February 5, 2021 Coats Museum News
The calendar displayed the year 1986 when the movies that made a big hit were Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee and Platoon. Purchasers of the Dodge D-50 pickup would have paid $5,595 and paid 93 cents a gallon for gas. The world population was recorded as 4,901,000,000. Life expectancy in America was 71.2 for the male and 78.2 for females.
The avid sports fans may remember that the World Series Champions were the NY Mets; the Super Bowl XX Champions –Chicago Bears and the National Basketball Champions –Boston Celtics. For those who love history trivia may already know that the Statue of Liberty’s torch was replaced in 1986 with copper plated with gold which is why it does not oxidize as the rest of her does. Very young grandmothers may recall that this was the year that the American Girl doll came to market (https;//pop-culture.usAnnual.1986).
The Daily Record was the local paper to read. It was where one could read what was happening in the area. Many looked forward to columns that shared local news such as the one written by Wanda Pollard entitled “Coats Social Notes”. Wanda shared that Joseph A. Lee, Jr. and wife, Eloise Lee, were outside working in their yard. J.C. Hawley, principal of Coats Elementary School was welcoming 649 students to their classes. Joy Coats, secretary of the school for years, was also excited to see the children and faculty. Carolyn Barnes and Dot Ferrell with the cafeteria were making plans for the kindergarteners to invite their grandparents to have lunch with them.
The employees of Pope’s Barn gave a surprise birthday party for the owner, Billy Pope. Billy’s wife, Peggie Pope, was not telling his age. Mrs. Lector McGee also celebrated her birthday with family and friends. Mayor Tim McKinnie was looking forward to Farmer’s Day which was held every year on the second Saturday of October. However, his wife Pricilla McKinnie was preparing to be a model in the Belk’s Bridal Event. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Danenburg had retired from their jobs and their children were celebrating with them (Daily Record Sept. 11, 1986).
Edwin George Ennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Garner Rose Ennis, was to marry Shelia Joyce Kempka, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Kempka (Daily Record Sept. 18, 1986). Where is Edwin today? Did someone share that his son is in the medical field?
Mrs. Virginia Pollard, Mrs. Hilda Pope, Mrs. Belle Williams and Mrs. Betty Gregory, all volunteers with the Swinging Elders, participated in the ground breaking ceremonies for the new Senior Center. Mrs. Mae Coats and Mrs. Florence Adams were the oldest members of the band and also used a shovel during the groundbreaking. The center was to be located off NC27 E. next to SLC Corp. Arthur Price, owner of the SLC Corp. had given the land upon which the center was to be built. Other participants in the ground breaking were Marvin Johnson, M.O. Phillips and Rep. Bob Etheridge, to name a few.
The Coats Woman’s Club was beginning its 1986-87 program year with a covered dish dinner at the home of Mrs. Becky U. Pope. Other members present were Mrs. Mary Lee Denning, Mrs. Dottie Ware, Mrs. Mary Jo Mann, Mrs. Amy Brown, Mrs. Elizabeth Guy, Mrs. Margaret Johnson, Mrs. Thelma Johnson, Mrs. Laura Langdon, Mrs. Mary Langdon, Mrs. Florine Penny, Mrs. Mava Jones, Mrs. Ruth Upchurch, Mrs. Joan (JoAnn Tart ?) Pope and Mrs. Margaret House (Daily Record Sept. 23, 1986).
Question-How many of those ladies are alive in 2021?
I do know that Wanda Pollard’s “Social Notes” was the main source of the news of what was going on in the town of Coats. She reported that Wade Norris was a patient at Rex Hospital. Surely that troubled many Coats folks because he was well loved and respected for his faithfulness in volunteering in the community.
Because of the financial generosity of many folks to the Coats Museum, the volunteers were able to change the two murals in the Theater Room in the museum a couple of years ago. The murals are aerial views of the town thought to be after 1969. Visitors enjoy identifying businesses and houses shown in the murals. A building in question by many is a dark roofed building on what later was the car lot of Stewart car dealership and near to what today is the Domino’s Pizza.
Several folks recalled the building and one even noted that they had heard that the box used to ship the body of Mr. W.E. Nichols from Nassau w as found in that building. That did make for interesting listening but we cannot verify the validity of that story but I can verify that an old brick building known as “The Livery Stable” was torn down to make room for newer construction. Is this the one pictured on the mural? If anyone knows the story behind the livery station, share it with us when we reopen the museum?
I grew up on a big farm northeast of Coats and my dad did have several mules before he replaced them with tractors when I was young. I don’t think I ever heard the word “livery stable” until I was researching and taking pictures of businesses of Coats for a museum open house. I now often hear the word on westerns as we watch more TV during the pandemic. I have learned much and I hope you have too as we have revisited our town’s history.
I bet the famers who gathered at Wade’s Restaurant nearly every morning learned some interesting stuff. Frank Turlington, Charles Ennis and Jesse Ray Mann were just a few of the farmers who gathered to discuss the events of the day.
Wanda also wrote that Nathan Collier was under the weather, but his wife, Edna Collier, was busy making her Raggedly Ann dolls. She noted that Dr. Harold Dixon was busy and was the only dentist in town. She gave congratulations to Violene Stevens, Lori Ann Pleasant and Fernie Meadows and daughters-Karen Lucas and Janice Westbrook, for receiving their high school diplomas. How courageous was that to get a group of friends or relatives to conquer that achievement?
Wonder what and whom Wanda’s ‘Social Notes” would include in 2021? Very few of the people she wrote about in 1986 are alive today. Hilda Pope is and she continues to volunteer in Coats with so many worthy organizations such as the Senior Center, Meals on Wheels and the Coats Museum. Not only does Hilda give of her time, but she frequently remembers people in the community with memorials to the Coats Museum. She has remembered Ray Brewer, Helen Sorrell Stephenson, Eloise Turner and Jean Hawley Jernigan. Hilda is so appreciated along with Lynda and Robie Butler and Ralph and Lorena Denning who also remembered Helen Sorrell Stephenson. Kenneth Holmes is a new donor to the museum. He has remembered Ray Brewer with a memorial. Thank you to all these special people for leaving their mark in preserving Coats history.
The calendar displayed the year 1986 when the movies that made a big hit were Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee and Platoon. Purchasers of the Dodge D-50 pickup would have paid $5,595 and paid 93 cents a gallon for gas. The world population was recorded as 4,901,000,000. Life expectancy in America was 71.2 for the male and 78.2 for females.
The avid sports fans may remember that the World Series Champions were the NY Mets; the Super Bowl XX Champions –Chicago Bears and the National Basketball Champions –Boston Celtics. For those who love history trivia may already know that the Statue of Liberty’s torch was replaced in 1986 with copper plated with gold which is why it does not oxidize as the rest of her does. Very young grandmothers may recall that this was the year that the American Girl doll came to market (https;//pop-culture.usAnnual.1986).
The Daily Record was the local paper to read. It was where one could read what was happening in the area. Many looked forward to columns that shared local news such as the one written by Wanda Pollard entitled “Coats Social Notes”. Wanda shared that Joseph A. Lee, Jr. and wife, Eloise Lee, were outside working in their yard. J.C. Hawley, principal of Coats Elementary School was welcoming 649 students to their classes. Joy Coats, secretary of the school for years, was also excited to see the children and faculty. Carolyn Barnes and Dot Ferrell with the cafeteria were making plans for the kindergarteners to invite their grandparents to have lunch with them.
The employees of Pope’s Barn gave a surprise birthday party for the owner, Billy Pope. Billy’s wife, Peggie Pope, was not telling his age. Mrs. Lector McGee also celebrated her birthday with family and friends. Mayor Tim McKinnie was looking forward to Farmer’s Day which was held every year on the second Saturday of October. However, his wife Pricilla McKinnie was preparing to be a model in the Belk’s Bridal Event. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Danenburg had retired from their jobs and their children were celebrating with them (Daily Record Sept. 11, 1986).
Edwin George Ennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Garner Rose Ennis, was to marry Shelia Joyce Kempka, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Kempka (Daily Record Sept. 18, 1986). Where is Edwin today? Did someone share that his son is in the medical field?
Mrs. Virginia Pollard, Mrs. Hilda Pope, Mrs. Belle Williams and Mrs. Betty Gregory, all volunteers with the Swinging Elders, participated in the ground breaking ceremonies for the new Senior Center. Mrs. Mae Coats and Mrs. Florence Adams were the oldest members of the band and also used a shovel during the groundbreaking. The center was to be located off NC27 E. next to SLC Corp. Arthur Price, owner of the SLC Corp. had given the land upon which the center was to be built. Other participants in the ground breaking were Marvin Johnson, M.O. Phillips and Rep. Bob Etheridge, to name a few.
The Coats Woman’s Club was beginning its 1986-87 program year with a covered dish dinner at the home of Mrs. Becky U. Pope. Other members present were Mrs. Mary Lee Denning, Mrs. Dottie Ware, Mrs. Mary Jo Mann, Mrs. Amy Brown, Mrs. Elizabeth Guy, Mrs. Margaret Johnson, Mrs. Thelma Johnson, Mrs. Laura Langdon, Mrs. Mary Langdon, Mrs. Florine Penny, Mrs. Mava Jones, Mrs. Ruth Upchurch, Mrs. Joan (JoAnn Tart ?) Pope and Mrs. Margaret House (Daily Record Sept. 23, 1986).
Question-How many of those ladies are alive in 2021?
I do know that Wanda Pollard’s “Social Notes” was the main source of the news of what was going on in the town of Coats. She reported that Wade Norris was a patient at Rex Hospital. Surely that troubled many Coats folks because he was well loved and respected for his faithfulness in volunteering in the community.
Because of the financial generosity of many folks to the Coats Museum, the volunteers were able to change the two murals in the Theater Room in the museum a couple of years ago. The murals are aerial views of the town thought to be after 1969. Visitors enjoy identifying businesses and houses shown in the murals. A building in question by many is a dark roofed building on what later was the car lot of Stewart car dealership and near to what today is the Domino’s Pizza.
Several folks recalled the building and one even noted that they had heard that the box used to ship the body of Mr. W.E. Nichols from Nassau w as found in that building. That did make for interesting listening but we cannot verify the validity of that story but I can verify that an old brick building known as “The Livery Stable” was torn down to make room for newer construction. Is this the one pictured on the mural? If anyone knows the story behind the livery station, share it with us when we reopen the museum?
I grew up on a big farm northeast of Coats and my dad did have several mules before he replaced them with tractors when I was young. I don’t think I ever heard the word “livery stable” until I was researching and taking pictures of businesses of Coats for a museum open house. I now often hear the word on westerns as we watch more TV during the pandemic. I have learned much and I hope you have too as we have revisited our town’s history.
I bet the famers who gathered at Wade’s Restaurant nearly every morning learned some interesting stuff. Frank Turlington, Charles Ennis and Jesse Ray Mann were just a few of the farmers who gathered to discuss the events of the day.
Wanda also wrote that Nathan Collier was under the weather, but his wife, Edna Collier, was busy making her Raggedly Ann dolls. She noted that Dr. Harold Dixon was busy and was the only dentist in town. She gave congratulations to Violene Stevens, Lori Ann Pleasant and Fernie Meadows and daughters-Karen Lucas and Janice Westbrook, for receiving their high school diplomas. How courageous was that to get a group of friends or relatives to conquer that achievement?
Wonder what and whom Wanda’s ‘Social Notes” would include in 2021? Very few of the people she wrote about in 1986 are alive today. Hilda Pope is and she continues to volunteer in Coats with so many worthy organizations such as the Senior Center, Meals on Wheels and the Coats Museum. Not only does Hilda give of her time, but she frequently remembers people in the community with memorials to the Coats Museum. She has remembered Ray Brewer, Helen Sorrell Stephenson, Eloise Turner and Jean Hawley Jernigan. Hilda is so appreciated along with Lynda and Robie Butler and Ralph and Lorena Denning who also remembered Helen Sorrell Stephenson. Kenneth Holmes is a new donor to the museum. He has remembered Ray Brewer with a memorial. Thank you to all these special people for leaving their mark in preserving Coats history.