January 17, 2014 Coats Museum News
Were you surprised that the Dunn parking meters netted $395.00 in one week? Were the streets paved in Dunn in 1947? Did Coats ever have parking meters and when were the streets in Coats paved? One man who might know the answers to those questions is Levin Beasley who grew up in Coats during this era. I do know that it was announced that Sgt. Levin Beasley had married Betty Rose Pleasant. She was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Pleasant and he was son of Mr. and Mrs. T.O. Beasley.
Fast forward 67 years and Levin and his daughter Beverly recently attended our Old Christmas Open House. He is one of the most entertaining gentlemen around. He shared with me about what was called “pee dab” marbles. He said many of the young boys played with glass marbles but there were some boys who made their marbles by rolling small bits of clay into balls and allowing them to dry after which they were used as marbles Wonder if they made some balls bigger so they could be used as shooter marbles. Did you ever hear of the pee dab marbles?
The same edition of the paper announced that Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Wescott of Cary announced the birth of a daughter, Margie Victoria. Mrs. Wescott was the former Margie Grimes of Coats (Dunn Dispatch September 22, 1947).
J. Gid Johnson, 56, died in his sleep at his home near Angier on Monday night. The funeral was held at his home on Wednesday. Interment was in the Harnett County Cemetery. Elder J.T. Lewis and Rev. J.M. Long conducted the service. Susan Weaver Johnson, his widow, and two children survived him-Paul of the home and Mrs. Lewis Lane of Ayden. Sidney, A.C. Allen, Mrs. Ruffin (?) and Mrs. Vivian Barbour were survivors (Dunn Dispatch September 24, 1947). Where is the Harnett County Cemetery and do you know who his descendants are in the Coats area?
The Angier Kiwanis Club sponsored a fair on October 3rd and 4th on the school grounds. Read the following carefully and imagine who would have participated if it had been in Coats. Had you lived in 1947, would you have entered in any of the categories in hopes of winning a prize? Prizes were given for the tallest man and woman, shortest man and woman over 21 years of age. Prizes were given for the fattest man and woman, ugliest man and woman, biggest man and woman, heaviest family and the oldest man and woman (Dunn Dispatch September 24, 1947). Can you think of other categories that would have been fun for example who wore the largest shoe size. Read a later column to see if the winners were posted in the paper.
Many cotton farmers in our area competed in the 5-acre cotton production contest. Those with Grove connections were James G. Barnes, A.N. Honeycutt, G.A. Langdon, Carson Gregory and his tenant, Youles Johnson (Dunn Dispatch September 29, 1947).
The Erwin Mills workers requested a pay increase from their current 80 cents an hour to 95 cents. Profits were 35 percent higher for textiles over the year before the botton line showed $ 485,000,000 million (Dunn Dispatch October 1, 1947).
McLamb’s Farm Machinery Company entered a giant cotton picker in the parade. (I have no idea what other parade was in county other than the Coats Farmers Day in October.) Wherever it went, hundreds of viewers came to view this miracle machine. That year it was especially of interest in a local Harnett area because 15 cotton pickers informed James Ennis that they would no longer pick for $3.50 a hundred pounds but would for $4.00 per hundred. The giant cotton picker made of metal was demonstrated on the Ennis farm. It solved the problem of finding cotton pickers (Dunn Dispatch October 3, 1947).
The hospital in Dunn was officially named the “Dunn Hospital” and people were to refer to it as such. (What were they calling it before and why?) Evelyn Godwin died in Kinston. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B.L. Godwin of Coats. Her siblings were Thurman Godwin, Mrs. W.M. (Willie) Strickland, Mrs. J.D. Fish, Mrs. Tommie Carroll, Shelby Jean Godwin and Linda Ann Godwin. (All those names sound familiar?) I do know that the county purchased two of those giant mechanical cotton pickers due to difficulty in getting human pickers who were demanding higher wages to get the cotton out of the bolls (Dunn Dispatch October 6, 1947).
Other changes were evident on the Harnett farms. Aluminum tobacco barns were replacing the traditional wood ones. Mr. and Mrs. Carson Gregory had announced the birth of a daughter, Frances, at the Good Hope Hospital (Dunn Dispatch October 8, 1947).
Other exciting things were occurring around Coats School. First, Wilbert Johnson (Bullet) and Harold Turlington flew a Piper Cub recklessly low over Coats School and later crashed a few miles northeast of the school on the farm of Johnson’s father. Both men were seriously hurt. Is this when Bullet attempted to fly between the auditorium and the 1920 school building? Was there a water tower there?
The second event which brought excitement was the Coats boxing matches. Coats School was the first in the county to inaugurate boxing. Three hundred people attended the matches in the school auditorium. Coach Bill White was in charge of the nine bouts of 3 rounds each of 3 minutes.
It was a regular slugfest and the novices kept the fans cheering. The featured bout was Charles Ennis (170 lbs.) and Grady Matthews (247 lbs.) in a battle that was anybody’s fight until the last second after which Ennis won out with a decision over Matthews.
Another good bout was between Halford (Corpon) Godwin (205 lbs.) and Bernice Miller (120 lbs.). It was an “overweighted bout” and the round was fought with both boys barefooted. It was a draw. Jerry Stewart (100lbs.) decisioned Arthur Denning (105 lbs.)C.L. Hough (100 lbs.) decisioned his brother Joel Hough (105 lbs.); Marshall McLamb (135 lbs.) decisioned over Cecil Langdon (140 lbs.).
Are you recognizing any names? Are you surprised at the weight of these high school students? O. Max Langdon (190 lbs.) decisioned Marion Balton (180 lbs.) and Bernice Johnson (138lbs.) decisioned William Stewart. Jesse Ray Mann (212 lbs.) decisioned Milton Roberts (176 lbs.). Cecil Stephenson (120 lbs.) decisioned Bobby Williams (118 lbs.) Can you believe what you read? Could that happen today?
Sixteen- ounce gloves were used for the fights. Coach White was referee and W.R. Roycroft, Clem Godwin, and Fred Stewart were judges. Roycroft was also timekeeper. Are you wondering how the parents felt about the boxing matches? The parents were very leary but some suggested matches more than once a month.
The funds were used for the athletic program. White, a first year coach, was determined to develop a well-rounded athletics program and his plans included getting a gymnasium for the school (Dunn Dispatch October 10, 1947).
Thank you goes to Bobby Wellons and Joe and Hannah Tart for adding their names to the exhibit hall plaques. The museum volunteers appreciate the donations from Gerald and Linda Hayes, Peggy Robinson and the individual who honored the memory of Michael Hudson, son of Mack and Juanita Hudson.
Craig and Denise Currin Matthews remembered some friends who assisted much during the sickness and death of Denise’s father, Nelson Currin. Honorees were Debbie E. Turlington, Bethany and Gregg Stevens, Joe and Hannah Tart, Christine and Scott Avery, Kerry Wilson and Bonnie Pope. Bobbie Turlington has given a memorial to honor her Aunt Allene T. Honeycutt and Jean Hearst of California sent a donation to help the museum. Thank you to all these people.
Were you surprised that the Dunn parking meters netted $395.00 in one week? Were the streets paved in Dunn in 1947? Did Coats ever have parking meters and when were the streets in Coats paved? One man who might know the answers to those questions is Levin Beasley who grew up in Coats during this era. I do know that it was announced that Sgt. Levin Beasley had married Betty Rose Pleasant. She was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Pleasant and he was son of Mr. and Mrs. T.O. Beasley.
Fast forward 67 years and Levin and his daughter Beverly recently attended our Old Christmas Open House. He is one of the most entertaining gentlemen around. He shared with me about what was called “pee dab” marbles. He said many of the young boys played with glass marbles but there were some boys who made their marbles by rolling small bits of clay into balls and allowing them to dry after which they were used as marbles Wonder if they made some balls bigger so they could be used as shooter marbles. Did you ever hear of the pee dab marbles?
The same edition of the paper announced that Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Wescott of Cary announced the birth of a daughter, Margie Victoria. Mrs. Wescott was the former Margie Grimes of Coats (Dunn Dispatch September 22, 1947).
J. Gid Johnson, 56, died in his sleep at his home near Angier on Monday night. The funeral was held at his home on Wednesday. Interment was in the Harnett County Cemetery. Elder J.T. Lewis and Rev. J.M. Long conducted the service. Susan Weaver Johnson, his widow, and two children survived him-Paul of the home and Mrs. Lewis Lane of Ayden. Sidney, A.C. Allen, Mrs. Ruffin (?) and Mrs. Vivian Barbour were survivors (Dunn Dispatch September 24, 1947). Where is the Harnett County Cemetery and do you know who his descendants are in the Coats area?
The Angier Kiwanis Club sponsored a fair on October 3rd and 4th on the school grounds. Read the following carefully and imagine who would have participated if it had been in Coats. Had you lived in 1947, would you have entered in any of the categories in hopes of winning a prize? Prizes were given for the tallest man and woman, shortest man and woman over 21 years of age. Prizes were given for the fattest man and woman, ugliest man and woman, biggest man and woman, heaviest family and the oldest man and woman (Dunn Dispatch September 24, 1947). Can you think of other categories that would have been fun for example who wore the largest shoe size. Read a later column to see if the winners were posted in the paper.
Many cotton farmers in our area competed in the 5-acre cotton production contest. Those with Grove connections were James G. Barnes, A.N. Honeycutt, G.A. Langdon, Carson Gregory and his tenant, Youles Johnson (Dunn Dispatch September 29, 1947).
The Erwin Mills workers requested a pay increase from their current 80 cents an hour to 95 cents. Profits were 35 percent higher for textiles over the year before the botton line showed $ 485,000,000 million (Dunn Dispatch October 1, 1947).
McLamb’s Farm Machinery Company entered a giant cotton picker in the parade. (I have no idea what other parade was in county other than the Coats Farmers Day in October.) Wherever it went, hundreds of viewers came to view this miracle machine. That year it was especially of interest in a local Harnett area because 15 cotton pickers informed James Ennis that they would no longer pick for $3.50 a hundred pounds but would for $4.00 per hundred. The giant cotton picker made of metal was demonstrated on the Ennis farm. It solved the problem of finding cotton pickers (Dunn Dispatch October 3, 1947).
The hospital in Dunn was officially named the “Dunn Hospital” and people were to refer to it as such. (What were they calling it before and why?) Evelyn Godwin died in Kinston. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B.L. Godwin of Coats. Her siblings were Thurman Godwin, Mrs. W.M. (Willie) Strickland, Mrs. J.D. Fish, Mrs. Tommie Carroll, Shelby Jean Godwin and Linda Ann Godwin. (All those names sound familiar?) I do know that the county purchased two of those giant mechanical cotton pickers due to difficulty in getting human pickers who were demanding higher wages to get the cotton out of the bolls (Dunn Dispatch October 6, 1947).
Other changes were evident on the Harnett farms. Aluminum tobacco barns were replacing the traditional wood ones. Mr. and Mrs. Carson Gregory had announced the birth of a daughter, Frances, at the Good Hope Hospital (Dunn Dispatch October 8, 1947).
Other exciting things were occurring around Coats School. First, Wilbert Johnson (Bullet) and Harold Turlington flew a Piper Cub recklessly low over Coats School and later crashed a few miles northeast of the school on the farm of Johnson’s father. Both men were seriously hurt. Is this when Bullet attempted to fly between the auditorium and the 1920 school building? Was there a water tower there?
The second event which brought excitement was the Coats boxing matches. Coats School was the first in the county to inaugurate boxing. Three hundred people attended the matches in the school auditorium. Coach Bill White was in charge of the nine bouts of 3 rounds each of 3 minutes.
It was a regular slugfest and the novices kept the fans cheering. The featured bout was Charles Ennis (170 lbs.) and Grady Matthews (247 lbs.) in a battle that was anybody’s fight until the last second after which Ennis won out with a decision over Matthews.
Another good bout was between Halford (Corpon) Godwin (205 lbs.) and Bernice Miller (120 lbs.). It was an “overweighted bout” and the round was fought with both boys barefooted. It was a draw. Jerry Stewart (100lbs.) decisioned Arthur Denning (105 lbs.)C.L. Hough (100 lbs.) decisioned his brother Joel Hough (105 lbs.); Marshall McLamb (135 lbs.) decisioned over Cecil Langdon (140 lbs.).
Are you recognizing any names? Are you surprised at the weight of these high school students? O. Max Langdon (190 lbs.) decisioned Marion Balton (180 lbs.) and Bernice Johnson (138lbs.) decisioned William Stewart. Jesse Ray Mann (212 lbs.) decisioned Milton Roberts (176 lbs.). Cecil Stephenson (120 lbs.) decisioned Bobby Williams (118 lbs.) Can you believe what you read? Could that happen today?
Sixteen- ounce gloves were used for the fights. Coach White was referee and W.R. Roycroft, Clem Godwin, and Fred Stewart were judges. Roycroft was also timekeeper. Are you wondering how the parents felt about the boxing matches? The parents were very leary but some suggested matches more than once a month.
The funds were used for the athletic program. White, a first year coach, was determined to develop a well-rounded athletics program and his plans included getting a gymnasium for the school (Dunn Dispatch October 10, 1947).
Thank you goes to Bobby Wellons and Joe and Hannah Tart for adding their names to the exhibit hall plaques. The museum volunteers appreciate the donations from Gerald and Linda Hayes, Peggy Robinson and the individual who honored the memory of Michael Hudson, son of Mack and Juanita Hudson.
Craig and Denise Currin Matthews remembered some friends who assisted much during the sickness and death of Denise’s father, Nelson Currin. Honorees were Debbie E. Turlington, Bethany and Gregg Stevens, Joe and Hannah Tart, Christine and Scott Avery, Kerry Wilson and Bonnie Pope. Bobbie Turlington has given a memorial to honor her Aunt Allene T. Honeycutt and Jean Hearst of California sent a donation to help the museum. Thank you to all these people.