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​                                                                                      January 4, 2019 Coats Museum News
A new year, 2019, makes it the tenth year that the “Coats Museum News” has been printed in the Daily Record. During those many years of reading the column, you have learned how the area became Harnett County and how part of it would be known as Coats and Grove Township. You read how some of the earliest arrivals came about 1740 and were referred to as the restless men and how many of the earliest landowners had found their way to the area via the Cape Fear River or possibly down Green’s Path from Virginia.
Poplar Foot Daniel Shaw, Dushee Shaw, Willis Turlington, Joel Denning, James Thomas Coats, Eldridge and Daniel Stewart, Mildred Barclay, Bill Dad Williams, Rufus and Barty Parrish are just a few of the hundreds of names that have appeared in the column after having their names in the newspapers, public documents, church and school records and countless other sources containing information about the Coats-Grove area.   Most of these early folks resided in places recorded as Turlington, Barclaysville, Troyville, Oakdale, Bethel, and Bailey’s Crossroads. There were schools known as Rufus Beasley, Ennis, Gregory, Penny-Rock Ridge, Sorrell, Turlington, Wiggins, Parker and District #3 Coats.
You have read about the location of naval stores, plantation cotton gins, sawmills, cane mills, post offices, churches and schools. You have followed how our ancestors had traveled on rutted paths by foot, wagons, buggies and stagecoaches to get to certain destinations.
The column has shared how our ancestors killed hogs, picked cotton, raised tobacco, shucked corn, made potato “tator” hills, raised cane, made fodder and walked to one and two-room schools and studied at night in houses with no a running water or electric lights until the mid 1920’s and some as late as the mid 1930’s in the rural areas. There were mules and horses in the barns rather than dual wheeled tractors. There were clothes often made from feed sacks rather than those selected from store racks.
Remember reading how a family would buy hunks of ice from a man on the ice wagon to put into a wooden ice box to keep the milk and food from spoiling rather than having a refrigerator that makes crushed ice or miniature ice cubes as we enjoy today.   You read of how youngsters on the farm had to bring in firewood for the kitchen wood stove, fireplace or heater. Children, you may recall, had after and before school chores such as milking the cow, feeding the farm animals and gathering eggs. Do you recall that some farm children attended school, especially boys, only a few weeks a year because they were needed on the farm?
The stories found in the “Coats Museum News” could go on and on until we come to our current column which shares memories of 1974 when Gerald Ford had replaced Richard Nixon as the 38th President of the United States.  Ford was named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. at birth.  Coming from divorced parents at age two, he was renamed Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. after his mother remarried and his stepfather adopted him.
In the February 14, 1974 edition of the Daily Record, it was printed that Coats had purchased new street signs from the N.C. League of Municipalities in Raleigh.
In the February 19th edition of the Daily Record, the paper shared that Albert Gregory, chairman of the Coats School Board, was seeking a seat on the Harnett County Board of Education for District 2.Gregory, 39, a garage owner and farmer, and was widely known as a businessman and civic leader. He was opposed for the seat by Republican Edward Turlington.
The Coats Junior Order Building was broken into. The only thing stolen was a half box of hot dogs from the refrigerator. A TV set belonging to Delbert Lockamy was not taken (Daily Record Feb. 20, 1974).
Do you wonder how the police department was coming along with the new chief? The paper wrote that Police Chief Ronald Peters had reported he had received sufficient applications from town residents so he was considering increasing the goal of qualified police auxiliary volunteers from 10 to 15. Applicants selected by the town commissioners, mayor, police commissioner, and Police Chief would have to undergo normal screening procedures required of all law enforcement officers and would have to complete 160 hours of instruction as required by law. One woman was to be selected whose role was to search female prisoners upon their being taken into custody (Daily Record Feb. 20, 1974).
Who had Fleetwood Adams give you a haircut? Do recall that he had two beautiful daughters and smart ones at that? Denise A. Adams, one of them, had been named the1973-74 Betty Crocker Family Leader of Tomorrow for Coats High School. Denise had won the honor by competing with other seniors in the written knowledge and attitude examination. Denise had been very active in school activities. She was serving as president of FHA, a varsity cheerleader, a Beta Club member and a class marshal (Daily Record Feb. 27, 1974).
Do you know who the first US president was to earn the Eagle Scout recognition? What about the first Eagle Scout in Coats? Answers to the questions are President Gerald Ford and Dr. Harold Dixon. An Eagle Scout of Honor was held by Boy Scout Troop 779 to welcome two youths to Eagle Scout. John A. Wolf, Jr. and Alan G. Pope received the key and awards at the Coats Baptist Church. Alan’s escort was Dudley Denning while Johnny’s was Kevin Pope. B.W. Holland escorted Mr. and Mrs. Gail Pope, Alan’s parents. Michael Messer had escorted Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wolf, Sr. The sword bearer was Michael Pope and the badge bearer was Forest Fleming. Diane Flowers had played the organ prelude. Kimry Gardner had led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Teresa Godwin, Bonnie Lee, Jenny Williams, and Anita Wolf presented special music. Lundy Denning, assistant scoutmaster, gave a talk on principals of scouting. Nathan Collier explained the light of scouting. Gary Baker, Scott Fleming, Patrick McGill, Van Powell and Robie Pleasant had presented the law of scouting. W.H. “Pop” Twyford presented the Knights of Neckerchief-the Eagle Scout Award. Cubmaster Earl Denning presented certificates. Norfleet Gardner presented the Eagle Advancement cards and Charles L. Beegle, explorer advisor, presented letters of recognition (Daily Record Feb. 26, 1974).
Another group of busy folks were the ladies in the Oakdale Home Demonstration Club who had met at the home of Mrs. Mae Coats. Nineteen members and three guests assembled. Mrs. Elton Stewart, Mrs. Mack Hudson, Mrs. Edna Lockamy, Mrs. Lela Ennis, and Mrs. E.U. Ennis were some of the members present (Daily Record Feb. 27, 1974).
“I Just Gotta Me” was how beautiful Karen Stewart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grayden Stewart, described her relationship with being “Miss Dunn 1974”. Karen, a tiny, just 5’4” tall, medium blonde, described herself as a tomboyish farm girl who learned to walk, sit, talk and move in a charm school. With little or no makeup, since her skin was naturally velvet-textured, eyes sparkling when she animated or smiled, her long shiny hair and long expressive fingers telling of her talent, she philosophized that most people pass up the little people who are really the important people. Karen was the third of five children. Vivacious Karen strung tobacco on her father’s farm in the summer and was thankful to God that her brother Larry Stewart loved their parents enough to assist them when they needed help (Daily Record Feb. 28, 1974).
Question-when is the last time you heard the expression” strung tobacco”?
I do know one of the most rewarding perks of writing about the Coats- Grove area is hearing from individuals connected to individuals mentioned in the column. Shirley Turner Massad called and shared that she is the last living child of Roscoe and Nolie Catherine Williams Turner mentioned in last week’ column. The volunteers look forward to a future visit to the museum from Shirley for her to share stories and pictures of that remarkable family who definitely have a longevity gene. Thank you, Shirley.
The volunteers at the museum enjoyed a visit from Dr. John Bartlett from Campbell University who is planning a Harnett Festival in which Harnett County and its museums can showcase the county’s heritage via demonstrations and artifacts from all corners of the county.
Lynda Butler shared stories of our various museum exhibits items as she conducted tours to Dr. Bartlett, Charles and Betty Manning who dropped by with Charles’ family from Michigan. We were delighted to show Kevin Nelson our collection of materials on Ebenezer Presbyterian Church at Bailey’s Crossroads. Kevin is chairing the committee for the celebration which marks the 100th birthday of the church earlier known as Wildwood. Does that name sound like it should be in a song?
Several Christmas gift honorariums were given to the museum last week. The J.B. Smith family gave two honorariums for Lenee’s parents. A thank you goes to the Smiths for remembering the museum.