Flashback: Tracking NRV history

The Roanoke Times file 1987 The band Bovine Surprise performing at the 1987 Steppin’ Out Festival in Blacksburg.

1987
(25 years ago)
-“How hot is it? How dry? In Montgomery County, dairy farmer Henry Sink has rigged up an air conditioning system of sorts in his feed lot in an effort to keep his milk production up.”
-“Leggett department store, a downtown institution here [Radford] for 52 years, will close its doors next year and move to the New River Valley Mall.”
-“Sidewalk or no, the Downtown Blacksburg Business Association will be opening its annual sidewalk festival, ‘Steppin’ Out,’ today.”
-“Telenet Communications Corp., a U. S. Sprint company, announced that it has expanded its Telenet Public Data network to include Blacksburg…Telenet customers in Blacksburg will have access to more than a hundred database service providers including The Source and Dow Jones News/Retrieval.”

1962
(50 years ago)
-“A computer can’t slop the hogs but it can help the farmer where help is needed best – in his pocketbook. Tech Extension Service at Virginia Tech has put the computer to work for 638 farmers and the day may come when its lightning calculations and cold-print figures will help all farmers get the most out of their operation.”
“The state announced Monday the purchase of 34.61 wooded acres of land for expansion of Claytor Lake State Park.”
-“A routing for Interstate 81 in eastern Montgomery County that would be generally north of present U. S. 11-460 received the strongest support Wednesday at a public hearing here [Shawsville].”
-“The annual water show will be held at the municipal swimming pool here [Pearisburg] Saturday night and will feature a top diving exhibit and a trampoline act.”

1937
(75 years ago)
-“Employes of the Virginia Maid and Wallner Silk Hosiery mills will hold their annual picnic Saturday at the country home of T. J. Wallner, president of the companies. A band concert, games and dinner are planned.”
-“During the storm that flooded the streets and lowlands of Blacksburg and vicinity yesterday evening between 5:30 and 7 o’clock, lightning stuck the tower of the Whisner Memorial Methodist church, causing an estimated $100 damage.”
-“Giles county has been selected as one of 21 places in the state in which to conduct home making centers as a part of the NYA  program…”
-“The second theatre to open here [Floyd] in the past week is the Lee theatre owned by John S. George. The building formerly occupied by the Blue Swan café was renovated for the theater.”
-“General rain interspersed with drenching storms passed over this section [Blacksburg] again this afternoon raising the total rainfall within five days to four inches…”

1912
(100 years ago)
-“The Disciples church at Newbern came near burning last Friday night, and but for the presence of mind of those who happened to be there the church would have been seriously damaged, if not destroyed.”
-“Mr. Henry Barnett [of Elliston] was one of the latest victims of the ‘newspaper on coat tail’ fad. He was seen wending his way toward a young lady’s house with about two feet of paper of various hues dangling from his coat tail.”
-“Mr. S. Taylor Harless was a business visitor to Roanoke Monday, where he purchased an up-to-date moving picture outfit, which he will install here [Whitethorne] in the new hall at once.”
-“Miss Janie Bingham [of Pearisbug] gave a most enjoyable ‘tacky party’ Thursday evening. All guests tried to be as tacky as possible and acted their parts to perfection.”
-“Arrangements are now being made to open the lower hotel, known to the public for many years as the Blacksburg Inn, and further details will be made public later.”

-Compiled by Roanoke Times librarian Belinda Harris

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