Nov. 16 through the years

100 Years ago – 1924

The New Studebaker Standard Six Sedan, one of the 15 new Studebakers, cost $1,595 at Gerald W. King of Martinsville.

75 years ago – 1949

A.F. Black, City Superintendent of Power, reported that the City had 4,501 customers receiving electricity: 3,619 residences, 540 commercial enterprises and 342 power plants. That was an increase of 433 customers over the previous year.

1960

Globman’s Toyland opened, “Bigger and BETTER That Ever Before!” the ad promised. It was in the basement of the store. Toys included the Fix-It Carry-All Truck, “A safe, unbreakable plastic truck. Promises hours and hours of fun. Take it apart with the attached tools. Educational. Brightly colored. Can be used as a pull toy.” $4.98. – The Wonder Flyer Spring Horse. “Magnificently styled, this spring horse promises hours of fun – keeps ‘em healthy. Pliable plastic horse. Strong coil springs, strong steel frame, chrome coated. It’s Safe!” $29.98. This one has the illustration of a doll in a tub on a stand, with a girl spraying the doll with a hose: “time for your SPRAY-BATH – TINY TEARS. It’s the play idea of the year. A safe, clean battery-operated spray-bath to provide hours of fun without Mommy fussing about puddles. Completely portable – for indoor and outdoor play. Spra-Bath is a light, durable, easy-clean puncture-proof poluethylene tub. Securely seated on a brass-finished metal stand … Added attachment, life-size, twenty-inch Tiny Tears and her Rock-A-Bye Eyes arrives ready for bed in a diaper and hooded terry towel wrapper and all her accessories just like the ‘musts’ in a baby’s nursery – including layette.” $24.98.

50 years ago – 1974

A study prepared by the MHC Chamber of Commerce showed that during the previous 5 years, 18 area industries installed pollution control equipment valued at over $6.8 million. Slightly more than half of that was air pollution control equipment; $1.7 was dedicated to water pollution control devices. An additional $2.4 million in pollution control equipment was scheduled for later installation.

25 years ago - 1999

H. Clay Earles, 86, the founder of Martinsville Speedway, died. He and friends Sam Rice and Henry Lawrence opened the speedway in 1947 on a 30-acre site south of Martinsville. At that time, racing ws done mostly on fairground tracks, and having a dedicated speedway was unusual. He put on his first race on Sept. 7, 1947.

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