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75 YEARS AGO
From the Greensboro Daily News, Sept. 20-26, 1934

The Reidsville tobacco market had spirited bidding for the good grades and strong prices for inferior grades, and consequently ended up with the best prices in the history of the market, ending the day well above $30 per hundredweight.

Rockingham County’s other two markets on the Old Belt of North Carolina and Virginia didn’t do badly either, with Stoneville finishing the day with an average estimated at $28 to $30 for approximately 120,000 pounds and Madison selling 175,000 pounds at an estimated average of $27.30.

In Madison, farmers were reportedly jubilant over the opening-day prices. The highest price paid was 50 cents a pound.

In Reidsville, there also was joy, with the average price paid for the first 54 rows sold — a total of 22,674 pounds — going for an average of $34.21 per hundredweight.

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A bold robber entered the home of Mayor C.G. Moore and took $45 from his pants and also entered other nearby homes but got lesser amounts from those.

A few nights earlier, the home of Wentworth merchant Bob Mitchell was raided, with the thief taking money, pants and all.

Also, Reuben Baker’s service station at Baker’s Crossroads — seven miles from Madison on Highway 708 — was broken into and a small amount of candy stolen.

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Stoneville High School opened with an enrollment of about 700 and a faculty of 16.

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Reidsville High School, playing at Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, battled Greensboro High to a 0-0 tie in an opening-night football game for both teams. Reidsville kept Greensboro inside its own territory for most of the game.

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Eastman 6-20 Brownie Camera, $3.

50 YEARS AGO
From the Greensboro Daily News, Sept. 20-26, 1959

A total of 109 people registered to vote in a $130,000 bond referendum in the Meadow Greens Sanitary District.

The referendum will be held Sept. 29, at which time those who registered to vote will either approve or disapprove of the construction of a treatment plant and sewage system to serve Morehead High School, Morehead Hospital, Fieldcrest Mills and residents of the area.

Ben Trotter, attorney for the newly formed sanitary district, said a concerted effort was made over the weekend to get people registered after only 34 had signed up to vote through Sept. 14.

Trotter said registration now totals about 70 percent of those eligible to vote.

If the bonds are approved, bids will be opened Oct. 1 at Morehead High School.

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Averages for Friday at Rockingham County’s three Old Belt tobacco markets: Reidsville, $54.65 per hundredweight;  Madison, $50.19; Stoneville, $49.73.

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Reidsville will get $45,555, Leaksville $24,528 and Draper $14,548 in Powell Bill funds this year.

The Powell Bill, enacted in 1951, sets aside one-half cent of the net state gasoline tax for use by municipalities in maintaining and improving their nonhighway streets.

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Eugene Irvin, county auditor from 1930 until his retirement in 1958, died at a Reidsville hospital after a four-week illness. While serving as county auditor, he was elected president of the State Tax Supervisors.

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Scores from the football fields Friday night: Dudley of Greensboro, 48-0 over Washington High of Reidsville; Madison-Mayodan 30-0 over Chatham Central; Reidsville High 19-12 over Northwest High; Asheboro High 20-0 over Morehead.

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Kodacolor film, $1.09; dura-flash flashbulbs, one carton, 67 cents.

25 YEARS AGO
From the Greensboro News & Record, Sept. 20-26, 1984

The state Board of Transportation rejected two Reidsville projects but approved two Eden road projects.

The Reidsville projects were turned down because bids on the projects were greater than funds available. These included repaving and widening two portions of Barnes Street, the first from U.S. 29 North to the city limits, and the second from the city limits to Turner Drive. The entire length of the two projects combined is about 11/2 miles.

One Eden project included $2.6 million for  widening and resurfacing Kings Highway from two lanes to four lanes from Bridge Street to just east of Van Buren Street.

Almost $52,000 was approved for preliminary engineering, right-of-way and utility work for Bridge 98 on the Berry Hill Road over the Dan River Bridge at the Virginia state line.

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The Rockingham County Commissioners approved a contract with J. Hyatt Hammond Associates of Greensboro to design a planned $3 million government complex in Wentworth.

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The 1984-85 United Way campaigns are beginning this week and next in Reidsville, Madison, Mayodan, Eden and Stoneville. The Reidsville campaign began Wednesday with a goal of $354,922. In Stoneville, a drive for $12,350 will begin Sept. 30, and Madison and Mayodan will seek $104,000 beginning Sept. 25. Eden’s United Way hopes to raise $378,000 beginning Sept. 26.

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A young Reidsville couple — Perrie D. Simpson, 21, and Stephanie Yvette Eury, 16 — have been charged with the beating-strangulation death of  92-year-old retired minister Jean E. Darter, according to Police Chief James Festerman.

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On the football field this weekend: Madison-Mayodan beat Stoneville 40-7; Morehead High edged Reidsville 20-18; and Rockingham County High was a 34-29 loser to Western Guilford.

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Kodak color print film, roll, $2.49.

10 YEARS AGO
From the Greensboro News & Record, Sept. 20-26, 1999

For the first time since 1938, two new schools have opened simultaneously in one year in Rockingham County with the dedication of Wentworth Elementary School and Rockingham County Middle School.

Both new schools are air conditioned, something the two schools they replaced were not.

More than 600 students will attend Wentworth Elementary. About 900 students will attend the middle school, with students from Bethany, Monroeton, Wentworth and Ruffin making up its enrollment.

The elementary school cost $7.5 million, the middle school $11.9 million.

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The county school board is expected in the coming days to approve a deed transfer to give the county 9.4 acres of land, including the old Wentworth Elementary. The county is may move several federal and state-managed agricultural services into the former school building and relieve overcrowding in the adjoining governmental center.

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When Jack Yarbrough bought the Flower Box floral shop in Madison 26 years ago, he didn’t know anything about the business. But he has learned plenty since and this year was named the state Florist of the Year.

Yarbrough and Flower Box co-owner Bud Cardwell are remodeling three old buildings in downtown Madison at a cost of $250,000 to create four retail spaces on Second Avenue and a restaurant at Main Street and Second Avenue.

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The Morehead Panthers shut out Rockingham County High 26-0 in a Triad 3-A conference game.

The Panthers threw a stifling defense at Rockingham that forced four fumbles and led to 14 points in the first half.