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75 years ago
From the Greensboro Daily News, Feb. 6-12, 1936
Luther Hodges, a former state highway commissioner, has been appointed production manager of all mills and factories of Marshall Field and Co. His headquarters will be in Leaksville-Spray.

Last year, Hodges was named general manager of Carolina Cotton and Woolen Mills, the Southern manufacturing division of Marshall Field. This division includes 15 plants in Roanoke and Fieldale, Va., and High Point and Leaksville-Spray.

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The civil term of Rockingham County Superior Court will begin at Wentworth on March 2 and continue for two weeks. Judge John K. Clement will preside over the term.

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The Mayodan Parent-Teacher Association marked the 39th anniversary of PTA work with a program under the direction of Miss Sarah Poole, assisted by girls from the high school. The Rev. Harris made a short address. A social hour followed.

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The Madison-Mayodan-Stoneville President’s Birthday Ball in the Madison High School gymnasium was well attended despite the weather. Talks were made by Madison Mayor Moore and by ball organizer J.W. Garrett. Entertainment was provided by boys from the Madison CCC Camp. The ball cleared $50.

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Reidsville police officer Rudy Rascoe was injured slightly in the leg when he dropped a pistol and it fired upon striking the floor of a house he was searching for illegal whisky. He was treated at a Reidsville hospital and released.

George Woody, the man arrested in connection with Rascoe’s investigation, was convicted in Recorder’s Court of transportation and possession of illegal whisky and was sentenced to six months.

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Car: Terraplane, $595.

50 years ago
From the Greensboro Daily News, Feb. 6-12, 1961
John B. Cobb, 34, Reidsville real estate man and industry builder, was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Reidsville Jaycees and also named Reidsville’s Young Man of the Year.

At the same awards banquet, George Wingfield, 50, principal of Franklin Street School and coach of the Reidsville High School football team, was given the title of Boss of the Year.

Cobb, a Reidsville native and a former Eagle Scout, served in the Navy and became a licensed engineer in 1955. Later he joined the county Tax Department, and at the beginning of this year, he became associated with C.A. Myers Realty and Insurance Co.

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In a letter back to Reidsville, Alma Maus expressed delight with her and husband Lewis Maus’ move to California in January 1960. She wrote “California is a wonderful place to live. The climate is warm and sunshiny …. The coast at Santa Monica and Malibu is about 45 minutes drive from us. The mountains, which are snow covered several months each year, are about an hour’s drive to the north or east. We enjoy trips to both ocean and mountain.”

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The Reidsville Golden Lions, playing on the home court of Page High School in Greensboro, topped the Pirates 60-54 and rose to second place in conference standings. But Morehead High of Leaksville-Spray was less fortunate playing at home, losing to Bessemer High of Greensboro 30-54.

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Car: Pontiac Tempest station wagon: $2,438.

25 years ago
From the Greensboro News & Record, Feb. 6-12, 1986
Fieldcrest Mills reported improved sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year just ended.

Quarterly sales rose 12 percent to $185.9 million and net earnings jumped to $6.9 million or $1.76 per share, up from a loss of $1.9 million a year earlier. For the fiscal year, sales  totaled $572.8 million, up two percent, and net income amounted to $13.1 million or $3.35 a share.

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Rockingham County will observe Black History Month with art exhibits, plays and other events. A musical on the transition from slavery to freedom will be performed in the auditorium of Rockingham High School at Wentworth.

Later the A&T Players from N.C. A&T will perform “Peacemaker,” a play about the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

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Eden’s cable television station, Cable 6, was purchased by Community Broadcasting Services of Reidsville and plans to be back on the air in the coming week.

The Eden station has been off the air since Jan. 24.

Community Broadcasting President Myra Tucker said she hopes to expand to Madison-Mayodan in the near future.

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Curtis Lowe’s 15-foot jumper with six seconds left gave Madison-Mayodan a 55-54 victory over Western Guilford in a basketball game played in Madison. Elsewhere, Morehead nipped Southeast Guilford 43-40, and Rockingham High bested Eastern Guilford 59-48 at Wentworth.

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Car: Dodge Lancer, $9,840.

10 years ago
From the Greensboro News & Record, Feb. 6-12, 2001
Some 215 workers at Rockingham County’s longest-standing employer — Spray Cotton Mills — spent their last day at work and then went on permanent leave, with Spray Cotton closing its doors for good.

While many were nostalgic about the mill and their careers with it, some were upset that the company only gave them one week’s notice of the closing and that their health benefits ended with the day of departure.

While Spray President Mark Bishoric could not be reached, the mill issued the following statement: “The 105-year-old company is extremely disappointed that despite its investment of over $3.5 million in machinery and equipment in the last 24 months, that it has been unable to compete successfully in today’s market. As a result, Spray cannot continue to provide employment and tax revenue to the community as it has since 1896.

In earlier releases announcing the closing, the company blamed cheap imports for undercutting its prices.

The Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees said it is considering a lawsuit if the company does not comply with what it said is federal law requiring it to pay for medical benefits for 18 months and pay wages for 60 days from last week’s announcement.

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Guillermo Larach of Greensboro was denied rezoning for a 30-acre tract of land off Snead Road near Stoneville that he had hoped to convert into a zone for all-terrain vehicles. The county commissioners, listening to a representative of the people and the county planning commission, voted unanimously to turn down the request for rezoning.

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Despite objections from three members , the Eden City Council voted to pay for additional work costing $25,597 for renovations to city hall. The work consists of rebuilding a stairway that doesn’t meet inspection codes, grading the parking lot and replacing the ceiling in two parts of the building. The work is to be completed by the end of the month.

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The county commissioners approved $651,000 to buy another 85 acres for the Reidsville Industrial Park, with the land to be acquired lying on either side of the Connector on the east side of Reidsville. This land will be added to 195 acres the city and county bought last year.

The purchase is seen as the key to diversifying the county’s now struggling textile-based economy The park is the first of three that county and municipal leaders plan to fund.

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A committee of Mayodan school alumni want Main Street renamed Elliott Duncan Boulevard after the longtime principal of the school that was torn down and converted into a park after being heavily damaged by a tornado. Duncan died in 1966.

But residents of Main Street have urged the Mayodan Town Council not to change the name, saying such a change would cause confusion. The council has taken no action.