July 1, 2016 Coats Museum News
The season is fall in 1958 and the area is in a flurry of activities. Mrs. U.M. Ennis was voted the HD Oakdale Club‘s “Woman of the Year”. Mrs. Ennis had joined the club in 1956 (Daily Record Oct. 20, 1958). Recall that Mrs. Ennis was the wife of the former Raleigh firefighter who had returned to his roots after retirement to live on Red Hill Church Road near to what today is Huntington. Is the Huntington housing development formerly the Willie Ennis farm?
This I do know. The Women of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church had a cake and pie sale at the Dunn Curb Market Building (Daily Record October 24, 1958). Does anyone recall that market and know who was in charge of it?
In the Coats School, the senior class had presented a comedy play entitled “Don’t Take My Penny”. The cast was Marjorie Byrd, Harold Dixon, Sybil Beasley, Edgar Sorrell, David Weaver, Judith Godwin, Frances Matthews, Ruth Lewis, Ronnie Langdon, Jimmy Johnson, Lois Messer, Patricia Barnes, Billy Pope and Wallace Penny. June Stewart and Vickie Lee helped Miss Frances Owen, the teacher director (Daily Record October 23, 1958).
Were all the crops out of the fields in late October in 1958? According to the paper, the tobacco market was having its last sale of the season. Auctioneer Lloyd Stephenson called the sale. The Dunn market had sold seven and three quarters million pounds of tobacco for a value of 4 million dollars.
Test your math skills and figure out how much the tobacco averaged per pound or read on to discover the status of the water issue in Coats. The paper shared that water again was flowing in Coats after a private water system was shut down by the owner after the town citizens voted to build a municipal water system. The spigots had gone dry. There was no water for the Saturday night baths, for cooking or for the prescriptions being filled at the local drugstore. The only water was that in a few private shallow wells here and there about town. Angry town officials concerned about health and fire hazards had called for a showdown measure. There was some misunderstanding about who and why water was cut off. The vote on the water bond issue was 175 for and 58 against (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1958).
The owner of the Coats water system said the water could go off at anytime. The water came from a set of springs. The pump station was owned by Norwood Adams who said whether water flowed depended upon how the meeting went with the town officials. When the water was cut off, it sent people like in Biblical times searching water from neighbors. Mr. Adams wanted $1,000 for the well that he had paid $2500 for in 1952 (Daily Record Oct. 28, 1958).
Sounds like a deal to this writer. How do you supply water and bathroom facilities to about 1000 students and staff without water? Was there a water tank on campus in 1958? As you were reading about the water problems in Coats many, many years ago, did you sense there was trouble waiting to happen in the future?
The Buies Creek HD Club met at the home of Mrs. Martin B. Stewart. Mrs. Joe Penny, Jr. presided. Mrs. Haywood Penny was in charge of the demonstration, “Answering Children’s Questions”. Mrs. James Faison, Mrs. Ed Penny, Mrs. Mack Mitchell, and Mrs. Howell Stewart were participants.
Mrs. Nancy Lula Coats, 78, had died at her home on Thursday. She was the widow of Bill Coats and a member of the Coats Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Ben Eller officiated. Two surviving sons were Otis and Glenn Coats and three daughters were Mrs. Arthur Jones, Mrs. Levie Jones and Mrs. J.R. Yarborough (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1958).
The Coats student body chose a varsity queen to appear in the Tractor Rodeo Parade. Candidates for homecoming queen were chosen by boys in the sports program. Contestants and the boys who sponsored them were Brenda Norris-Tom Fewster; Ruth Lewis-Harold Dixon; Sybil Beasley-Harry Roberts; Gayle Johnson-Bobby Pope; Janice Pope-Earl Denning; Nora Avery-Richard Daniel; Catherine Dorman-Conrey Flowers; Carolyn Grimes- Bobby Weeks; Brenda Byrd-Kenneth Allen; Bessie McGee- R.A. Johnson; Becky Honeycutt-Jimmy Jones; Joan Godwin- Edward Turlington; Carol Jones- Billy Pope; Faye Parker-Jimmy Johnson; Barbara Whitman- Roland Byrd; Barbara Workman-David Weaver and Eva Carol Miller-J.D. Norris .
The Tractor Rodeo Committee had a varied program of competitions from hula hooping, straight furrow plowing, beauty contest, cake baking to political talks. A woman’s division had flower arranging, clothes making and cooking contests. There was livestock judging of cattle and hogs. Many were contested on their tractor skills. Among those who worked alongside Mr. McKnight were M.O. Phillips, Warren Ennis, Jesse Ray Mann, Graham Byrd, and Vic Lee (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1958).
Many in Coats were saddened by the death of a mother and friend, Mrs. C.L. Ryals, 74, who died at Good Hope Hospital. She was the wife of the late Bill Ryals. T.G. Ryals, Mrs. Vada Glover, and Mrs. Lydia Byrd were surviving children. Her sisters were Mrs. Lila Dorman and Mrs. Kitsie Dixon (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1958).
In Dunn, Mr. Orestes Ennis, 78, of Route 3, had died in the Hinson Rest Home. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Bertie Hair Ennis; his son-Gilmer, Eugene, and Gordon Ennis. His daughters were Mrs. Walter Coats, Mrs. Worth Byrd, Mrs. Johnny Klutz, Mrs. W.H. Harrington and Mrs. Riley Butler. His siblings were Charles, Lindsey, Hermie and Mrs. Neva Israel (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1958).
Bill Dad, 98, headed a family of five generations. Bill Dad Williams helped give the landslide victory to the Harnett County Democrats in the recent election. Mr. Williams was pictured talking to to Commissioner of Agriculture Ballentine and Congressman Alton Lennon at the Tractor Rodeo. He was the oldest registered Democrat in Harnett County. In his early days on the farm, bringing in leaves from the woods and mixing them with rich earth made fertilizer. He became one of the biggest farmers in the Coats area and one of the biggest family men. Twelve of his children were still living when he celebrated his 98th birthday. Molly Williams, his oldest daughter, and Mrs. Nellie Lee, the second oldest, both in their seventies, lived with him at his home in Coats. Others living close by were Lester Williams, a town commissioner in Coats and an employee of Lee-Moore Oil, Co. and Charlie Williams, a retired farmer and also a town commissioner. Hester was a farmer. Mrs. W.B. Byrd, Mrs. Ora Powell, Mrs. A.L. Turner, John Williams, Mrs. Evie Ennis, Mrs. R. M. Turner, and Mrs. Henry Williams were other children. Bill Dad, a young boy when the Yankees came through during the Civil War, remembered taking horses to the woods and hiding them.
Several folks around Coats were interested in comforting the widow of Leo Weeks, 56, of rural Benson. He had died on Saturday at his home between Hardee’s Crossroads and Bailey’s Crossroads. His wife Maude survived him as did three children- Thelma Mae Weeks Johnson, A.L. Weeks, and Wilson Weeks.
He had five sisters- Mrs. Joe Johnson, Mrs. J. M. Henry, Mrs. Florence Johnson, Mrs. G.B. Cobb, and Mrs. Velma Langdon, Newbern Weeks was his brother. Elsewhere in the Coats area, Pat Collier who had won second place ribbons in a couple of the contests caught the eye of the paper’s photographer who placed her picture in the Daily Record Nov. 12, 1958 edition.
In the tractor events at the Tractor Rodeo, the winners were Hartwell Whittington, Ray Wood, and Earl Denning in the youth event. In the adult division, J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Charles Ennis, and Lathan Norris took the prizes. In the crop competition in the area of potatoes, Jerry Tart and Edgar Sorrell won the prizes. In the tobacco competition, Frank Turlington, Edward Turlington and Bobby Pope were tops. In the egg competition, Conrey Flowers, Charles Langdon and Harry Roberts won the awards. In the adult egg competition, Mrs. Thelma Johnson, Garland Johnson and Fletcher Flowers were the winners. In the corn competition for the youth, the winners were Leslie Johnson, Hartwell Whittington, and Stacey Johnson. Mr. Percy Parrish won the prize in the adult corn division. In the poultry division for youth, Tommy Turlington, Charles Langdon and Edward Turlington were on the top. Fletcher Flowers won the top award for the adult division (Daily Record Nov. 12, 1958).
Many of our visitors to the museum share stories with us that make us more informed. Board member Ralph Denning‘s father died when Ralph was a very young boy. Ralph recalled the names of several merchants and teachers who were very generous to him during his youth. Ralph, you learned well from their lesson of giving back to the community. Thank you for your donation to the museum endowment.
The season is fall in 1958 and the area is in a flurry of activities. Mrs. U.M. Ennis was voted the HD Oakdale Club‘s “Woman of the Year”. Mrs. Ennis had joined the club in 1956 (Daily Record Oct. 20, 1958). Recall that Mrs. Ennis was the wife of the former Raleigh firefighter who had returned to his roots after retirement to live on Red Hill Church Road near to what today is Huntington. Is the Huntington housing development formerly the Willie Ennis farm?
This I do know. The Women of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church had a cake and pie sale at the Dunn Curb Market Building (Daily Record October 24, 1958). Does anyone recall that market and know who was in charge of it?
In the Coats School, the senior class had presented a comedy play entitled “Don’t Take My Penny”. The cast was Marjorie Byrd, Harold Dixon, Sybil Beasley, Edgar Sorrell, David Weaver, Judith Godwin, Frances Matthews, Ruth Lewis, Ronnie Langdon, Jimmy Johnson, Lois Messer, Patricia Barnes, Billy Pope and Wallace Penny. June Stewart and Vickie Lee helped Miss Frances Owen, the teacher director (Daily Record October 23, 1958).
Were all the crops out of the fields in late October in 1958? According to the paper, the tobacco market was having its last sale of the season. Auctioneer Lloyd Stephenson called the sale. The Dunn market had sold seven and three quarters million pounds of tobacco for a value of 4 million dollars.
Test your math skills and figure out how much the tobacco averaged per pound or read on to discover the status of the water issue in Coats. The paper shared that water again was flowing in Coats after a private water system was shut down by the owner after the town citizens voted to build a municipal water system. The spigots had gone dry. There was no water for the Saturday night baths, for cooking or for the prescriptions being filled at the local drugstore. The only water was that in a few private shallow wells here and there about town. Angry town officials concerned about health and fire hazards had called for a showdown measure. There was some misunderstanding about who and why water was cut off. The vote on the water bond issue was 175 for and 58 against (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1958).
The owner of the Coats water system said the water could go off at anytime. The water came from a set of springs. The pump station was owned by Norwood Adams who said whether water flowed depended upon how the meeting went with the town officials. When the water was cut off, it sent people like in Biblical times searching water from neighbors. Mr. Adams wanted $1,000 for the well that he had paid $2500 for in 1952 (Daily Record Oct. 28, 1958).
Sounds like a deal to this writer. How do you supply water and bathroom facilities to about 1000 students and staff without water? Was there a water tank on campus in 1958? As you were reading about the water problems in Coats many, many years ago, did you sense there was trouble waiting to happen in the future?
The Buies Creek HD Club met at the home of Mrs. Martin B. Stewart. Mrs. Joe Penny, Jr. presided. Mrs. Haywood Penny was in charge of the demonstration, “Answering Children’s Questions”. Mrs. James Faison, Mrs. Ed Penny, Mrs. Mack Mitchell, and Mrs. Howell Stewart were participants.
Mrs. Nancy Lula Coats, 78, had died at her home on Thursday. She was the widow of Bill Coats and a member of the Coats Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Ben Eller officiated. Two surviving sons were Otis and Glenn Coats and three daughters were Mrs. Arthur Jones, Mrs. Levie Jones and Mrs. J.R. Yarborough (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1958).
The Coats student body chose a varsity queen to appear in the Tractor Rodeo Parade. Candidates for homecoming queen were chosen by boys in the sports program. Contestants and the boys who sponsored them were Brenda Norris-Tom Fewster; Ruth Lewis-Harold Dixon; Sybil Beasley-Harry Roberts; Gayle Johnson-Bobby Pope; Janice Pope-Earl Denning; Nora Avery-Richard Daniel; Catherine Dorman-Conrey Flowers; Carolyn Grimes- Bobby Weeks; Brenda Byrd-Kenneth Allen; Bessie McGee- R.A. Johnson; Becky Honeycutt-Jimmy Jones; Joan Godwin- Edward Turlington; Carol Jones- Billy Pope; Faye Parker-Jimmy Johnson; Barbara Whitman- Roland Byrd; Barbara Workman-David Weaver and Eva Carol Miller-J.D. Norris .
The Tractor Rodeo Committee had a varied program of competitions from hula hooping, straight furrow plowing, beauty contest, cake baking to political talks. A woman’s division had flower arranging, clothes making and cooking contests. There was livestock judging of cattle and hogs. Many were contested on their tractor skills. Among those who worked alongside Mr. McKnight were M.O. Phillips, Warren Ennis, Jesse Ray Mann, Graham Byrd, and Vic Lee (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1958).
Many in Coats were saddened by the death of a mother and friend, Mrs. C.L. Ryals, 74, who died at Good Hope Hospital. She was the wife of the late Bill Ryals. T.G. Ryals, Mrs. Vada Glover, and Mrs. Lydia Byrd were surviving children. Her sisters were Mrs. Lila Dorman and Mrs. Kitsie Dixon (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1958).
In Dunn, Mr. Orestes Ennis, 78, of Route 3, had died in the Hinson Rest Home. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Bertie Hair Ennis; his son-Gilmer, Eugene, and Gordon Ennis. His daughters were Mrs. Walter Coats, Mrs. Worth Byrd, Mrs. Johnny Klutz, Mrs. W.H. Harrington and Mrs. Riley Butler. His siblings were Charles, Lindsey, Hermie and Mrs. Neva Israel (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1958).
Bill Dad, 98, headed a family of five generations. Bill Dad Williams helped give the landslide victory to the Harnett County Democrats in the recent election. Mr. Williams was pictured talking to to Commissioner of Agriculture Ballentine and Congressman Alton Lennon at the Tractor Rodeo. He was the oldest registered Democrat in Harnett County. In his early days on the farm, bringing in leaves from the woods and mixing them with rich earth made fertilizer. He became one of the biggest farmers in the Coats area and one of the biggest family men. Twelve of his children were still living when he celebrated his 98th birthday. Molly Williams, his oldest daughter, and Mrs. Nellie Lee, the second oldest, both in their seventies, lived with him at his home in Coats. Others living close by were Lester Williams, a town commissioner in Coats and an employee of Lee-Moore Oil, Co. and Charlie Williams, a retired farmer and also a town commissioner. Hester was a farmer. Mrs. W.B. Byrd, Mrs. Ora Powell, Mrs. A.L. Turner, John Williams, Mrs. Evie Ennis, Mrs. R. M. Turner, and Mrs. Henry Williams were other children. Bill Dad, a young boy when the Yankees came through during the Civil War, remembered taking horses to the woods and hiding them.
Several folks around Coats were interested in comforting the widow of Leo Weeks, 56, of rural Benson. He had died on Saturday at his home between Hardee’s Crossroads and Bailey’s Crossroads. His wife Maude survived him as did three children- Thelma Mae Weeks Johnson, A.L. Weeks, and Wilson Weeks.
He had five sisters- Mrs. Joe Johnson, Mrs. J. M. Henry, Mrs. Florence Johnson, Mrs. G.B. Cobb, and Mrs. Velma Langdon, Newbern Weeks was his brother. Elsewhere in the Coats area, Pat Collier who had won second place ribbons in a couple of the contests caught the eye of the paper’s photographer who placed her picture in the Daily Record Nov. 12, 1958 edition.
In the tractor events at the Tractor Rodeo, the winners were Hartwell Whittington, Ray Wood, and Earl Denning in the youth event. In the adult division, J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Charles Ennis, and Lathan Norris took the prizes. In the crop competition in the area of potatoes, Jerry Tart and Edgar Sorrell won the prizes. In the tobacco competition, Frank Turlington, Edward Turlington and Bobby Pope were tops. In the egg competition, Conrey Flowers, Charles Langdon and Harry Roberts won the awards. In the adult egg competition, Mrs. Thelma Johnson, Garland Johnson and Fletcher Flowers were the winners. In the corn competition for the youth, the winners were Leslie Johnson, Hartwell Whittington, and Stacey Johnson. Mr. Percy Parrish won the prize in the adult corn division. In the poultry division for youth, Tommy Turlington, Charles Langdon and Edward Turlington were on the top. Fletcher Flowers won the top award for the adult division (Daily Record Nov. 12, 1958).
Many of our visitors to the museum share stories with us that make us more informed. Board member Ralph Denning‘s father died when Ralph was a very young boy. Ralph recalled the names of several merchants and teachers who were very generous to him during his youth. Ralph, you learned well from their lesson of giving back to the community. Thank you for your donation to the museum endowment.