news-record.com

75 years ago
From Greensboro Daily News, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1934:

Kiker and Yount of Reidsville was low bidder at $28,985 on surfacing 10.94 miles of Route 91 from Swan Quarter to New Holland Canal in Hyde County at a bid-opening by the State Highway and Public Works Commission in Raleigh.

■ ■ ■

The Reidsville tobacco market sold 927,000 pounds for almost $275,000 during its first four days of the 1934 season, topping last year’s opening week sales of 697,840 pounds and $93,717.

The average price this year has been close to $32 per hundredweight, as compared to $13.43 for the first week of 1933. Never before in the 60-year history of the market has so much general satisfaction prevailed.

Meanwhile, Rockingham’s other two markets also reported strong sales.

Stoneville, with two warehouses, sold an estimated 65,000 pounds on Friday of opening week for an average of $33.39. On the same day, Madison’s three warehouses sold 104,320 pounds for an average of $32.02.

■ ■ ■

The Woman’s Club of Ruffin held its monthly meeting with Mrs. Berrye Worsham presenting a piano solo, the Rev. R.M. Laughlin presenting a talk on “The Nye Investigation of Munitions” and Mrs. Nat Swann singing “That Little Boy of Mine.” Mrs. Swann and Mrs. Mary Stokes were hostesses.

■ ■ ■

“A Century of Progress of American Women” will be the topic during the coming year at meetings of the Leaksville-Spray History Club. The theme was chosen at a meeting of the club at the  home of Mrs. Karl Bishopric.

■ ■ ■

Now playing: Douglas Fairbanks in “Catherine the Great.”
 

50 years ago
From Greensboro Daily News, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1959:

Five people were injured in an automobile accident about 10 miles west of Madison when cars driven by Thomas DeWitt Tuttle of Route 1, Germanton, and Joseph D. Farmer of Route 1, Madison, collided.

Farmer’s car then crashed into gas tanks in front of Ward Store and knocked over a 20-foot pole, which fell across a car belonging to Otis Venable parked in the driveway. Mrs. Venable and two children in her car were not hurt, but Farmer sustained a brain concussion, broken left arm and possible internal injuries. He was admitted to a Winston-Salem hospital.

Riding with Tuttle were three passengers: brothers Junior Doss Wilson of Walnut Cove and Ray Wilson, who were taken to a hospital in Danbury; and Ezra Ray Reid of Route 1, Westfield, who had a broken leg. Tuttle suffered a broken jaw.

■ ■ ■

The 8th Medical District of North Carolina will hold its annual meeting Oct. 15 at Meadow Greens Country Club with the Rockingham County Medical Society and its auxiliary as hosts.

The program for the meeting has been arranged by Dr. C.T. Mangum of Leaksville, president of the Rockingham society, and by Dr. Thomas Clay of Mayodan, vice president, and Dr. T.H. Millman of Leaksville.

■ ■ ■

Tobacco poundage and average prices paid on Thursday on Rockingham’s three tobacco markets: Madison, 193,296 pounds for $50.46 per hundredweight; Reidsville, 182,602 pounds for $56.46 per hundredweight; and Stoneville, 166,196 pounds for $54.69 per hundredweight.

■ ■ ■

Four new Rockingham lawyers were sworn in by Judge Allen H. Gwyn of Reidsville: James W. Harbison Jr., Benjamin R. Wrenn, Stonewall Jackson Webster, and James M. Farris. Harbison is a Yale law graduate while the other three are from Wake Forest University.

■ ■ ■

Morehead High of Leaksville-Spray-Draper dedicated its new stadium with a 24-7 dismantling of Reidsville in a Western 3-A Conference football game. The stadium was given to the school by John Motley Morehead.

■ ■ ■

Now playing: Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.”

25 years ago
From Greensboro News & Record, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1984:

Chinqua-Penn Plantation welcomed its half-millionth visitor and plantation director Doug Merritt called it “a milestone for a little place like this.”

The plantation originally was created by Jefferson and Betsy Penn and was left to UNCG. Following their deaths, it was opened to the public for tours in 1969. The plantation house averages about 30,000 visitors a year.

Jack Dunn, 65, of Lexington, Miss., was treated officially as the 500,000th visitor after a drawing among a number of people lined up to tour the plantation. Dunn and others in his group were treated to speeches, prizes and a reception afterward.

■ ■ ■

Eden attorney J. Randolph Cresenzo is preparing incorporation papers for Spray Volunteer Fire Department Inc., which will operate from the city-maintained fire station on Morgan Road with at least one city-paid firetruck driver and a number of volunteers. The city’s other two fire stations — No. 1 on Henry Street in old Leaksville and No. 3 on Fieldcrest Road in Draper — also have incorporated volunteers who respond to alarms in those areas.

■ ■ ■

Eight Rockingham County volunteers received Governor Volunteer Awards in ceremonies at Raleigh. Those honored were Wayne Barham, Philip W. Hagler, Sidney Paul Baker and Patricia Elaine Lewis of Reidsville; Jasper Curtis Smith of Eden; Cynthia Williams and Ruby W. Sechrist of Mayodan; and Sandra Elizabeth Hanes of Madison.

In addition, the Madison-Mayodan Junior Service League and Eden Cooperative Ministries received awards .

■ ■ ■

Cale Yarborough raced in a Limited Sportsman feature at the 311 Speedway in Madison but took his car — borrowed from Westfield driver Jimmy Jessup — into the pits on the 17th lap and watched the rest of the race from the press box. He was in Madison in conjunction with Stardirt ’84, a special racing show. It was his first run on a dirt track in years, which contributed to his poor finish.

■ ■ ■

Morehead High School beat Triad 3-A Conference foe Western Guilford 24-13 to remain the only unbeaten team in the conference after four games.

■ ■ ■

Now playing: Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin in “All of Me.”

10 years ago
From Greensboro News  & Record, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1999:

Police are trying to track down a thief who has stolen more than $1,000 in change from car washes and a coin-operated laundry in Reidsville.

According to police reports, three car washes and one laundry have been broken into in the past week. Because most of the money taken was from money-changing machines, coin-operated washers and change-sorting machines, it is hard for police to put an exact figure on the amount taken and they have few leads.

Police Capt. Guilio Dattero said he believes all four robberies are connected.

Two Southern Pride car washes, both on Scales Street, the Ashcroft Car Wash on Freeway Drive and the South Reidsville Coin Laundry on Scales Street all have reported someone took money from their machines.

Capt. Dattero said the robberies do not appear to be something a thief could do quickly.

In one car-wash robbery, a brick surrounding a machine appears to have been chipped away. At the laundry, the tops of three washing machines were ripped off, allowing the thief to reach the money inside and causing about $4,000 in damage.

Police found two hammers and a screw driver at another robbery.
   
■ ■ ■

Under a plan supported by at least some Eden City Council members, 65 of 123 acres proposed for a park in central Eden would instead be used for a company that is being recruited to Eden.

A similar plan fell to protests last year. The name of the company has not been revealed.

A wireless service provider brought legal action against Rockingham County, saying its planning board did not follow the law in denying the wireless service company a permit for a tower.