December 11, 2011 Coats Museum News
Is anyone familiar with the name Standard Sand and Gravel Corporation in Lillington? The March 12, 1925 Harnett County News reported that it was a major user of electricity. In order to furnish Lillington with all needed electricity, a line went to Duke via Coats and Buies Creek. It took 30 days for the construction of the lines. The lines supplied the Standard Sand and Gravel Corporation with electricity. Where was this corporation?
Charles R. Partin of Coats, lawyer, vice recorder and surveyor of land, made his acquaintance with the Flatwoods citizenry last week; and as it was the first time Partin had become acquainted with the Murchisons and Harrisses of that community, he no doubt hoped it would be his final contact according to the county newspaper. Thanks to the timely interference of Deputy C.H. Biggs, Partin was able to complete the surveying (Harnett County News March 12, 1925).
Was April 15th a tax deadline in 1925? For sure it was the date that new postage rates were announced. The first class post cards (private) were 2 cents and the newspapers and periodicals paid one and one half cents per pound (Harnett County News April 4, 1925).
Does anyone know where the post office was located in Coats in 1925? Do you know how many post office buildings have been in Coats? Was anyone of them ever destroyed by fire? Are any of the old post offices still standing? Would you like an entire article on the Coats post offices?
This I do know. The Coats P.T. A. promoted its organization in the April 9, 1925 edition of the Harnett County News. The group stated that Coats had a splendid building, but not fully completed. At the beginning of the year, the school P.T.A. had full payments due on the auditorium chairs and piano. The school had practically no athletic equipment (Harnett County News April 9, 1925).
The Coats principal, J.H. Taylor, wrote for the “News” that owing to the bad weather conditions and belated gathering of farm crops, the Coats School had not had a very good school opening. Since then, Taylor wrote that substantial progress had been made. The attendance had increased from 125 to 300 students. The high school was averaging about 55 students. The faculty for the high school department was composed of three men who had considerable experience in that phase of school work. Material equipment was being added which would make the school measure up to the requirements of a standard high school. It was necessary to purchase $150.00‘s worth of maps for use in history, geography, English, and science. The library needed 100 volumes to meet requirements. Tables had to be purchased for the science classes. The elementary department had a teacher for each of the seven grades for the first time in the history of the school. Practically every student had been taught singing. This was made possible by the P.T. A. which had assumed financial responsibility of the project. The P.T. A. paid the supplement for the music teacher and for other necessities for which there were no county funds (Harnett County News April 23, 1925).
Did the student in Coats have access to radio in 1925? Do you think they had seen large wall maps or globes? Were there movies in 1925? How about television? Were their houses made of brick? Can you imagine the excitement for learning in this big “brick” school? Can you imagine not being able to check out books from the school library? This was the case in 1925 at the Coats School.
Were there any activities available to build leadership skills in young students in the Coats community? Dr. Bill Patterson, son of Coats banker N.T. Patterson, recalled that there was a Boy Scouts Troop in Coats when he was growing up there. He remembered being a patrol leader when he was about 12 years old. He said that the scoutmaster was the manager of the local bank and was not very active in scouting. The boys had Boy Scout uniforms and once they camped out near Fayetteville. He also attended a state wide Scout Jamboree at Chapel Hill. Often a troop from another town would make trips together. He and the boys from Dunn would make trips to Marion. Archery, lifeguarding, and swimming were taught. Patterson especially remembered having to retrieve a heavy weight from a depth of 15 feet from the cold water of a Blue Ridge Mountain lake. The cost of the event was $15.00 per week. He could not afford but one week since his mother was a widow. Patterson who had experiences that most of us can only dream about later wrote that this jamboree was “the highlight” of his youth (Patterson, From the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Maui, 42).
What was life like in Coats at this time? According to Patterson, the town had animals living within the town limits. His family had a Jersey cow that produced 5 gallons of milk per day. She was worth $150.00. Hogs were also found within the town. In fact, his family had four hogs that were grown to 200 to 300 pounds and were killed for meat in the hog killing ritual of that day. You ask. “Where did they get feed to grow these livestock?” The answer is that vegetables, fruit trees and crops were grown right there in the town. Can you imagine that?
The next column will share with you some of the names of the property owners in Coats in 1925. We will also read about the untimely death of one of the town’s most popular mayors.
Speaking of mayors, the Coats Museum is so fortunate to have Mayor Walter Weeks on the Coats Museum Board of Directors. The board has approved the moving ahead with the building of an exhibit hall addition to the current Heritage Museum. A special thank you goes to Mayor Weeks for stepping forward at the December 10th board meeting with a generous contribution to the Coats Museum Building Fund. What a wonderful vote of confidence in Coats. Also the museum folks send a special thank you to another patron who has come forth with money to sponsor a display exhibit. Jonah and Alice Thornton Johnson and Bill and Nell Williams have been honored with Christmas memorials to the Coats Museum Endowment from their families. Christmas gift donations to the endowment have also been given to honor Lynda and Robie Butler and Dennis and Becky Adams.
Please be mindful that the article appeared in the December 11, 2011 Daily Record.
Is anyone familiar with the name Standard Sand and Gravel Corporation in Lillington? The March 12, 1925 Harnett County News reported that it was a major user of electricity. In order to furnish Lillington with all needed electricity, a line went to Duke via Coats and Buies Creek. It took 30 days for the construction of the lines. The lines supplied the Standard Sand and Gravel Corporation with electricity. Where was this corporation?
Charles R. Partin of Coats, lawyer, vice recorder and surveyor of land, made his acquaintance with the Flatwoods citizenry last week; and as it was the first time Partin had become acquainted with the Murchisons and Harrisses of that community, he no doubt hoped it would be his final contact according to the county newspaper. Thanks to the timely interference of Deputy C.H. Biggs, Partin was able to complete the surveying (Harnett County News March 12, 1925).
Was April 15th a tax deadline in 1925? For sure it was the date that new postage rates were announced. The first class post cards (private) were 2 cents and the newspapers and periodicals paid one and one half cents per pound (Harnett County News April 4, 1925).
Does anyone know where the post office was located in Coats in 1925? Do you know how many post office buildings have been in Coats? Was anyone of them ever destroyed by fire? Are any of the old post offices still standing? Would you like an entire article on the Coats post offices?
This I do know. The Coats P.T. A. promoted its organization in the April 9, 1925 edition of the Harnett County News. The group stated that Coats had a splendid building, but not fully completed. At the beginning of the year, the school P.T.A. had full payments due on the auditorium chairs and piano. The school had practically no athletic equipment (Harnett County News April 9, 1925).
The Coats principal, J.H. Taylor, wrote for the “News” that owing to the bad weather conditions and belated gathering of farm crops, the Coats School had not had a very good school opening. Since then, Taylor wrote that substantial progress had been made. The attendance had increased from 125 to 300 students. The high school was averaging about 55 students. The faculty for the high school department was composed of three men who had considerable experience in that phase of school work. Material equipment was being added which would make the school measure up to the requirements of a standard high school. It was necessary to purchase $150.00‘s worth of maps for use in history, geography, English, and science. The library needed 100 volumes to meet requirements. Tables had to be purchased for the science classes. The elementary department had a teacher for each of the seven grades for the first time in the history of the school. Practically every student had been taught singing. This was made possible by the P.T. A. which had assumed financial responsibility of the project. The P.T. A. paid the supplement for the music teacher and for other necessities for which there were no county funds (Harnett County News April 23, 1925).
Did the student in Coats have access to radio in 1925? Do you think they had seen large wall maps or globes? Were there movies in 1925? How about television? Were their houses made of brick? Can you imagine the excitement for learning in this big “brick” school? Can you imagine not being able to check out books from the school library? This was the case in 1925 at the Coats School.
Were there any activities available to build leadership skills in young students in the Coats community? Dr. Bill Patterson, son of Coats banker N.T. Patterson, recalled that there was a Boy Scouts Troop in Coats when he was growing up there. He remembered being a patrol leader when he was about 12 years old. He said that the scoutmaster was the manager of the local bank and was not very active in scouting. The boys had Boy Scout uniforms and once they camped out near Fayetteville. He also attended a state wide Scout Jamboree at Chapel Hill. Often a troop from another town would make trips together. He and the boys from Dunn would make trips to Marion. Archery, lifeguarding, and swimming were taught. Patterson especially remembered having to retrieve a heavy weight from a depth of 15 feet from the cold water of a Blue Ridge Mountain lake. The cost of the event was $15.00 per week. He could not afford but one week since his mother was a widow. Patterson who had experiences that most of us can only dream about later wrote that this jamboree was “the highlight” of his youth (Patterson, From the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Maui, 42).
What was life like in Coats at this time? According to Patterson, the town had animals living within the town limits. His family had a Jersey cow that produced 5 gallons of milk per day. She was worth $150.00. Hogs were also found within the town. In fact, his family had four hogs that were grown to 200 to 300 pounds and were killed for meat in the hog killing ritual of that day. You ask. “Where did they get feed to grow these livestock?” The answer is that vegetables, fruit trees and crops were grown right there in the town. Can you imagine that?
The next column will share with you some of the names of the property owners in Coats in 1925. We will also read about the untimely death of one of the town’s most popular mayors.
Speaking of mayors, the Coats Museum is so fortunate to have Mayor Walter Weeks on the Coats Museum Board of Directors. The board has approved the moving ahead with the building of an exhibit hall addition to the current Heritage Museum. A special thank you goes to Mayor Weeks for stepping forward at the December 10th board meeting with a generous contribution to the Coats Museum Building Fund. What a wonderful vote of confidence in Coats. Also the museum folks send a special thank you to another patron who has come forth with money to sponsor a display exhibit. Jonah and Alice Thornton Johnson and Bill and Nell Williams have been honored with Christmas memorials to the Coats Museum Endowment from their families. Christmas gift donations to the endowment have also been given to honor Lynda and Robie Butler and Dennis and Becky Adams.
Please be mindful that the article appeared in the December 11, 2011 Daily Record.
