August 29, 2011 Coats Museum News
It has been almost ninety years since the “Harnett County News” September 29, 1921 edition printed an advertisement about the Roberts Motor Company in Coats, N.C. stating that Ford was the universal car. Roberts included in his ad the following prices that were FOB from Detroit: Chassis-$295; Runabout-$325; Touring Car-$355; Truck Chassis-$445; Coupe-$595, and the Sedan-$600. Dr. Roberts reminded the readers that these were the lowest prices of Ford cars in history at the Roberts Ford Motor Company and orders were coming in fast. The Coats physician encouraged everyone to place an order fast to assure early delivery. Does anyone know how these cars were transported to Coats? Were the cars completely assembled?
Wonder if the new Bank of Harnett Coats Branch was willing to loan the locals money to purchase one of these vehicles from the Roberts Motor Company. Had the farmers replaced the mule and wagon with a motor vehicle to transport their cotton to the gin and their tobacco to out-of -town markets? Some farmers were growing tobacco in 1921 in the Coats Grove area, right?
This I do know. A spelling bee was staged in Coats according to the same edition of the “Harnett County News”. George I. Smith, a one-time principal at Dunn High School, was promoting a spelling bee of unusual interest. Smith had appointed the following leaders for respective communities: George K. Grantham, Dunn; J.L. Collier, Buies Creek; Miss Nora Smith, Chalybeate and Miss Ethel Coats, Coats. Each of these local leaders appointed four classes. The classes each held a preliminary contest between their members. The surviving members in each class competed for the championship honors. After the school competitions, the winners met on September 29, 1921, at 8:00 pm in the Coats School auditorium located on the third floor of the new brick school.
Do you think that many folks would come out at 8:00 on a Friday night to watch a spelling bee? Would it up the attendance if the sponsors added to the mix an Old Fiddlers Convention? That ‘s exactly what the Coats Woman’s Community Club did to raise funds to help discharge the debt due on the lighting plant for the new school building.
Shall we visit that night? Let’s follow the sequence of that recorded event. Music by all members of the Old Fiddlers Convention was followed by an introductory speech of welcome. A blackboard demonstration showing the diacritical rule was followed by a male quartet; first four Bluebook spellers contest; first two old fiddlers contest; second four Bluebook spellers; second two old fiddlers contest; third four Bluebook spellers; third old fiddlers contest; fourth four Bluebook spellers contest composed of reserves; fourth two old fiddlers and finally a guitar contest. Did you say-“WOW”?
A contest means you win prizes, agree? The prizes were $10.00 in gold for the best fiddler and $5.00 in gold to the second best. The best guitar player won $3.00 while the second place carried home $2.00. Are you wondering what the winning spellers won? The Bluebook speller champ took home $5.00 in gold and the runnerup’s prize was $2.00.
With all this prize money, surely the admission was not free. Indeed not, because the adults had to pay 25 cents to enter and a child under 12 had to pay 10 cents. Am I alone in thinking that the event had to be a logistic nightmare since there were no bathrooms, children under twelve, three flights of stairs to climb, out -of -town musicians and spellers, long, long program, 8:00 pm, and parking for the various modes of travel to get to the event.
However, you are likely thinking did the Coats ladies raise enough money to pay off the debt for the school lighting system in the new school building. You will have to read many columns to get the answer to that thought question. I will say that the future holds many Old Fiddlers Conventions and many suppers. You will find it worth the wait because the next Old Fiddlers Convention gives the names of the musicians who drew over 1,000 people to the third floor auditorium located in the first brick structure built on the Grove District #3 Coats School campus.
Next week we will say goodbye to 1921 and begin our journey into 1922 and meet new people and attend countless events in the Coats Grove area. A special thank you goes to Ann Beasley for her contribution to the Coats Museum to honor the memory of Mark Parrish. The volunteers of the museum enjoyed the visit from the Harnett Leadership group who were inquisitive and enthusiastic.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in August 29, 2011 in the Daily Record.
It has been almost ninety years since the “Harnett County News” September 29, 1921 edition printed an advertisement about the Roberts Motor Company in Coats, N.C. stating that Ford was the universal car. Roberts included in his ad the following prices that were FOB from Detroit: Chassis-$295; Runabout-$325; Touring Car-$355; Truck Chassis-$445; Coupe-$595, and the Sedan-$600. Dr. Roberts reminded the readers that these were the lowest prices of Ford cars in history at the Roberts Ford Motor Company and orders were coming in fast. The Coats physician encouraged everyone to place an order fast to assure early delivery. Does anyone know how these cars were transported to Coats? Were the cars completely assembled?
Wonder if the new Bank of Harnett Coats Branch was willing to loan the locals money to purchase one of these vehicles from the Roberts Motor Company. Had the farmers replaced the mule and wagon with a motor vehicle to transport their cotton to the gin and their tobacco to out-of -town markets? Some farmers were growing tobacco in 1921 in the Coats Grove area, right?
This I do know. A spelling bee was staged in Coats according to the same edition of the “Harnett County News”. George I. Smith, a one-time principal at Dunn High School, was promoting a spelling bee of unusual interest. Smith had appointed the following leaders for respective communities: George K. Grantham, Dunn; J.L. Collier, Buies Creek; Miss Nora Smith, Chalybeate and Miss Ethel Coats, Coats. Each of these local leaders appointed four classes. The classes each held a preliminary contest between their members. The surviving members in each class competed for the championship honors. After the school competitions, the winners met on September 29, 1921, at 8:00 pm in the Coats School auditorium located on the third floor of the new brick school.
Do you think that many folks would come out at 8:00 on a Friday night to watch a spelling bee? Would it up the attendance if the sponsors added to the mix an Old Fiddlers Convention? That ‘s exactly what the Coats Woman’s Community Club did to raise funds to help discharge the debt due on the lighting plant for the new school building.
Shall we visit that night? Let’s follow the sequence of that recorded event. Music by all members of the Old Fiddlers Convention was followed by an introductory speech of welcome. A blackboard demonstration showing the diacritical rule was followed by a male quartet; first four Bluebook spellers contest; first two old fiddlers contest; second four Bluebook spellers; second two old fiddlers contest; third four Bluebook spellers; third old fiddlers contest; fourth four Bluebook spellers contest composed of reserves; fourth two old fiddlers and finally a guitar contest. Did you say-“WOW”?
A contest means you win prizes, agree? The prizes were $10.00 in gold for the best fiddler and $5.00 in gold to the second best. The best guitar player won $3.00 while the second place carried home $2.00. Are you wondering what the winning spellers won? The Bluebook speller champ took home $5.00 in gold and the runnerup’s prize was $2.00.
With all this prize money, surely the admission was not free. Indeed not, because the adults had to pay 25 cents to enter and a child under 12 had to pay 10 cents. Am I alone in thinking that the event had to be a logistic nightmare since there were no bathrooms, children under twelve, three flights of stairs to climb, out -of -town musicians and spellers, long, long program, 8:00 pm, and parking for the various modes of travel to get to the event.
However, you are likely thinking did the Coats ladies raise enough money to pay off the debt for the school lighting system in the new school building. You will have to read many columns to get the answer to that thought question. I will say that the future holds many Old Fiddlers Conventions and many suppers. You will find it worth the wait because the next Old Fiddlers Convention gives the names of the musicians who drew over 1,000 people to the third floor auditorium located in the first brick structure built on the Grove District #3 Coats School campus.
Next week we will say goodbye to 1921 and begin our journey into 1922 and meet new people and attend countless events in the Coats Grove area. A special thank you goes to Ann Beasley for her contribution to the Coats Museum to honor the memory of Mark Parrish. The volunteers of the museum enjoyed the visit from the Harnett Leadership group who were inquisitive and enthusiastic.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in August 29, 2011 in the Daily Record.