December 21, 2012 Coats Museum News
How many of you can recall the name of your yearbook? What about the name of your school paper? I do know that in 1936, the Coats student school paper was called “Spotlight”. According to the April 1936 “Spotlight”, the Coats Junior Class had entertained the seniors with an informal banquet on April 17th. Green and white were the class colors and were used in the decorating theme. The waitresses were Dorothy Stewart, Helen Ennis, Mavis Barefoot, Martha Ivey, Cletie Gregory, and Mary Ella Gunter. Edna Mae Barnes was the mistress of ceremonies. The seniors left on April 24th for a trip to Washington, D.C. Several students other than seniors attended. Josephine Jerome, Annie Ruth Wood, Edna Ennis and Mavis Barefoot were those younger students who made up the 25 who traveled to tour the capital city.
Do you know how many grades there were in 1936? I do know according to that same school paper that it included the lineup for the school’s baseball team. Allen Barefoot, first base; Dwight Odom, second base; Jim Lee, shortstop; Earl Williams, pitcher; Audrey Wood, left field; Bobby Kelly, Catcher; W.M. Keene, right field; Woodrow Stewart, 3rd base and Clarence Sox, center field.
Do you wonder who put this student paper together? The editor of the school paper was Juliet Williams; the business manager was Allen Barefoot. Sports editor was Dwight Odum and Charles Beasley was advertising manager. The paper noted that the students had enjoyed watching the new building go up. This is what was written in the school paper. “The big hole in the ground was thought to be a basement. Because it rained during the construction, it was recorded that at times the students thought it would become a lake. The brick foundation was laid; framework began to rise; windows took shape; doorways were made and the brick wall rose. Then came the day when you could tell just where the auditorium would be” (“Spotlight “-April, 1936).
The late T.J. Turlington, Jr. recalled to me a few years ago that horses belonging to a man in Lillington were used to scoop out the foundation of the building. He said that he had never forgotten watching the building of that huge structure even though he was only a first grader (Turlington Interview-2003).
Recently James Grimes shared that he too had memories of the building of the 1936 school building. He had helped dig out the auditorium with a mule and scoop. He was a mere teenager. There are only a few students living who remember that construction but there are many former Coats students who are currently watching the demolition of the old buildings on the school site. It is amazing to see how the company is salvaging the materials from those old buildings.
While the folks in Coats were watching their new school being built, Harnett County preachers were asking that all politicians seeking office to tell the public stance on “Observance of the Sabbath and their position on laws regulating observance” (Harnett County News April 30, 1936).
The Harnett County Board of Education met Monday May 4, 1936 and gave its approval to consolidate Turlington School after the present term. The pupils nearest to Erwin would attend Erwin and those nearest to Coats to Coats. The board also agreed for some of the one-room colored school students go to the larger schools when it would be more economical and would be for the best interest of pupils. The board also noted that disposal of sewerage at Coats and Benhaven Schools took preference over the needs of other schools (Harnett County News May 14, 1936).
That same edition reported that a $20,000.00 loan had been approved for the Coats School and was not needed since PWA funds were used for construction. This freed up the $20,000 to be used in other places in the county.
The Coats Town Board meeting minutes of May 12, 1936 reported the Mayor P.F. Pope presided over the meeting when they agreed to pay P.F. Pope Lumber Company for lumber to build a bridge. P.W. Byrd, C.A. Jackson and P.W. Holland were paid to work on the bridge. Chris Spivey was to find a man to build a screen for trash in the back of the town stores. A motion for Beatrice Johnson to close her place of business on Sundays from 10 A.M. to 1:00P.M., until further notice since some disturbance was occurring at those hours. Edwin Stewart was paid $2.00 to bury two dogs. A street light on East Main was to be moved over to the corner of B.F. Parrish home. CPL was to be notified. B.F. McLean was to give notice that all slot machines must go. Owners of all dog must muzzle or enclose them. All boys on bicycles must be stay off sidewalks. A second offense would result in the bicycle being taken. Do you wonder where in Coats was it necessary to build a bridge and what would happen if an adult rode a bicycle on the sidewalk? Did you know Coats once had slot machines and deep ditches beside the dirt streets? Kent Langdon shared a picture of early Coats that shows ditches.
Mr. J.M. Langdon died at his home near Bethel on Sunday morning at 11:00. He was one of the most successful farmers in the community. Services were held in home and the burial was in the family cemetery. He was survived by four sons: J.A., D.A., L.B. and D.S. Langdon and three daughters: Mrs. R.M. Pleasant, Mrs. M.B. Pleasant and Mrs. E. L. Parrish (Harnett County News May 21, 1936).
The Coats School Commencement began on May 24th. declamations, recitations, and debates brought large crowds. Graduates who received diplomas on May 29th were Allen Barefoot, Charles Beasley, Louise Coats, Charles Grimes, Sarah Johnson, Edison Johnson, Lola Langdon, Dwight Odum, Mary Parrish, Elsie Mae Pope, Anna Lou Reaves, Naomi Sorrell, Willie T. Sorrell, Jr., Clarence Sox, Reba Stewart, Woodrow Stewart, Ruby Mae Turlington, Earl Williams, Juliette Williams, and Clara Willis. The same edition of the paper wrote that the Grand Jury found that many of school buses were unsafe and recommended that they be removed from the roads until repaired (Harnett County News May 28, 1936).
J.B. Ennis of the Oakdale area was seeking reelection to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners on the Democratic ticket (Harnett County News June 6, 1936).
Again we thank John Willoughby at Sunny’s Cleaners for cleaning additional military uniforms and Ray Roberts Custom Painting and his son Randy who returned to the Heritage Square and painted the windows and doors on our heritage museum. Thanks to Robie and Lynda Butler and to Charles and Betty Manning for remembering Joe Lee with donations to the Coats Museum Building Fund. We are excited to have on loan Bob Stewart’s US Air Force uniform to be on display in our military glass tunnel. From the folks at the Coats Museum, we wish for each of you to have a very Merry Christmas.
How many of you can recall the name of your yearbook? What about the name of your school paper? I do know that in 1936, the Coats student school paper was called “Spotlight”. According to the April 1936 “Spotlight”, the Coats Junior Class had entertained the seniors with an informal banquet on April 17th. Green and white were the class colors and were used in the decorating theme. The waitresses were Dorothy Stewart, Helen Ennis, Mavis Barefoot, Martha Ivey, Cletie Gregory, and Mary Ella Gunter. Edna Mae Barnes was the mistress of ceremonies. The seniors left on April 24th for a trip to Washington, D.C. Several students other than seniors attended. Josephine Jerome, Annie Ruth Wood, Edna Ennis and Mavis Barefoot were those younger students who made up the 25 who traveled to tour the capital city.
Do you know how many grades there were in 1936? I do know according to that same school paper that it included the lineup for the school’s baseball team. Allen Barefoot, first base; Dwight Odom, second base; Jim Lee, shortstop; Earl Williams, pitcher; Audrey Wood, left field; Bobby Kelly, Catcher; W.M. Keene, right field; Woodrow Stewart, 3rd base and Clarence Sox, center field.
Do you wonder who put this student paper together? The editor of the school paper was Juliet Williams; the business manager was Allen Barefoot. Sports editor was Dwight Odum and Charles Beasley was advertising manager. The paper noted that the students had enjoyed watching the new building go up. This is what was written in the school paper. “The big hole in the ground was thought to be a basement. Because it rained during the construction, it was recorded that at times the students thought it would become a lake. The brick foundation was laid; framework began to rise; windows took shape; doorways were made and the brick wall rose. Then came the day when you could tell just where the auditorium would be” (“Spotlight “-April, 1936).
The late T.J. Turlington, Jr. recalled to me a few years ago that horses belonging to a man in Lillington were used to scoop out the foundation of the building. He said that he had never forgotten watching the building of that huge structure even though he was only a first grader (Turlington Interview-2003).
Recently James Grimes shared that he too had memories of the building of the 1936 school building. He had helped dig out the auditorium with a mule and scoop. He was a mere teenager. There are only a few students living who remember that construction but there are many former Coats students who are currently watching the demolition of the old buildings on the school site. It is amazing to see how the company is salvaging the materials from those old buildings.
While the folks in Coats were watching their new school being built, Harnett County preachers were asking that all politicians seeking office to tell the public stance on “Observance of the Sabbath and their position on laws regulating observance” (Harnett County News April 30, 1936).
The Harnett County Board of Education met Monday May 4, 1936 and gave its approval to consolidate Turlington School after the present term. The pupils nearest to Erwin would attend Erwin and those nearest to Coats to Coats. The board also agreed for some of the one-room colored school students go to the larger schools when it would be more economical and would be for the best interest of pupils. The board also noted that disposal of sewerage at Coats and Benhaven Schools took preference over the needs of other schools (Harnett County News May 14, 1936).
That same edition reported that a $20,000.00 loan had been approved for the Coats School and was not needed since PWA funds were used for construction. This freed up the $20,000 to be used in other places in the county.
The Coats Town Board meeting minutes of May 12, 1936 reported the Mayor P.F. Pope presided over the meeting when they agreed to pay P.F. Pope Lumber Company for lumber to build a bridge. P.W. Byrd, C.A. Jackson and P.W. Holland were paid to work on the bridge. Chris Spivey was to find a man to build a screen for trash in the back of the town stores. A motion for Beatrice Johnson to close her place of business on Sundays from 10 A.M. to 1:00P.M., until further notice since some disturbance was occurring at those hours. Edwin Stewart was paid $2.00 to bury two dogs. A street light on East Main was to be moved over to the corner of B.F. Parrish home. CPL was to be notified. B.F. McLean was to give notice that all slot machines must go. Owners of all dog must muzzle or enclose them. All boys on bicycles must be stay off sidewalks. A second offense would result in the bicycle being taken. Do you wonder where in Coats was it necessary to build a bridge and what would happen if an adult rode a bicycle on the sidewalk? Did you know Coats once had slot machines and deep ditches beside the dirt streets? Kent Langdon shared a picture of early Coats that shows ditches.
Mr. J.M. Langdon died at his home near Bethel on Sunday morning at 11:00. He was one of the most successful farmers in the community. Services were held in home and the burial was in the family cemetery. He was survived by four sons: J.A., D.A., L.B. and D.S. Langdon and three daughters: Mrs. R.M. Pleasant, Mrs. M.B. Pleasant and Mrs. E. L. Parrish (Harnett County News May 21, 1936).
The Coats School Commencement began on May 24th. declamations, recitations, and debates brought large crowds. Graduates who received diplomas on May 29th were Allen Barefoot, Charles Beasley, Louise Coats, Charles Grimes, Sarah Johnson, Edison Johnson, Lola Langdon, Dwight Odum, Mary Parrish, Elsie Mae Pope, Anna Lou Reaves, Naomi Sorrell, Willie T. Sorrell, Jr., Clarence Sox, Reba Stewart, Woodrow Stewart, Ruby Mae Turlington, Earl Williams, Juliette Williams, and Clara Willis. The same edition of the paper wrote that the Grand Jury found that many of school buses were unsafe and recommended that they be removed from the roads until repaired (Harnett County News May 28, 1936).
J.B. Ennis of the Oakdale area was seeking reelection to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners on the Democratic ticket (Harnett County News June 6, 1936).
Again we thank John Willoughby at Sunny’s Cleaners for cleaning additional military uniforms and Ray Roberts Custom Painting and his son Randy who returned to the Heritage Square and painted the windows and doors on our heritage museum. Thanks to Robie and Lynda Butler and to Charles and Betty Manning for remembering Joe Lee with donations to the Coats Museum Building Fund. We are excited to have on loan Bob Stewart’s US Air Force uniform to be on display in our military glass tunnel. From the folks at the Coats Museum, we wish for each of you to have a very Merry Christmas.