April 4, 2011 Coats
Museum News
Carolyn Spears wrote in her Coats Chamber News that Coats would celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Coats Farmers Day in 2012? Do you wonder what those first Farmers Days were like? We have a booklet from one early community fair which gives an idea of what the early festivals were like. Many of you will be pleasantly surprised to recognize the names of relatives and to see how thorough the early organizers were in including all areas of farm life. The booklet stated that the event eulogized, featured, and starred the farmer as the main attraction. The writer continued that the festival took on the appearance of a fair with exhibits depicting farm products and prizes being awarded for the best in the exhibits.
Regulations for the fair were simple and all persons living in Harnett County were invited to display products and compete for premiums paid for by the state authorities. The judges were supplied by the State Department of Agriculture and their decisions were final. Who directed the various exhibits that were judged? W.H. Turlington, B.F. Parrish, and Thomas Webb directed the Department of Field Crops and Gardens and it had fifteen categories. A second department was the Department of Orchard Products. Willie Ennis, C.D. Stewart and John Sorrell were directors. They sought the best display of pears, peaches, apples, and grapes. Were these products in season on October 27, ?.
A third department was the Livestock Department—Horses and Mules. Someone won $4.00 for the best buggy horse. A fourth department was the Livestock Department- Cattle. J.A. Parrish, H.M. Beasley, and B.F. Parrish were directors. The best milk cow, any variety, milked and tested on the grounds, resulted in the exhibitor winning $2.00. The directors of the Department for Sheep, Goats, and Swine were A.D. Coats, H.A. Turlington, A.J. Godwin and A.B. Ryals. Best boar, best pair of goats, and the Pine Woods Rooter with the longest nose were judged in this division. Wonder how the judges determined which home-cured ham and bacon were the best in this department?
In the Poultry Department, A.F. Grimes, Dr. H.C. Roberts, and W.F. Stone were directors. Turkeys, thoroughbred chickens, guineas, ducks, and geese were judged for the best. A Department for Pantry and Dairy was headed by Mrs. A.J. Godwin, Mrs. Owen Odum and Mrs. H.A. Turlington. The best bread, cornbread, biscuits, cakes, canned pears, apples, peaches, pickles, jams, butter, honey in comb, and buttermilk earned money for women over 20 years of age. Girls under 20 years of age had similar categories and were directed by Dona Ennis, Lina Langdon, and Naomi Stewart.
Miss Mary Green, Mrs. Stewart Turlington, Mrs. F.A. Dawson, Miss Delphia Bailey, and Miss Hemie Ennis directed the Sewing Department for both the young and older women. Wonder who had the best house dress, best embroidered waist, best button holes and best homemade rugs? The Department of Manual Arts was headed by Jonah Johnson, Lee Turlington, and Paul Strickland. They sought the best rustic chair, waste basket, split basket, corn scrub mop, flour and meal chest, ironing board and butter mold, clover seed stripper and bee gum. With all the tasks demanded of farm families, when did they have time do make all of those items?
Did the organizers leave any farm category out? It appears that they did not. Mrs. J.R. Turlington, Misses Mattie Bain and Hettie Ennis directed the Plants and Flower Department. Ida Coats, Alva Turlington, and Lina Langdon directed an exhibit by the Tomato Club Girls who canned vegetables and fruits. W.H. Turlington, Thomas Webb, and B.F. Parrish looked for the best display of the best six ears and corn stalks from the Boys Corn Club Exhibit. Marion Ennis and L.L. Turlington directed the Old Men’s Corn Club.
You must be wondering where in Coats was this all going on. Is that information lost on the pages of time? Wait-there are three final exhibits. Thomas Webb, G.F. Pope, P.E. Pope and G.W. Tilghman directed the Department of Manufacturing which judged the best crown moulding, wainscoting, collection of brick, springless window shade and other wood products. Even the school kids were judged in the Education Exhibit. Mary Green, Esther Bivins, and B. F. Gentry selected the best outline map of N.C., best watercolor, best reed basket, best poem and neatest booklet of memory gems.
The last exhibit was the Miscellaneous Department directed by Joe Penny, Sr., Rodolphus Ennis, and Claud D. Stewart who looked for the best relics from early Scottish settlements, Revolution War, Civil War, and Indian artifacts. The largest ear of corn, sweet potato, Irish potato, pumpkin and gourd won prizes.
Wow-what a day it must have been. How different this event is from the current Farmers Days. The event undoubtedly gave the farmers a chance to shine for their leadership and agricultural skills.
A special thank you to the Fletcher Flowers family for the artifacts given to the museum. Have you ever seen a device used to make a walking stick? That is only one of the many items given by Conrey and Sandra that will tell our young museum visitors what life was like in days past.
Please be mindful that this article was published in the Daily Record in April of 2011.
Carolyn Spears wrote in her Coats Chamber News that Coats would celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Coats Farmers Day in 2012? Do you wonder what those first Farmers Days were like? We have a booklet from one early community fair which gives an idea of what the early festivals were like. Many of you will be pleasantly surprised to recognize the names of relatives and to see how thorough the early organizers were in including all areas of farm life. The booklet stated that the event eulogized, featured, and starred the farmer as the main attraction. The writer continued that the festival took on the appearance of a fair with exhibits depicting farm products and prizes being awarded for the best in the exhibits.
Regulations for the fair were simple and all persons living in Harnett County were invited to display products and compete for premiums paid for by the state authorities. The judges were supplied by the State Department of Agriculture and their decisions were final. Who directed the various exhibits that were judged? W.H. Turlington, B.F. Parrish, and Thomas Webb directed the Department of Field Crops and Gardens and it had fifteen categories. A second department was the Department of Orchard Products. Willie Ennis, C.D. Stewart and John Sorrell were directors. They sought the best display of pears, peaches, apples, and grapes. Were these products in season on October 27, ?.
A third department was the Livestock Department—Horses and Mules. Someone won $4.00 for the best buggy horse. A fourth department was the Livestock Department- Cattle. J.A. Parrish, H.M. Beasley, and B.F. Parrish were directors. The best milk cow, any variety, milked and tested on the grounds, resulted in the exhibitor winning $2.00. The directors of the Department for Sheep, Goats, and Swine were A.D. Coats, H.A. Turlington, A.J. Godwin and A.B. Ryals. Best boar, best pair of goats, and the Pine Woods Rooter with the longest nose were judged in this division. Wonder how the judges determined which home-cured ham and bacon were the best in this department?
In the Poultry Department, A.F. Grimes, Dr. H.C. Roberts, and W.F. Stone were directors. Turkeys, thoroughbred chickens, guineas, ducks, and geese were judged for the best. A Department for Pantry and Dairy was headed by Mrs. A.J. Godwin, Mrs. Owen Odum and Mrs. H.A. Turlington. The best bread, cornbread, biscuits, cakes, canned pears, apples, peaches, pickles, jams, butter, honey in comb, and buttermilk earned money for women over 20 years of age. Girls under 20 years of age had similar categories and were directed by Dona Ennis, Lina Langdon, and Naomi Stewart.
Miss Mary Green, Mrs. Stewart Turlington, Mrs. F.A. Dawson, Miss Delphia Bailey, and Miss Hemie Ennis directed the Sewing Department for both the young and older women. Wonder who had the best house dress, best embroidered waist, best button holes and best homemade rugs? The Department of Manual Arts was headed by Jonah Johnson, Lee Turlington, and Paul Strickland. They sought the best rustic chair, waste basket, split basket, corn scrub mop, flour and meal chest, ironing board and butter mold, clover seed stripper and bee gum. With all the tasks demanded of farm families, when did they have time do make all of those items?
Did the organizers leave any farm category out? It appears that they did not. Mrs. J.R. Turlington, Misses Mattie Bain and Hettie Ennis directed the Plants and Flower Department. Ida Coats, Alva Turlington, and Lina Langdon directed an exhibit by the Tomato Club Girls who canned vegetables and fruits. W.H. Turlington, Thomas Webb, and B.F. Parrish looked for the best display of the best six ears and corn stalks from the Boys Corn Club Exhibit. Marion Ennis and L.L. Turlington directed the Old Men’s Corn Club.
You must be wondering where in Coats was this all going on. Is that information lost on the pages of time? Wait-there are three final exhibits. Thomas Webb, G.F. Pope, P.E. Pope and G.W. Tilghman directed the Department of Manufacturing which judged the best crown moulding, wainscoting, collection of brick, springless window shade and other wood products. Even the school kids were judged in the Education Exhibit. Mary Green, Esther Bivins, and B. F. Gentry selected the best outline map of N.C., best watercolor, best reed basket, best poem and neatest booklet of memory gems.
The last exhibit was the Miscellaneous Department directed by Joe Penny, Sr., Rodolphus Ennis, and Claud D. Stewart who looked for the best relics from early Scottish settlements, Revolution War, Civil War, and Indian artifacts. The largest ear of corn, sweet potato, Irish potato, pumpkin and gourd won prizes.
Wow-what a day it must have been. How different this event is from the current Farmers Days. The event undoubtedly gave the farmers a chance to shine for their leadership and agricultural skills.
A special thank you to the Fletcher Flowers family for the artifacts given to the museum. Have you ever seen a device used to make a walking stick? That is only one of the many items given by Conrey and Sandra that will tell our young museum visitors what life was like in days past.
Please be mindful that this article was published in the Daily Record in April of 2011.