January 19, 2024 Coats Museum News
Do you recall that I ended the column last week by asking if any of you were descendants of some of the folks who attended a Moonlight School? What was a moonlight school? The name itself gives us a hint. So many of our ancestors could not read or write which can be verified by looking at some of the old census records where in some instances it shared whether one could read or write. Note on our coatsmuseum.com under records you will find the 1870 census shares who could read and/or write.
Allow me to share a little bit of history of our early schools. Many of your more well to do families could afford to bring in someone to teach the children and in some cases the youngsters were sent away to boarding schools where they were educated. In other cases the youngsters might have been taught by a traveling schoolteacher. In fact, my Grandmother Mary Alice Johnston Johnson’s father, Amos Greene Johnston, was a traveling schoolteacher who taught as far away as Greenville, NC.
The earliest record we have of a school in our area was in home of Rufus Beasley which would have been located according to some about one mile north of Coats in the general area of Ma’s Grill area. It was dated to be around 1858. There would have been only 36 schools in the county at that time. Of course the county was only three years old at that time.
It would be around 1879 before another school is mentioned being in the Troyville area. It was recalled as being one room and was referred to as the Harriette Spring School. We actually recorded the names of the teachers in that school in our Together We Leave book published in 1985.
It would be around 1885 that many school white and colored districts would be established and as time passed, these districts would be combined to form new districts. Eventually there would be seven schools in our Grove Township-District 1 (Ennis-Oakdale), District 2 (Gregory-Fair Hope), District 3 (Coats), District 4 (Turlington), District 5 (Parker), District 6 (Sorrell), and District 7 (Penny).
It was in the District 4 Turlington that the Moonlight School would be held. On page 4 of our Together We Leave, we have pictures of a spelling match held in the Moonlight School as well as a picture of students having a lesson in reading using the Progressive Farmer magazine as the text. There is also a letter written by J. H. Pool (e) on April 15, 1914 to the county superintendent of Harnett Schools sharing that there were 33 scholars and a good teacher. Mr. Poole stated that he was 39 years old and that some scholars were 65 years old.
However, it would be in the January 13, 1994 edition of the Daily Record that we have additional information on the Moonlight School of 1914 at District 4 Turlington. Louise Williams Lloyd shared a picture of the students at the school. Her granddaddy Ando Williams, her great-grandfather Daniel Williams (the oldest in the class) and his wife Annie Jane Ennis Williams were among the oldest in the class. Others pictured in the newspaper article on the school were Lon Turlington, Liza Barbour, Millie Turner, Lee Tart, Joel Poole, Budger Tart, Willis Turlington, Jim Byrd, Rodger Turlington, Ora Turlington, Eroy Williams and Ralvin McLeod –the teacher. (Note there were others because Mr. Poole stated that there were 33 scholars).
How many you reading this column have ever eaten biscuit pudding? Most of our mothers or grandmothers made homemade biscuits. They would take the cold leftover biscuits and crumble them up. They would add sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter and milk or cream. Our thrifty ancestors sometimes added to the moist mixture pineapple, coconut, raisins, and even chocolate chips if they wanted to get fancy.
The end product was an incredible, bubbly, golden brown like cake when removed from the hot oven. Jonnie and Estelle Williams enjoyed biscuit pudding. Their son Larry Williams gave some to the elder Williams family that the younger Williams had purchased in a grocery store in Lakeland, Florida. You have to admit that is one dessert that one would not expect to find in a grocery store.
Belle’s Notes also shared that Rose Williams had joined her husband, Homer Williams, in retirement. The Coats Jaycee president Karen Faircloth said that she and Chief of Police Tommy Williford had delivered children gifts and saw many smiles. The names had been on the Angel Tree at the IGA in Coats.
Belle also identified Herley Barnes, G.R. Stephenson, Vic McLeod, Garland Whittington, and Tom Tart as being on the ill list. She also shared that Lloyd and Agnes Hall had celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Seth Lee, Jr. had celebrated their 50th. Mary Stewart was extended sympathy in the death of her brother Robert McArthan (Daily Record Jan. 13, 1994).
Do the women in the various local churches continue to have monthly meetings? The January 14, 1994 edition of the Daily Record printed that the Coats United Methodist Women had held their monthly meeting. Vickie Johnson hosted the meeting and Carolyn Tart conducted the meeting. Hettie Mae Ennis presented the program on “Anger”. Ruby Johnson was secretary and Helen Lockamy was treasurer. Attending the meeting were Judy Williams, Ruby Johnson, Dottie Tyndall, Evelyn Roberts, Sue Penny, Edna Lockamy, Marilyn Ennis, Carolyn Tart, and Ellen Metcalf. Peggie Pope was a new member.
The Coats Town Board met and discussed a problem with a businessman and the Coats police. The policeman must enforce the laws said Commissioner Don Ennis in relation to the disagreement. “Until the ordinance is changed, you must abide by it” said Ennis.
Commissioner Gale Spears advised the owner to talk to Tommy Williford whom she said would listen. Other business on the agenda was that Clenton Smith and Dennis Pope were to get fees and negotiate with a firm to paint the water tower.
Elsewhere a Coats home burned after the owner Levon Young dialed 911. Even though residents lived in Harnett County some had a 894 number which delayed response because it had to go through the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department who then transferred the call to the Harnett County’s Sheriff Department (Daily Record Jan. 14, 1994).
Belle continued to inform her Notes in the Daily Record that many Coats folks were having health issues. Among those mentioned were Ettie Mae Pleasant who was confined to her home. Brenda Sutton, Callie Williams, Phillip Abney, Hubert Cameron, Garland Whittington, and Victor McLeod were ailing. Curtis Jones had died recently. The Crusaders for Christ was in a concert at Ron’s Barn. Mark Pleasant, son of J.L. and Della Pleasant, was the pianist for the group (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1994).
We receive lots of emails with inquires about families while others actually share interesting info. We recently received an email from the granddaughter of J.T. Jerome and daughter of Jerry Jerome who graduated from Coats in 1940 while Jerry’s father was principal at Coats. The granddaughter wants to give us the graduation certificate of her dad with all the names of the 1940 Coats graduates. Do you know anyone who graduated from Coats in 1940?
Do you recall that I ended the column last week by asking if any of you were descendants of some of the folks who attended a Moonlight School? What was a moonlight school? The name itself gives us a hint. So many of our ancestors could not read or write which can be verified by looking at some of the old census records where in some instances it shared whether one could read or write. Note on our coatsmuseum.com under records you will find the 1870 census shares who could read and/or write.
Allow me to share a little bit of history of our early schools. Many of your more well to do families could afford to bring in someone to teach the children and in some cases the youngsters were sent away to boarding schools where they were educated. In other cases the youngsters might have been taught by a traveling schoolteacher. In fact, my Grandmother Mary Alice Johnston Johnson’s father, Amos Greene Johnston, was a traveling schoolteacher who taught as far away as Greenville, NC.
The earliest record we have of a school in our area was in home of Rufus Beasley which would have been located according to some about one mile north of Coats in the general area of Ma’s Grill area. It was dated to be around 1858. There would have been only 36 schools in the county at that time. Of course the county was only three years old at that time.
It would be around 1879 before another school is mentioned being in the Troyville area. It was recalled as being one room and was referred to as the Harriette Spring School. We actually recorded the names of the teachers in that school in our Together We Leave book published in 1985.
It would be around 1885 that many school white and colored districts would be established and as time passed, these districts would be combined to form new districts. Eventually there would be seven schools in our Grove Township-District 1 (Ennis-Oakdale), District 2 (Gregory-Fair Hope), District 3 (Coats), District 4 (Turlington), District 5 (Parker), District 6 (Sorrell), and District 7 (Penny).
It was in the District 4 Turlington that the Moonlight School would be held. On page 4 of our Together We Leave, we have pictures of a spelling match held in the Moonlight School as well as a picture of students having a lesson in reading using the Progressive Farmer magazine as the text. There is also a letter written by J. H. Pool (e) on April 15, 1914 to the county superintendent of Harnett Schools sharing that there were 33 scholars and a good teacher. Mr. Poole stated that he was 39 years old and that some scholars were 65 years old.
However, it would be in the January 13, 1994 edition of the Daily Record that we have additional information on the Moonlight School of 1914 at District 4 Turlington. Louise Williams Lloyd shared a picture of the students at the school. Her granddaddy Ando Williams, her great-grandfather Daniel Williams (the oldest in the class) and his wife Annie Jane Ennis Williams were among the oldest in the class. Others pictured in the newspaper article on the school were Lon Turlington, Liza Barbour, Millie Turner, Lee Tart, Joel Poole, Budger Tart, Willis Turlington, Jim Byrd, Rodger Turlington, Ora Turlington, Eroy Williams and Ralvin McLeod –the teacher. (Note there were others because Mr. Poole stated that there were 33 scholars).
How many you reading this column have ever eaten biscuit pudding? Most of our mothers or grandmothers made homemade biscuits. They would take the cold leftover biscuits and crumble them up. They would add sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter and milk or cream. Our thrifty ancestors sometimes added to the moist mixture pineapple, coconut, raisins, and even chocolate chips if they wanted to get fancy.
The end product was an incredible, bubbly, golden brown like cake when removed from the hot oven. Jonnie and Estelle Williams enjoyed biscuit pudding. Their son Larry Williams gave some to the elder Williams family that the younger Williams had purchased in a grocery store in Lakeland, Florida. You have to admit that is one dessert that one would not expect to find in a grocery store.
Belle’s Notes also shared that Rose Williams had joined her husband, Homer Williams, in retirement. The Coats Jaycee president Karen Faircloth said that she and Chief of Police Tommy Williford had delivered children gifts and saw many smiles. The names had been on the Angel Tree at the IGA in Coats.
Belle also identified Herley Barnes, G.R. Stephenson, Vic McLeod, Garland Whittington, and Tom Tart as being on the ill list. She also shared that Lloyd and Agnes Hall had celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Seth Lee, Jr. had celebrated their 50th. Mary Stewart was extended sympathy in the death of her brother Robert McArthan (Daily Record Jan. 13, 1994).
Do the women in the various local churches continue to have monthly meetings? The January 14, 1994 edition of the Daily Record printed that the Coats United Methodist Women had held their monthly meeting. Vickie Johnson hosted the meeting and Carolyn Tart conducted the meeting. Hettie Mae Ennis presented the program on “Anger”. Ruby Johnson was secretary and Helen Lockamy was treasurer. Attending the meeting were Judy Williams, Ruby Johnson, Dottie Tyndall, Evelyn Roberts, Sue Penny, Edna Lockamy, Marilyn Ennis, Carolyn Tart, and Ellen Metcalf. Peggie Pope was a new member.
The Coats Town Board met and discussed a problem with a businessman and the Coats police. The policeman must enforce the laws said Commissioner Don Ennis in relation to the disagreement. “Until the ordinance is changed, you must abide by it” said Ennis.
Commissioner Gale Spears advised the owner to talk to Tommy Williford whom she said would listen. Other business on the agenda was that Clenton Smith and Dennis Pope were to get fees and negotiate with a firm to paint the water tower.
Elsewhere a Coats home burned after the owner Levon Young dialed 911. Even though residents lived in Harnett County some had a 894 number which delayed response because it had to go through the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department who then transferred the call to the Harnett County’s Sheriff Department (Daily Record Jan. 14, 1994).
Belle continued to inform her Notes in the Daily Record that many Coats folks were having health issues. Among those mentioned were Ettie Mae Pleasant who was confined to her home. Brenda Sutton, Callie Williams, Phillip Abney, Hubert Cameron, Garland Whittington, and Victor McLeod were ailing. Curtis Jones had died recently. The Crusaders for Christ was in a concert at Ron’s Barn. Mark Pleasant, son of J.L. and Della Pleasant, was the pianist for the group (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1994).
We receive lots of emails with inquires about families while others actually share interesting info. We recently received an email from the granddaughter of J.T. Jerome and daughter of Jerry Jerome who graduated from Coats in 1940 while Jerry’s father was principal at Coats. The granddaughter wants to give us the graduation certificate of her dad with all the names of the 1940 Coats graduates. Do you know anyone who graduated from Coats in 1940?