January 19, 2018 Coats Museum News
The year was 1968-the year in which Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated. The 1968 year had begun when the world’s second heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiann Barnard. The U.S. lost its 10,000th aircraft in Vietnam. Richard Nixon declared his presidential candidacy. The Orangeburg massacre had occurred at South Carolina State College in Orangeburg when three students were killed by police when violence erupted during a racial protest.
The Mylai Village had between 300 and 500 old men, women, and children killed by US soldiers. LBJ announced that he would not seek reelection. A judge ruled that Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from her life support system. Fads and trends disclosed unisex was in. Look-alike couples wore long hair, bell-bottoms and beads.
It was a year of dissent and polarization. It was not a good time to be a public official, cop or any other kind of authority figure. The waterbed made it big on the West Coast. Physical fitness was the newest fad. New rock groups-including the Doors, Cream, and the Jefferson Airplane-emerged to challenge the dominance of the Beatles. The movie,” The Graduate,” and a song from it, had a spelling binding effect on the young.
After the assassination of Martin Luther King, 125 cities had major fires. The North Vietnamese agreed to begin peace talks in Paris. The median family income in the U.S. was approaching $8,000 a year, about $2,000 over Sweden, which ranked second in the world after the U.S. Meanwhile, 29,700,000 Americans lived below the poverty line that was $3,335 a year.
Four million black had left the South between 1940-1968 along with uncounted poor white hoping for a better life in North and West. At the super market, one would have paid 78 cents per pound for ground chuck, $1.19 for choice beef roast and 63 cents for pork loin. Franks had cost $1.09 for two pound pack and two-ounce packages of fish sticks were 69 cents. The nation’s jobless rate declined to 3.6 percent. The number 911 was the number to call in New York City in an emergency. The number was adopted gradually across the country. The nickel Hershey bar was a thing of the past. In 1968, it costs a dime but weighed in at a fuller 1.5 ounces (Dickson, Paul, From Elvis to E-Mail, Springfield, Massachusetts: Federal Press, 1999, pp.163-170).
On the local front, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ennis of Route 4, Dunn. The mother was the former Betty Bray (Daily Record Jan. 2, 1968). Mr. and Mrs. Hershel W. Barnes of Angier, Route 1, also announced a new arrival on Jan. 2nd at GHH. The mother of the new son was Judy Godwin. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Taylor of Route 1, Coats, also had a new son on Jan. 2nd at GHH.
Zero population was a new word term in 1968.Since the area had three births and no deaths printed in the news until the death of Mrs. Anna Odom had died, did Grove Township meet the criteria at zero growth? Was the ratio 3 to 1?
Mrs. Anna (Owen) Odom, 89, of Coats had died on Monday. Her services were at the Coats Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. Mrs. Odum was a native of Chatham County and had received her education at Asheville Normal School and Meredith College. She was formerly dean of women at Campbell College. Anna was survived by two daughters, Mrs. Robert Byrd and Mrs. Dameron and one foster daughter, Mrs. Frances Langdon. Dwight Odom was a son and Mrs. J.T. Bland was her sister (Daily Record Jan. 9, 1968).
Despite the weather forecast that it was to be warmer, it did not occur for the area had the worst of worst winter storms. It was “Hazel all over again but this time with earmuffs.” It had been thirteen years since Hurricane Hazel had arrived into the area with her hurricane winds knocking down a third of the trees. Her big brother “Frosty” pounded the area for three days with ice turning the area into a winter wonderland of crystal.
An indirect result of this winter ice storm was the death of Martin Lloyd Sherrill, 24, of Route 1, Garner. His services were held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the Sunset Memorial Park. Lynda Stewart Sherrill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grayden Stewart, was his widow. He was son of Mr. and Mrs. Garland Sherrill (Daily Record Jan.12, 1968).
Dan Stewart, who grew up in the old Mollie Stewart Hotel in Coats, shared with the Dunn Chamber of Commerce how the town of Dunn needed industry. He said “Towns need to be progressive and not afraid to go ahead of themselves in improvements of their community. He stressed the need for an airport where company planes could be landed “(Daily Record Jan. 30, 1968). Is there any wisdom in that statement?
Wonder why the Dunn Chamber would invite Dan Stewart to be a speaker? The Coats native was one of the vice presidents of Carolina Power Light Company and was instrumental in the startup of the Research Triangle.
New postal rates had gone into effect. First class letters went from 5 cents to 6 cents. Post cards went to 5 cents from 4 cents. Airmail was from 8 cents to 10 cents and bulk mail went from 2.7 cents to 3.6 cents (Daily Record Feb. 2, 1968). How did the Americans respond to that increase? How do those postal rates compare to 2018 rates?
Elder and Mrs. Blaney (B.L.) Godwin of Coats were honored at their home on a Sunday afternoon for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The celebration was given by the couple’s children: T.C. Godwin, Mrs. Willie Strickland, Mrs. J.D. Fish, Mrs. Tommy Carroll, Mrs. Jean Walker, and Mrs. Ann Huff. Over 200 guests enjoyed the lovely, decorated home and the four-tiered cake (Daily Record Feb. 5, 1968).
A life-long farmer and resident of Coats, Council Williams, had filed for the N.C. Senate seat #1 of the Harnett-Lee District. He was a Republican and was a member of the Citizen Committee that was instrumental in the defeat of a gigantic $5,000,000 school bond referendum the past December. He opposed the interest rates that had been twisted to become “banking gravy”. He said the continuing rising cost of compulsory auto liability insurance and inspections costs had become a burden in many family budgets (Daily Record Feb. 6, 1968).
Sir William Moore, 92, Of Route 1, Coats, had died on Monday. Services were held at Red Hill Church. Burial was in the Suggs Family Cemetery. He was survived by six sons-Paul, Silas, Jacob, Enock, John and Isaac Moore. His daughters were Mrs. Otha Hudson, Mrs. Luther Stevens and Mrs. Edward Temple (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1968).
Congressman David Henderson and Senator B. Everett Jordan, in a joint announcement, nominated Tim Langdon, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Langdon, as a candidate to the US Air Force Academy. Tim would compete with five other NC men for the appointment. He had to go through a physical and academic examination in order to qualify. He was an outstanding Coats High senior (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1968).
Approximately 800 students and 50 faculty members were evacuated from the Coats School for about two hours on a Monday after Mrs. Joe Hawley had received the warning at 7:45 AM stating that a bomb was going off at 9:30AM. Dr. Norwood Jones, Joseph Hawley, Tallie Dupree and Norfleet Gardner searched the building, inch by inch. Students and teachers were loaded into school buses and automobiles and driven to Terre Hill Manufacturing Co. The students were not told of the bomb threat until they returned to the school (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1968). Who remembers this?
Patsy Morgan of the Elevation area and her sister Judy have loaned many of her Neighbors family heirlooms such as a handmade spinning wheel, a plantation blanket and a beautiful mantel clock being only three of them. Patsy gave a very generous donation and her name will be added to the Donor’s Wall in the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall. Mitchell, SD is the destination of millions of tourists to see the Corn Palace, Doll Museum and the McGovern Library and Museum and it also is the home of Steve and Louise Smith who gave a donation to honor the parents of their daughter-in-law, Lenee Sorrell Smith. Thank you goes also to Lenee and J.B. for their Christmas gift donation to the Coats Museum Endowment.
The year was 1968-the year in which Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated. The 1968 year had begun when the world’s second heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiann Barnard. The U.S. lost its 10,000th aircraft in Vietnam. Richard Nixon declared his presidential candidacy. The Orangeburg massacre had occurred at South Carolina State College in Orangeburg when three students were killed by police when violence erupted during a racial protest.
The Mylai Village had between 300 and 500 old men, women, and children killed by US soldiers. LBJ announced that he would not seek reelection. A judge ruled that Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from her life support system. Fads and trends disclosed unisex was in. Look-alike couples wore long hair, bell-bottoms and beads.
It was a year of dissent and polarization. It was not a good time to be a public official, cop or any other kind of authority figure. The waterbed made it big on the West Coast. Physical fitness was the newest fad. New rock groups-including the Doors, Cream, and the Jefferson Airplane-emerged to challenge the dominance of the Beatles. The movie,” The Graduate,” and a song from it, had a spelling binding effect on the young.
After the assassination of Martin Luther King, 125 cities had major fires. The North Vietnamese agreed to begin peace talks in Paris. The median family income in the U.S. was approaching $8,000 a year, about $2,000 over Sweden, which ranked second in the world after the U.S. Meanwhile, 29,700,000 Americans lived below the poverty line that was $3,335 a year.
Four million black had left the South between 1940-1968 along with uncounted poor white hoping for a better life in North and West. At the super market, one would have paid 78 cents per pound for ground chuck, $1.19 for choice beef roast and 63 cents for pork loin. Franks had cost $1.09 for two pound pack and two-ounce packages of fish sticks were 69 cents. The nation’s jobless rate declined to 3.6 percent. The number 911 was the number to call in New York City in an emergency. The number was adopted gradually across the country. The nickel Hershey bar was a thing of the past. In 1968, it costs a dime but weighed in at a fuller 1.5 ounces (Dickson, Paul, From Elvis to E-Mail, Springfield, Massachusetts: Federal Press, 1999, pp.163-170).
On the local front, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ennis of Route 4, Dunn. The mother was the former Betty Bray (Daily Record Jan. 2, 1968). Mr. and Mrs. Hershel W. Barnes of Angier, Route 1, also announced a new arrival on Jan. 2nd at GHH. The mother of the new son was Judy Godwin. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Taylor of Route 1, Coats, also had a new son on Jan. 2nd at GHH.
Zero population was a new word term in 1968.Since the area had three births and no deaths printed in the news until the death of Mrs. Anna Odom had died, did Grove Township meet the criteria at zero growth? Was the ratio 3 to 1?
Mrs. Anna (Owen) Odom, 89, of Coats had died on Monday. Her services were at the Coats Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. Mrs. Odum was a native of Chatham County and had received her education at Asheville Normal School and Meredith College. She was formerly dean of women at Campbell College. Anna was survived by two daughters, Mrs. Robert Byrd and Mrs. Dameron and one foster daughter, Mrs. Frances Langdon. Dwight Odom was a son and Mrs. J.T. Bland was her sister (Daily Record Jan. 9, 1968).
Despite the weather forecast that it was to be warmer, it did not occur for the area had the worst of worst winter storms. It was “Hazel all over again but this time with earmuffs.” It had been thirteen years since Hurricane Hazel had arrived into the area with her hurricane winds knocking down a third of the trees. Her big brother “Frosty” pounded the area for three days with ice turning the area into a winter wonderland of crystal.
An indirect result of this winter ice storm was the death of Martin Lloyd Sherrill, 24, of Route 1, Garner. His services were held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the Sunset Memorial Park. Lynda Stewart Sherrill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grayden Stewart, was his widow. He was son of Mr. and Mrs. Garland Sherrill (Daily Record Jan.12, 1968).
Dan Stewart, who grew up in the old Mollie Stewart Hotel in Coats, shared with the Dunn Chamber of Commerce how the town of Dunn needed industry. He said “Towns need to be progressive and not afraid to go ahead of themselves in improvements of their community. He stressed the need for an airport where company planes could be landed “(Daily Record Jan. 30, 1968). Is there any wisdom in that statement?
Wonder why the Dunn Chamber would invite Dan Stewart to be a speaker? The Coats native was one of the vice presidents of Carolina Power Light Company and was instrumental in the startup of the Research Triangle.
New postal rates had gone into effect. First class letters went from 5 cents to 6 cents. Post cards went to 5 cents from 4 cents. Airmail was from 8 cents to 10 cents and bulk mail went from 2.7 cents to 3.6 cents (Daily Record Feb. 2, 1968). How did the Americans respond to that increase? How do those postal rates compare to 2018 rates?
Elder and Mrs. Blaney (B.L.) Godwin of Coats were honored at their home on a Sunday afternoon for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The celebration was given by the couple’s children: T.C. Godwin, Mrs. Willie Strickland, Mrs. J.D. Fish, Mrs. Tommy Carroll, Mrs. Jean Walker, and Mrs. Ann Huff. Over 200 guests enjoyed the lovely, decorated home and the four-tiered cake (Daily Record Feb. 5, 1968).
A life-long farmer and resident of Coats, Council Williams, had filed for the N.C. Senate seat #1 of the Harnett-Lee District. He was a Republican and was a member of the Citizen Committee that was instrumental in the defeat of a gigantic $5,000,000 school bond referendum the past December. He opposed the interest rates that had been twisted to become “banking gravy”. He said the continuing rising cost of compulsory auto liability insurance and inspections costs had become a burden in many family budgets (Daily Record Feb. 6, 1968).
Sir William Moore, 92, Of Route 1, Coats, had died on Monday. Services were held at Red Hill Church. Burial was in the Suggs Family Cemetery. He was survived by six sons-Paul, Silas, Jacob, Enock, John and Isaac Moore. His daughters were Mrs. Otha Hudson, Mrs. Luther Stevens and Mrs. Edward Temple (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1968).
Congressman David Henderson and Senator B. Everett Jordan, in a joint announcement, nominated Tim Langdon, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Langdon, as a candidate to the US Air Force Academy. Tim would compete with five other NC men for the appointment. He had to go through a physical and academic examination in order to qualify. He was an outstanding Coats High senior (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1968).
Approximately 800 students and 50 faculty members were evacuated from the Coats School for about two hours on a Monday after Mrs. Joe Hawley had received the warning at 7:45 AM stating that a bomb was going off at 9:30AM. Dr. Norwood Jones, Joseph Hawley, Tallie Dupree and Norfleet Gardner searched the building, inch by inch. Students and teachers were loaded into school buses and automobiles and driven to Terre Hill Manufacturing Co. The students were not told of the bomb threat until they returned to the school (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1968). Who remembers this?
Patsy Morgan of the Elevation area and her sister Judy have loaned many of her Neighbors family heirlooms such as a handmade spinning wheel, a plantation blanket and a beautiful mantel clock being only three of them. Patsy gave a very generous donation and her name will be added to the Donor’s Wall in the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall. Mitchell, SD is the destination of millions of tourists to see the Corn Palace, Doll Museum and the McGovern Library and Museum and it also is the home of Steve and Louise Smith who gave a donation to honor the parents of their daughter-in-law, Lenee Sorrell Smith. Thank you goes also to Lenee and J.B. for their Christmas gift donation to the Coats Museum Endowment.