December 28, 2012 Coats Museum News
It was the summer of 1936 in Coats and the students were likely working in the fields of cotton, tobacco and corn. For some of the 1936 graduates, that was the last summer at home because many of them married; others headed for the military service and some found employment in the cities near and far while a few would enter colleges and universities because they wanted to have a future that did not include those long hours of farm life. In the fall of 1936, students had classes in the new modern building. Students from the Turlington School were new on the campus. For the first time, students rented all their books for a small sum (Harnett County News July 8, 1936).
Two Harnett men were killed in an automobile accident on the Fayetteville – Fort Bragg Highway about 10:30 on a Sunday morning. J.R. Johnson, 45, of Angier Route 2, and Carl Stewart, 22, of Coats. Johnson died of a broken neck and was survived by a daughter, Myrtle Johnson Weeks, and two brothers-A.L. Johnson and Issac Johnson of Benson. Carl’s father, John C. Stewart, survived him as did two sisters and stepmother (Harnett County News July 30, 1936). Who were those nameless survivors?
Death visited another prominent Stewart family from Coats. Reuben O. Stewart, 68, died at his home. His death was not unexpected. He had served as Coats postmaster for 31 years having resigned 2 years ago due to poor health. He left a widow and the following children: Milan and Bonnie of Philadelphia, Mrs. Earl Hinson, Orton Ray, Esther, and Billie Stewart all of Coats. Rev. J.T. Lewis conducted his funeral in the Gift Primitive Baptist Church (Harnett County News, August 1, 1936). As you have read the history of the town of Coats, have you noticed the large number of Stewart families?
I do know that the first term of the Superior Court was on September 7 and the jurors to show up for duty were Lentis Sorrell, C.E. Barnes, and Walter L. Franklin. Second term jurors for September 21 were R.B. Grimes, T.O. Beasley and E.F. Parker (Harnett County News August 7, 1936).
Death has been busy in the summer of 1936. It took Isaac Roland Williams, 80, prominent farmer and resident of Coats and brother-in-law to L.D. Ennis of Dunn. He fell dead in Young’s Department Store in Angier of a heart attack. Funeral services were at the Coats Primitive Baptist Church and burial was in the Coats Cemetery. Survivors were his wife, Mary Jane Williams, one son, A.D., and one daughter, Mrs. J.W. Williams. His four brothers were D.W., Isaiah, Kelly, and Marion Williams and three sisters were Mrs. Florence Byrd, Mrs. Lizzie Godwin, and Mrs. Winnie Wiggins (Harnett County News August 13, 1936).
We have read over and over about streetlights in Coats being moved from one street to another. The town had cancelled the 1917 franchise to Dr. H.C. Roberts to provide streetlights and CPL had taken over those services of 25 streetlights. We have not read much about electricity being in the households in town. We do remember that Dr. Roberts had provided electricity for a few houses for a few hours of the day but that plant was destroyed when a fire consumed the Hosiery Mill. I do know that Rural Electric Association received a $310,000 loan to put lights in Johnston, Wake, and Harnett Counties. The section of Harnett affected by this was the area near the Johnston County line in eastern Harnett County (Harnett County News August 13, 1936).
The Page Book Club met at the home of Mrs. J.T. Jerome. Mrs. Eva Nichols presided and the club joined the National Federation of Woman’s Clubs. The club would study recent poetry of the South during the calendar year. Mrs. Butler served as hostess of the Coats Woman’s Club last week according to the newspaper. Mrs. C.V. Stewart presided. At a recent meeting, the name was changed from Merry Matron’s Club of Coats to the Coats Woman’s Club. Mrs. J.F. Parrish, Mrs. A.R. Byrd, Mrs. J.B. Williams, Mrs. J.T. Jerome, Mrs. Mattie Highfill, Mrs. James Willis, and Mrs. Oker Keene were members (Harnett County News October 1, 1936). Were these two different clubs?
Do you think the ladies in these various clubs read the students’ school newspaper? Wonder if they knew the name of the paper changed from “Spotlight” to “Coats Rising Sun”? Wonder if they thought the student bus drivers were overpaid for making $75.oo a year. Most of these club members’ children walked to school. Can you believe the buses averaged 7 miles per gallon on gas, 267 miles per quart of oil, and the average cost was $.024 per mile for Coats buses 3,9,10, 66, and 75? Did these civic and social-mined ladies attend “Bashful Mr. Bob” at the Baptist Church? If so, how did they respond to Graymon Powell’s rendition of “I Love You Truly” in the “Tom Thumb Wedding”? Did these parents and patrons help decorate and prepare white clothed tables with fine china for the Junior- Senior Banquet? (Sorrell, Together We Leave xiv 1985.)
Coats Grove Township was divided into two precincts. Grove 1 had Z.B. Stewart as registrar and Grove 2 had M.C. Stewart. This same issue of the paper reported that Coats Café had received a grade of 83.5 and Smith Quick Lunch a 71 from the inspector for food safety (Harnett County News October 29, 1936).Do you wonder what they were checking in these food establishments.
Mr. John Benjamin White, 84, widely known farmer, died suddenly at his home near Erwin. The Prospect service was largely attended. He was born prior to the Civil War. His father, who died a few years earlier, was a Civil War veteran. Mrs. J.L. Ennis and Mrs. John Williams were his daughters. The same area was touched by the death of another fine citizen, Will L. Avery- a charter member of the Erwin Chapel when it was organized about 30 years earlier. That was about 1906. Mr. Avery was survived by four sons and one daughter to mourn his passing (Harnett County News November 5, 1936). Do you ever question why the paper would list survivors’ names of some and not list those of another deceased person?
How many remember reading about Dr. George Lewis Fuquay, the town’s doctor and brother to Dr. Garner Fuquay the dentist. Mrs. George Lewis Fuquay, whose family had been plagued with insurmountable troubles, had experienced problems of her own. She planned to move to Washington State to live with her relatives (Harnett County News November 19, 1936). What were those troubles?
Can you think of anything that doesn’t require maintenance from time to time? The museum falls into that category. Paul Parker, a licensed electrician who recently retired from the Harnett County Schools System, has come to our rescue more than once. Thanks Paul for repairing our flag light on the square. Thanks also goes to Becky Adams and Lynda Butler for their Christmas gifts to the Building Fund.
It was the summer of 1936 in Coats and the students were likely working in the fields of cotton, tobacco and corn. For some of the 1936 graduates, that was the last summer at home because many of them married; others headed for the military service and some found employment in the cities near and far while a few would enter colleges and universities because they wanted to have a future that did not include those long hours of farm life. In the fall of 1936, students had classes in the new modern building. Students from the Turlington School were new on the campus. For the first time, students rented all their books for a small sum (Harnett County News July 8, 1936).
Two Harnett men were killed in an automobile accident on the Fayetteville – Fort Bragg Highway about 10:30 on a Sunday morning. J.R. Johnson, 45, of Angier Route 2, and Carl Stewart, 22, of Coats. Johnson died of a broken neck and was survived by a daughter, Myrtle Johnson Weeks, and two brothers-A.L. Johnson and Issac Johnson of Benson. Carl’s father, John C. Stewart, survived him as did two sisters and stepmother (Harnett County News July 30, 1936). Who were those nameless survivors?
Death visited another prominent Stewart family from Coats. Reuben O. Stewart, 68, died at his home. His death was not unexpected. He had served as Coats postmaster for 31 years having resigned 2 years ago due to poor health. He left a widow and the following children: Milan and Bonnie of Philadelphia, Mrs. Earl Hinson, Orton Ray, Esther, and Billie Stewart all of Coats. Rev. J.T. Lewis conducted his funeral in the Gift Primitive Baptist Church (Harnett County News, August 1, 1936). As you have read the history of the town of Coats, have you noticed the large number of Stewart families?
I do know that the first term of the Superior Court was on September 7 and the jurors to show up for duty were Lentis Sorrell, C.E. Barnes, and Walter L. Franklin. Second term jurors for September 21 were R.B. Grimes, T.O. Beasley and E.F. Parker (Harnett County News August 7, 1936).
Death has been busy in the summer of 1936. It took Isaac Roland Williams, 80, prominent farmer and resident of Coats and brother-in-law to L.D. Ennis of Dunn. He fell dead in Young’s Department Store in Angier of a heart attack. Funeral services were at the Coats Primitive Baptist Church and burial was in the Coats Cemetery. Survivors were his wife, Mary Jane Williams, one son, A.D., and one daughter, Mrs. J.W. Williams. His four brothers were D.W., Isaiah, Kelly, and Marion Williams and three sisters were Mrs. Florence Byrd, Mrs. Lizzie Godwin, and Mrs. Winnie Wiggins (Harnett County News August 13, 1936).
We have read over and over about streetlights in Coats being moved from one street to another. The town had cancelled the 1917 franchise to Dr. H.C. Roberts to provide streetlights and CPL had taken over those services of 25 streetlights. We have not read much about electricity being in the households in town. We do remember that Dr. Roberts had provided electricity for a few houses for a few hours of the day but that plant was destroyed when a fire consumed the Hosiery Mill. I do know that Rural Electric Association received a $310,000 loan to put lights in Johnston, Wake, and Harnett Counties. The section of Harnett affected by this was the area near the Johnston County line in eastern Harnett County (Harnett County News August 13, 1936).
The Page Book Club met at the home of Mrs. J.T. Jerome. Mrs. Eva Nichols presided and the club joined the National Federation of Woman’s Clubs. The club would study recent poetry of the South during the calendar year. Mrs. Butler served as hostess of the Coats Woman’s Club last week according to the newspaper. Mrs. C.V. Stewart presided. At a recent meeting, the name was changed from Merry Matron’s Club of Coats to the Coats Woman’s Club. Mrs. J.F. Parrish, Mrs. A.R. Byrd, Mrs. J.B. Williams, Mrs. J.T. Jerome, Mrs. Mattie Highfill, Mrs. James Willis, and Mrs. Oker Keene were members (Harnett County News October 1, 1936). Were these two different clubs?
Do you think the ladies in these various clubs read the students’ school newspaper? Wonder if they knew the name of the paper changed from “Spotlight” to “Coats Rising Sun”? Wonder if they thought the student bus drivers were overpaid for making $75.oo a year. Most of these club members’ children walked to school. Can you believe the buses averaged 7 miles per gallon on gas, 267 miles per quart of oil, and the average cost was $.024 per mile for Coats buses 3,9,10, 66, and 75? Did these civic and social-mined ladies attend “Bashful Mr. Bob” at the Baptist Church? If so, how did they respond to Graymon Powell’s rendition of “I Love You Truly” in the “Tom Thumb Wedding”? Did these parents and patrons help decorate and prepare white clothed tables with fine china for the Junior- Senior Banquet? (Sorrell, Together We Leave xiv 1985.)
Coats Grove Township was divided into two precincts. Grove 1 had Z.B. Stewart as registrar and Grove 2 had M.C. Stewart. This same issue of the paper reported that Coats Café had received a grade of 83.5 and Smith Quick Lunch a 71 from the inspector for food safety (Harnett County News October 29, 1936).Do you wonder what they were checking in these food establishments.
Mr. John Benjamin White, 84, widely known farmer, died suddenly at his home near Erwin. The Prospect service was largely attended. He was born prior to the Civil War. His father, who died a few years earlier, was a Civil War veteran. Mrs. J.L. Ennis and Mrs. John Williams were his daughters. The same area was touched by the death of another fine citizen, Will L. Avery- a charter member of the Erwin Chapel when it was organized about 30 years earlier. That was about 1906. Mr. Avery was survived by four sons and one daughter to mourn his passing (Harnett County News November 5, 1936). Do you ever question why the paper would list survivors’ names of some and not list those of another deceased person?
How many remember reading about Dr. George Lewis Fuquay, the town’s doctor and brother to Dr. Garner Fuquay the dentist. Mrs. George Lewis Fuquay, whose family had been plagued with insurmountable troubles, had experienced problems of her own. She planned to move to Washington State to live with her relatives (Harnett County News November 19, 1936). What were those troubles?
Can you think of anything that doesn’t require maintenance from time to time? The museum falls into that category. Paul Parker, a licensed electrician who recently retired from the Harnett County Schools System, has come to our rescue more than once. Thanks Paul for repairing our flag light on the square. Thanks also goes to Becky Adams and Lynda Butler for their Christmas gifts to the Building Fund.
