Oct. 28
100 Years ago – 1924
The ownership dispute over Leatherwood Primitive Baptist Church, begun in court in July, continued in October. Silas Minter, Wesley Griggs and Joseph K. Gravely, trustees of the church, earlier had been conveyed control over the property, which is about 2 miles down Dyer Store Road on the left, coming from Chatham Road (that white frame building with two front doors, one on each side). A group of congregants and the preacher, J.T. Jackson, had different beliefs of salvation and sued for control of the church, claiming that the trustees were not actual, active members. The trustees and their allies claimed that the preacher preached on Two Salvations, one the Eternal Salvation of the Soul through Christ, and the other a Temporal or Time Salvation, basically saying the children of God will be saved from all troubles in time. This case would continue through March, when the original trustees would win, and the preacher would have to leave. A similar case, meanwhile, was unfolding with Martinsville Primitive Baptist Church.
75 years ago – 1949
A report at City Hall showed that the city rock quarry, which had opened Sept. 24, had produced 1,065 tons of crushed stone. The average per day was 44.4 tons, with the highest production for one day 91.1 tons. The city paid a royalty of 5 cents per ton for the rock, and used the labor of 35 prisoners. If the City had bought the rock delivered, it would have cost $2,396.
1960
Three Collinsville teenagers who had run away on a cross-country trip were located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. A general alarm in 17 states had been ordered for the 16-year-old girl and two 17-year-old boys. Their parents were going to drive out to Missouri to bring them back.
Meanwhile, back at home, Eleanor Lee “Puddin’” Minter was crowned Martinsville High School homecoming queen during the homecoming game of MHS Bulldogs vs. the Radford Bobcats. She lived at 208 College St., was a member of the “Barker” staff and the school choir, in the All-State Chorus for 1959-60, and had been in the school productions of “Oklahoma” and “Pirates of Penzance.” Her court was Bonnie Cheshire and Linda Spencer. Robin Goldman (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goldman) and Terry Hall (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Husky Hall), both 3, were crown bearers.
At that homecoming ball game, fullback Dan Manson suffered a broken leg in the last quarter of the game, in front of the visitors’ stands. As the Radford players helped him onto a stretcher, he said, “Boys, you play a mighty nice game and I’m sure sorry I have to leave it this way.”
50 years ago – 1974
Bassett Furniture Industries employed 3,500 at 10 manufacturing plants in Martinsville and Henry County. The company announced a “slight” reduction of the workforce in response to a nationwide slackening demand. A spokesperson from the Virginia Employment Commission said that about a dozen people from Bassett Furniture had applied for unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, the company had just purchased its 40th plant, the E.T. Barwick Furniture Co. of Dublin, Ga., which employed 450 in bedroom furniture.
25 years ago - 1999
Tultex posted a $35.4 million loss for the third quarter and announced it would cut 420 jobs, bringing the total number of lost jobs to 800 for the year.
— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.