrick County Fair: Warren Rogers of Critz, tobacco spitting contest, prize: cuspidor; Coach Sonny Swails, accuracy, prize: cuspidor; Jackie Rorrer of Woolwine, watermelon-seed spitting contest (3 feet); Pam Conner, hog-calling, with Doug Light runnerup; Rogers, egg-holding contest (19 eggs in his hands).
25 years ago - 1999
Oliver McCall, a former World Boxing Heavyweight champion, fought Sampson Cohen at Bassett High School. It was his first fight since being released from the Martinsville City Prison Farm in May for serving a 1-hear sentence for resisting arrest and assault and battery on a law enforcement officer; he served 7 ½ months before his release. The fight lasted less than two rounds and was ruled a no-contest after his opponent fell through the ropes.
The Axton Fireman’s Fair and Annual Horseshoe Tournament was held starting at noon. It featured bingo, prizes, Sparky, exhibits, games, balloons, stew, dancing, live bands, cookbooks, a dunking booth, a contest and an auction.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.