Flashback: Tracking NRV history

The Roanoke Times file 1990
Mary Tom Long puts the finishing touches on front door decorations of fruit and greenery at Smithfield Plantation.

1987
(25 years ago)

-“Not every kid has to join the football team or the cheerleading squad to find his niche. At Blacksburg Middle School, nearly 250 students found their calling in the band…”
-“This city [Radford] may join other Virginia localities that have a 911 emergency telephone system.”

1962
(50 years ago)

-“The picture in the Group I-B New River District basketball race has not cleared as three teams carried identical 2-0 records into the holiday break.”
-“The death of a Giles county man last night in a car-truck crash near Christiansburg brought Virginia’s 1962 road toll to 954.”
-“Congressman W. Pat Jennings announced Wednesday that the General Services Administration has officially accepted a bid of $41,300 for 184.32 acres of surplus land at the New River unit of the Radford Arsenal, near Dublin.”
-“Mike Tomasnovich almost didn’t make it to the Gator Bowl basketball tourney Thursday night, and Virginia Tech wishes his long trip had been a mite longer.” Georgia Tech won 73-72.

1937
(75 years ago)

-“The Appalachian Electric Power company expects to soon begin construction of an extension of its electric transmission line from Newport to Goodwins Ferry…”
-“Eleven hundred employees of the Virginia Maid and Wallner Silk Hosiery Mills, their families and friends last night attended the annual Christmas party at the Monticello club [in Pulaski].”
-“Several hundred underprivileged children jammed the Dalton theatre [in Pulaski] this morning for a special Christmas treat by the management.”
-“Work in the Radford college training schools has recently won recognition by publications in educational magazines.”
-“[Giles county] Sheriff Emory Johnston said that the jail prisoners were remembered today [Christmas] with extra eats, etc.”
-“Constant thawing has rendered [Floyd] dirt roads almost impassable, side roads can only be traveled in the early part of the day before thawing.”
-“Because of activity on the part of the churches and various civic organizations the less fortunate of the town [Blacksburg] and community were supplied with Christmas baskets packed with food, clothing and toys.”

1912
(100 years ago)

-“Mr. A. H. Walker, of Riner, was the lucky man in the guessing contest at Cambria Mercantile Company store, which closed this week. Mr. Walker won a watch, 17 jewel, Elgin movement, 20 year case.”
-“Many representative people were most charmingly entertained on Saturday night by Miss Margaret Landis, in her home in Fifth street. Merry games and popular music made the time fly, and delicious refreshments brought to a close a most delightful evening…”
-“The first ‘Farmers’ Week’ ever held in Virginia will take place at V. P. I. January 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1913, and at least two hundred farmers of the State can be accommodated in the town and at the college for that time.”
-“There will be a Christmas tree at Bethel church [in Christiansburg] at two o’clock Thursday afternoon.”
-“Christmas day [in Blacksburg] passed with not a cloud in the sky, and the sun shone with a wonderful brilliance on the mantle of snow that covered the earth, bringing out the distant white topped mountains with marvelous distinctness.”
- “The night before Christmas [in White Gate] was an ideal ‘Santa Claus night.’” The moonlight was never brighter and innumerable stars seemed to rejoice in shedding their clear brilliancy on the still, frosty air, while hills and valleys were snugly wrapped in a downy blanket of new fallen snow.”

-Compiled by Roanoke Times librarian Belinda Harris

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