Sept. 28
100 Years ago – 1924
What was called an almost unprecedented rainfall caused heavy floods, causing serious damage to lowland corn and other crops. Small streams could not be crossed. The municipal electric powerhouse was flooded to a depth of several feet, putting machinery out of commission. The Horsepasture sand-clay road along Aleck’s Branch was covered by 4 feet of water. The Smith River overflowed its banks and flooded the town. The grounds of both the Roundabout Club and the Van Pelt Club on Smith River were completely submerged.
75 years ago – 1949
Eighteen members of the new Martinsville Volunteer Fire Company had just started their training, which consisted of 16 2-hour classes. Clay Easterly was the fire marshal. The City was in process of getting an insurance policy which would provide the firemen with $4,000 in event of death, $35 a week for 104 weeks for disability and $500 for medical expenses. The insurance would be supplemented with Workman’s Compensation insurance. The volunteer firemen would not be allowed to drive faster than the speed limit nor use sirens or red lights on their cars.
1960
John Wafford Tatum, 86, of Henry County learned that he was one of only 5,448 people in the US who had been receiving monthly social security checks since the first one was issued in January 1940. His first check was for $14.87, and he also received another monthly social security check for $14.01 for three of his children who were younger than 18. In 1960 his check was for $43. When his wife turned 62 in 1957, she applied for and started receiving a wife’s benefit, which in 1960 was $16.12 a month. The average monthly benefit payable to a retired worker in 1940 was $22.60; in 1960 it was $82.55; now it is $1,505 for age 65.
50 years ago – 1974
Groundbreaking was held for the $890,000 new building of First Federal Savings and Loan Association on Church Street, next to the Municipal Building. Stanley W. Bowles Corp. was the general contractor.
25 years ago - 1999
Tests by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality showed that fecal contamination in the privately-owned Fairway Acres Treatment Plant near Blackberry Creek was at least 160 times the maximum allowable levels. Lori Kendrick, who lived in the area, said she paid Anthony $23 a month for service, and PSA charged $16 a month for service, and she would rather pay PSA the higher $23 a month if PSA would just take over. Other residents, including Don and Pam Rhodes, said sewage has come from their sinks, toilet and tub. Bobby Warf, who owned Warf Trailer Park in the area, said he has seen sewage blow manhole covers in the air and shoot 3 feet high from the holes.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.