August 15, 2011 Coats Museum News
As the students and teachers acclimated themselves to climbing those steep stairs to their classrooms and auditorium in the new 1921 tri-level brick Coats Grove #3 School, what was going on in the community and nation?
Warren Harding, a very handsome six feet tall and blue eyed politician, was elected the President in 1920. The Ohio native was the oldest of eight children and was born on a farm. As a young boy he worked at a newspaper where he set type and ran the press. He entered the Ohio Central College at age fourteen. Harding later became a country school teacher. He married an older woman who used the newspaper owned by Harding and two friends to promote Harding in politics. He won several political offices before being elected to the presidency. Harding’s term was filled with gossip, scandal, and suicides. While he was traveling the country on a goodwill tour, the president became ill and died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923. Rumor was that he was poisoned so he could not testify against his friends. Mrs. Harding refused to allow an autopsy and she even had his papers and letters burned resulting in many facts about Harding being lost forever.
While Harding was president, he appointed a budget director the federal government. People across the country danced to the new jazz played on the radio that was the newest addition to the household. Was the radio electric? Did all the folks in the Grove Township have electricity in the early 1920’s? Did the school have lights?
This I do know. Archaeologists had discovered King Tut’s tomb. Boys and girls from the Grove area were exposed to all kinds of sweets. They could purchase Whitman chocolates (1854), Cadbury Valentine chocolates (1868), corn candy (1880’s), Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum (1893), Hershey chocolate bars(1900) and Kisses(1906), peppermint stick candy (1901), Life Savers (1912), Goo Goo Clusters (1913), and Baby Ruth candy bars (1920) named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter.
According to the “Harnett County News” January 18, 1921 edition, the Piedmont Lyceum Bureau of Asheville would present the Kelso Company on January 18, 1921 at 7:00 PM in the Coats School auditorium. The bureau would present a group of five pretty, vivacious, and talented girls in songs, pianologues, instrumental numbers, readings, musical readings and costumed sketches, etc.
Did you notice that the time was 7:00 PM in January? We know the building had no inside bathrooms and no central heat until 1926. Tin stove heated the building in 1921. Was there lighting?
The Woman’s Community Club took upon themselves the responsibility of installing a lighting plant that would cost over $500.00 in the new building according to the “Harnett County News” October 7, 1921. We’ll read later how they raised funds to make the project happen.
The “Harnett County News” reported the 1921 Harnett County Governmental Expenses Financial Statement. From that report, a listing of schools and teachers were stated. Students throughout the county were attending schools such as Overhills, Manchester, Linden, Bunnlevel, Lillington, Broadway, Dunn RDF, Fuquay R.1, Kipling, Duke, Chalybeate, Cameron, and Buies Creek. Mr. Claud Stewart , Miss Dona Ennis, and Miss Naomi Stewart were teaching in Ennis Grove #1 School. Miss Kathryn Mitchell and Miss Lilla Young were at Gregory Grove # 2. Mr. T.T. Lanier, Miss R. Nelle Gibbs, Miss Lillian Johnson, Miss Thelma Yelvington, Miss Grace Long, Miss Clyde Jennings, and Miss Addie Newsome educated the students in Coats Grove #3.
Miss Winnie Davis Jennings, Miss Kate Chaffin, Miss Ila Ennis, Mr. Ralvin McLeod, Miss Nannie McNeill, Miss Azzie E. Woodward, Miss Ethel Graham, Miss Gertie Hight, Miss Spicey Pope and Miss Mae Fort taught in Grove Schools but the report did not specify which ones. Did you notice the “Miss” in front of all those names?
The county report also showed money paid to individuals other than school staffs. D.P. McDonald was paid $50.00 for working on tax lists. J.W. McArthan received $40.00 for conveying a lunatic to the asylum; whereas W.H. Turlington was paid $15.00 for a similar task. Was one lunatic more of a lunatic than the other to cost more to transport? However, W.H. Turlington received $370.60 in salary. J.D. Lanier was paid $165.00 for keeping the county home. A.F. Grimes received $56.00 for being an assistant assessor. Coats resident W.J. McStewart received $18.60 for serving as a county commissioner. D.P. Ray and R.T. Johnson received $18.00 and $17.70 went to J.C Byrd. You ask—“Why the difference in the commissioners’ checks?”
These same commissioners at a special meeting on Monday appointed the Listakers: J.L. Johnson and J.A. Hockaday of Black River and G.D. Stewart and J.M. Langdon for Grove (“Harnett County News” Vol.3 No. 15).
Next week we shall continue our journey through the Grove Township and its Coats Grove # 3 School. We shall follow students to the county commencement in Lillington and we will also revisit the Coats Woman’s Community Club’s activities to see how they raised funds to purchase the lighting plant for the 1921 Coats Grove #3 School. By the way, what kind of seats were in the auditorium and how many people could fit into the space on the third floor?
Future Farmers of America (FFA) has always been a popular organization in the Coats School. It is proven that FFA builds the foundation for making leaders and two members in the early 1960’s from the Coats FFA were elected to state offices-Gerald Hayes, Jr. and Joe Gregory. A very special thank you goes to Gerald for giving the museum his FFA jacket indicating that he was Vice President of the N.C. FFA organization. He also presented Lynda Butler his school athletic jacket and the FFA jacket of his younger brother Kenneth Hayes. These jackets will bring back memories of other FFA members and of the agriculture teachers such as M.O. Phillips, Vance Hamilton, David Creech, Coy Broadwell, Billy West, Earl Brinkley, Dan Honeycutt and our own museum volunteer, Andy Cole at Triton. The jackets will really enhance our school exhibit when we add our new addition to the Coats Museum. We also want to thank Hilda Pope for her contribution to the Coats Museum Building Fund to honor the memory of Pauline S. Sorrell and thanks to Robie and Lynda Butler for their contributions to the same fund to honor the memories of Pauline and Mark Parrish.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in 2011.
As the students and teachers acclimated themselves to climbing those steep stairs to their classrooms and auditorium in the new 1921 tri-level brick Coats Grove #3 School, what was going on in the community and nation?
Warren Harding, a very handsome six feet tall and blue eyed politician, was elected the President in 1920. The Ohio native was the oldest of eight children and was born on a farm. As a young boy he worked at a newspaper where he set type and ran the press. He entered the Ohio Central College at age fourteen. Harding later became a country school teacher. He married an older woman who used the newspaper owned by Harding and two friends to promote Harding in politics. He won several political offices before being elected to the presidency. Harding’s term was filled with gossip, scandal, and suicides. While he was traveling the country on a goodwill tour, the president became ill and died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923. Rumor was that he was poisoned so he could not testify against his friends. Mrs. Harding refused to allow an autopsy and she even had his papers and letters burned resulting in many facts about Harding being lost forever.
While Harding was president, he appointed a budget director the federal government. People across the country danced to the new jazz played on the radio that was the newest addition to the household. Was the radio electric? Did all the folks in the Grove Township have electricity in the early 1920’s? Did the school have lights?
This I do know. Archaeologists had discovered King Tut’s tomb. Boys and girls from the Grove area were exposed to all kinds of sweets. They could purchase Whitman chocolates (1854), Cadbury Valentine chocolates (1868), corn candy (1880’s), Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum (1893), Hershey chocolate bars(1900) and Kisses(1906), peppermint stick candy (1901), Life Savers (1912), Goo Goo Clusters (1913), and Baby Ruth candy bars (1920) named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter.
According to the “Harnett County News” January 18, 1921 edition, the Piedmont Lyceum Bureau of Asheville would present the Kelso Company on January 18, 1921 at 7:00 PM in the Coats School auditorium. The bureau would present a group of five pretty, vivacious, and talented girls in songs, pianologues, instrumental numbers, readings, musical readings and costumed sketches, etc.
Did you notice that the time was 7:00 PM in January? We know the building had no inside bathrooms and no central heat until 1926. Tin stove heated the building in 1921. Was there lighting?
The Woman’s Community Club took upon themselves the responsibility of installing a lighting plant that would cost over $500.00 in the new building according to the “Harnett County News” October 7, 1921. We’ll read later how they raised funds to make the project happen.
The “Harnett County News” reported the 1921 Harnett County Governmental Expenses Financial Statement. From that report, a listing of schools and teachers were stated. Students throughout the county were attending schools such as Overhills, Manchester, Linden, Bunnlevel, Lillington, Broadway, Dunn RDF, Fuquay R.1, Kipling, Duke, Chalybeate, Cameron, and Buies Creek. Mr. Claud Stewart , Miss Dona Ennis, and Miss Naomi Stewart were teaching in Ennis Grove #1 School. Miss Kathryn Mitchell and Miss Lilla Young were at Gregory Grove # 2. Mr. T.T. Lanier, Miss R. Nelle Gibbs, Miss Lillian Johnson, Miss Thelma Yelvington, Miss Grace Long, Miss Clyde Jennings, and Miss Addie Newsome educated the students in Coats Grove #3.
Miss Winnie Davis Jennings, Miss Kate Chaffin, Miss Ila Ennis, Mr. Ralvin McLeod, Miss Nannie McNeill, Miss Azzie E. Woodward, Miss Ethel Graham, Miss Gertie Hight, Miss Spicey Pope and Miss Mae Fort taught in Grove Schools but the report did not specify which ones. Did you notice the “Miss” in front of all those names?
The county report also showed money paid to individuals other than school staffs. D.P. McDonald was paid $50.00 for working on tax lists. J.W. McArthan received $40.00 for conveying a lunatic to the asylum; whereas W.H. Turlington was paid $15.00 for a similar task. Was one lunatic more of a lunatic than the other to cost more to transport? However, W.H. Turlington received $370.60 in salary. J.D. Lanier was paid $165.00 for keeping the county home. A.F. Grimes received $56.00 for being an assistant assessor. Coats resident W.J. McStewart received $18.60 for serving as a county commissioner. D.P. Ray and R.T. Johnson received $18.00 and $17.70 went to J.C Byrd. You ask—“Why the difference in the commissioners’ checks?”
These same commissioners at a special meeting on Monday appointed the Listakers: J.L. Johnson and J.A. Hockaday of Black River and G.D. Stewart and J.M. Langdon for Grove (“Harnett County News” Vol.3 No. 15).
Next week we shall continue our journey through the Grove Township and its Coats Grove # 3 School. We shall follow students to the county commencement in Lillington and we will also revisit the Coats Woman’s Community Club’s activities to see how they raised funds to purchase the lighting plant for the 1921 Coats Grove #3 School. By the way, what kind of seats were in the auditorium and how many people could fit into the space on the third floor?
Future Farmers of America (FFA) has always been a popular organization in the Coats School. It is proven that FFA builds the foundation for making leaders and two members in the early 1960’s from the Coats FFA were elected to state offices-Gerald Hayes, Jr. and Joe Gregory. A very special thank you goes to Gerald for giving the museum his FFA jacket indicating that he was Vice President of the N.C. FFA organization. He also presented Lynda Butler his school athletic jacket and the FFA jacket of his younger brother Kenneth Hayes. These jackets will bring back memories of other FFA members and of the agriculture teachers such as M.O. Phillips, Vance Hamilton, David Creech, Coy Broadwell, Billy West, Earl Brinkley, Dan Honeycutt and our own museum volunteer, Andy Cole at Triton. The jackets will really enhance our school exhibit when we add our new addition to the Coats Museum. We also want to thank Hilda Pope for her contribution to the Coats Museum Building Fund to honor the memory of Pauline S. Sorrell and thanks to Robie and Lynda Butler for their contributions to the same fund to honor the memories of Pauline and Mark Parrish.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in 2011.