Oct. 20
100 Years ago – 1924
A census of the Martinsville population began. The enumerators were S.D. English, Jno. D. Holt, Gay T. Eggleston, O.T. Thomasson, T.S. Hill, J.R. Hensley, T.S. Moore and S.J. Richardson. The purpose of the census was to see if the town had enough citizens – at least 5,000 - to change its status to a city of the second class.
Prizes from the Henry County Fair included: In the School Work category – Room Entering Best, Martinsville Grammar School, Mrs. E.G. Penn teacher, prize $40 library and case; Best Map, fifth grade, Leonard Boyd, $3; Best pencil drawing, first place, Bernard Turner, $1.50, second place, Mrs. W.B. Read, $1; Best Collection Leaves, Nannie Gravely, $3; Best collection Woods, Clarence P. Kearfott, $3; Best Penmanship in second grade, Mabel Lester, $3; Best Fancy Work, Essie Prillaman, $3.
75 years ago – 1949
A weeklong drive was underway by the Recreation Committee of the Henry County Red Cross to collect old toys to be rebuilt by patients at the Veterans Hospital in Roanoke. Homer A. Croom was the chairman in Collinsville; Mrs. Coy Campbell in Fieldale; Evelyn Anderson in Bassett. The committee explained that most of the patients in the Roanoke hospital were mental patients and that fixing the old toys seemed to help them more than any other project.
Fire Chief James E. Minter and City Manager Kent Mathewson worked out how Martinsville’s new volunteer firemen would be called to action. Volunteers would answer all calls to factories, stores and houses when the person calling said “My house is on fire” without having to give any further explanation. However, the volunteers would not be called for grass fires, car fires or house fires in which the caller made it apparent that volunteers would not be needed. The volunteers would be called by a siren sounding twice.
1960
The Family and Gifts Division of the United Fund campaign kicked off its door-to-door solicitation campaign. Co-chairs were Mrs. John Epperly and Mrs. Woodson Gardner. Chairmen (that word was used, even though this was an all-woman group) in the City were: Zone 1, Mrs. Richard Prillaman; Zone 2, Mrs. Henry J. Meade; Zone 3, Mrs. Irving Groves Jr.; Zone 4, Mrs. Clarence Donavant; Zone 5, Mrs. H.C. Gravely II; and Zone 6, Mrs. Carrie J. Hairston. Chairmen in the County were: Axton, Mrs. Howard Wilson; Horsepasture, Mrs. Aubrey Bradshaw and Mrs. Sam Dalton; Preston, Mrs. James Rodgers; Irisburg, Mrs. James Richardson; Mount Olivet, Mrs. J.D. Yeatts; Rich Acres, Mrs. Harold Whitt; Ridgeway, Mrs. A.F. McGhee; Spencer, Mrs. Bill Clifton and Mrs. Harvey Clifton; Figsboro, Mrs. A.F. Salmons and Mrs. G.T. Lester Jr.; Barrows Mill, Mrs. Buford Minter; Rangeley, Mrs. Matt Hall; English Village, Miss Priscilla Stone, Alpha Tri-Hi-Y; Glenn Court, Misses Sue Woolridge and Kay Ascough, Omega Tri-Hi-Y; Marrowbone Creek, Miss Teresa Stone; Bassett-Stanleytown, Mrs. Rees Woody; Collinsville, Mrs. Mack R. Draper.
50 years ago – 1974
The first phase of the U.S. 220-58 Martinsville bypass was under construction. This was the 4-mile stretch that connected U.S. 220 and Va. 57 at Bassett Forks and Va. 609 west of Fieldale.
Joe Taylor Hayden, 43, of Patrick Springs died when he was struck on the head by a falling tree top while he was cutting firewood.
25 years ago - 1999
A dedication ceremony was held for the new J. Burness Frith Economic Development Center at Patrick Henry Community College. The 15,000-square-foot building came from a $1.5 million gift from Mary Kathryn Frith in memory of her late husband. The building was for continuing education and work force development, and it had several classrooms.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.