July 11, 2014 Coats Museum News
Just when you thought that the Coats Community Building was completed, it pops up in the news again with a fundraiser. This time it was recorded that the Coats Fellowship Club had sponsored a variety show at the school auditorium to raise money to complete the Coats Community Building. T.B. Young and his performing dog(s) were featured. The building was nearing completion with the walls erected and roof in place. Funds were still needed for flooring, ceiling, and painting. The work had been done by volunteers from the community, Boy Scouts, and vocational students (Dunn Dispatch July 13, 1949). From earlier newspapers stories, it appears that the town folks had been using the community building even though it was not finished.
North of Coats, the Mabry family was mourning the death of Mrs. Mattie Rose Mabry, prominent Angier, Route 2, farm woman. The late E.R. Mabry was her husband. She had died at her home after an illness of several months. Mrs. Carl Turlington was her daughter. The deceased came to Harnett County in 1915 (Dunn Dispatch July 13, 1949). She was Ed and Frank Turlington’s grandmother.
Wonder if the family came from the Granville area where farmers were leaving by the scores because of Granville tobacco wilt. Were the Mabrys big tobacco farmers? I do know that Mabry and Talley were names that were associated with mixing fertilizer that grew the biggest tobacco in the area. The Dunn Dispatch, July 15, 1949 edition reported that the Harnett County tobacco crop in 1948 was worth $11, 262,000.00. Wonder what it was worth in 2013?
There are some retired teachers who can recall making the Class A teaching salary of $1,945 to $2,500 yearly. That amounted to between $229 and $306 a month (Dunn Dispatch July 18, 1949). How big is the pension off that salary?
Floyd Whittington, who was reared near Coats, was known for his piano playing at the dances. He had moved to Linden later where he had taken up playing an accordion (Dunn Dispatch July 22, 1949). The late Allene Honeycutt once shared with me her memories of how great Floyd Whittington could play the piano and she recalled that all the young people gathered to dance to his music. If Floyd was not available, Mrs. Beulah Ennis had played the tunes for the dancing on Saturday nights. Question-was there a dance hall at Turlington’s Crossroads?
Miss Margorie May Morgan had married Jimmy Barnes in the Lillington Presbyterian Church. The bride wore a twilight length dress of blue satin and a small half hat of matching satin. Neil Barnes was best man and Jack Barnes was an usher. The groom was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Barnes. Jimmy had graduated from Coats High School and Kings Business School. Another wedding had also occurred in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gregory of Angier, Route 2, announced the marriage of their daughter, Hazel Gregory, to Nowell Smith, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Nowell, Smith, Sr., of Benson. Hazel had graduated from Coats High School in 1944.
Let’s read a comparison! A college graduate in the first year of teaching in 1936 earned $87.50 per month for eight months. A graduate in 1949 earned $229.00 per month for 9 months. Did you say that’s quite an increase? What will be the salary per month of a first year teacher in 2014?
People often ask us “What’s it like to volunteer at the Coats Museum?” I will share this once, just to give you an idea, of what it is like to be Coats Museum volunteers. We clean and maintain both museums, clip and file current news items relevant to the Coats area published in the Daily Record. We help people locate information on their families. We scan old photographs, photograph and file data for donated and loaned exhibit items, update exhibits, listen to learn , recommend other museums in Harnett to visit, give tours and share the names of places that have good food to eat in the Coats area.
During June, the folks at the museum were very busy giving tours to over 190 visitors from NY, CA, WV, IL, KY, VA, GA, TX, FL and PA. Visitors who signed in from NC towns were from Apex, Holly Springs, Wilmington, Angier, Benson, Erwin, Sanford, Dunn, Fuquay Varina, Buies Creek, Hope Mills, Raleigh, Greensboro, Cary, Catawba, Wendell, Franklinton and Coats.
It was a delightful learning experience to give Dr. Burgess and Mary Jane Marshbanks two tours. Dr. Marshbanks shared that Ollie Link moved from Bethel Hill (?) in 1896 to Troyville (Coats- 1903) where only a few houses were in existence. He brought with him his experience of using his carpentry skills and growing tobacco in the Oxford area. Mr. Link later ordered a house from Sears and Roebuck and it still stands in good condition on McKinley Street between the Preston Short’s (Fred Byrd) house and the former Coats Town Hall (teacherage) which I have heard was the site of Dr. Garner Fuquay’s house that burned. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Dr. Marshbanks shared that Ollie Link was a highly decorated veteran of WWI and more information about him will be forthcoming.
The Chuck Tocci family from CA spent several hours in the museum and took photographs of his mom’s wedding dress and his dad’s WWII uniform that are on display in the parlor. This is the third Tocci brother from the Pacific coast. The Coates Family from Texas came seeking information on Soloman Coats. A couple from Il who are visiting museums on the east coast spent a couple of hours touring the museum and when he is not visiting museums, he restores classic cars. They came in only a few minutes after Dr. Marshbanks had left. Would they not have enjoyed talking about their old cars since Dr. Marshbanks also has vintage cars?
Some folks who attended the 90th birthday celebration of James Grimes toured the museums. Several of his family and friends from Georgia, Texas and Kentucky came to honor and celebrate with James and his family. Some of you will remember Andy Grimes who was son of Clyde and Hazel Eure Grimes (former Coats teacher). Andy, retired military officer, is serving as an advisor in Afghanistan. Red Callihan, who spent 2.5 tours in Vietnam, came by to share items relevant to that war.
We also enjoyed a short visit from Billy Vaughan who volunteered years ago to do some painting at the museum’s farm shelter. He is a collector of Native American artifacts. He has had many health issues and this was his first visit to our new addition and renovation. We enjoyed a visit from Jutta Turlington and her friend, the former Grace Turlington of Coats, but now of Sanford.
We are so appreciative of the families who designate the Coats Museum as the recipient of memorials. Recently the Thomas “Tom” Stephenson family of Cornelius, N.C. did just that and, as a result, the following people have honored Tom’s memory: C.T. Clayton, Sr., John and Doris Turlington Tullock, Billy and Peggie Pope, Kenneth and Rebecca Tart, Patsy and Lynn Williams, Gary Denning and H.L. Sorrell. Thank you also goes to Doris J. Nolan for remembering Paul McDonald with a memorial to the museum. Thanks to all of you. We thank Butch Turner of Benson and Gerald Dincher, a teacher from Hope Mills, for their generous donations. Because of the generosity of these donors, the museum folks are able to meet the operational expenses of such items as lighting, heating and cooling, securing, and insuring the buildings. Not having to have fundraisers allows the volunteers more time to showcase the history of our small town in a museum worthy of it.
Just when you thought that the Coats Community Building was completed, it pops up in the news again with a fundraiser. This time it was recorded that the Coats Fellowship Club had sponsored a variety show at the school auditorium to raise money to complete the Coats Community Building. T.B. Young and his performing dog(s) were featured. The building was nearing completion with the walls erected and roof in place. Funds were still needed for flooring, ceiling, and painting. The work had been done by volunteers from the community, Boy Scouts, and vocational students (Dunn Dispatch July 13, 1949). From earlier newspapers stories, it appears that the town folks had been using the community building even though it was not finished.
North of Coats, the Mabry family was mourning the death of Mrs. Mattie Rose Mabry, prominent Angier, Route 2, farm woman. The late E.R. Mabry was her husband. She had died at her home after an illness of several months. Mrs. Carl Turlington was her daughter. The deceased came to Harnett County in 1915 (Dunn Dispatch July 13, 1949). She was Ed and Frank Turlington’s grandmother.
Wonder if the family came from the Granville area where farmers were leaving by the scores because of Granville tobacco wilt. Were the Mabrys big tobacco farmers? I do know that Mabry and Talley were names that were associated with mixing fertilizer that grew the biggest tobacco in the area. The Dunn Dispatch, July 15, 1949 edition reported that the Harnett County tobacco crop in 1948 was worth $11, 262,000.00. Wonder what it was worth in 2013?
There are some retired teachers who can recall making the Class A teaching salary of $1,945 to $2,500 yearly. That amounted to between $229 and $306 a month (Dunn Dispatch July 18, 1949). How big is the pension off that salary?
Floyd Whittington, who was reared near Coats, was known for his piano playing at the dances. He had moved to Linden later where he had taken up playing an accordion (Dunn Dispatch July 22, 1949). The late Allene Honeycutt once shared with me her memories of how great Floyd Whittington could play the piano and she recalled that all the young people gathered to dance to his music. If Floyd was not available, Mrs. Beulah Ennis had played the tunes for the dancing on Saturday nights. Question-was there a dance hall at Turlington’s Crossroads?
Miss Margorie May Morgan had married Jimmy Barnes in the Lillington Presbyterian Church. The bride wore a twilight length dress of blue satin and a small half hat of matching satin. Neil Barnes was best man and Jack Barnes was an usher. The groom was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Barnes. Jimmy had graduated from Coats High School and Kings Business School. Another wedding had also occurred in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gregory of Angier, Route 2, announced the marriage of their daughter, Hazel Gregory, to Nowell Smith, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Nowell, Smith, Sr., of Benson. Hazel had graduated from Coats High School in 1944.
Let’s read a comparison! A college graduate in the first year of teaching in 1936 earned $87.50 per month for eight months. A graduate in 1949 earned $229.00 per month for 9 months. Did you say that’s quite an increase? What will be the salary per month of a first year teacher in 2014?
People often ask us “What’s it like to volunteer at the Coats Museum?” I will share this once, just to give you an idea, of what it is like to be Coats Museum volunteers. We clean and maintain both museums, clip and file current news items relevant to the Coats area published in the Daily Record. We help people locate information on their families. We scan old photographs, photograph and file data for donated and loaned exhibit items, update exhibits, listen to learn , recommend other museums in Harnett to visit, give tours and share the names of places that have good food to eat in the Coats area.
During June, the folks at the museum were very busy giving tours to over 190 visitors from NY, CA, WV, IL, KY, VA, GA, TX, FL and PA. Visitors who signed in from NC towns were from Apex, Holly Springs, Wilmington, Angier, Benson, Erwin, Sanford, Dunn, Fuquay Varina, Buies Creek, Hope Mills, Raleigh, Greensboro, Cary, Catawba, Wendell, Franklinton and Coats.
It was a delightful learning experience to give Dr. Burgess and Mary Jane Marshbanks two tours. Dr. Marshbanks shared that Ollie Link moved from Bethel Hill (?) in 1896 to Troyville (Coats- 1903) where only a few houses were in existence. He brought with him his experience of using his carpentry skills and growing tobacco in the Oxford area. Mr. Link later ordered a house from Sears and Roebuck and it still stands in good condition on McKinley Street between the Preston Short’s (Fred Byrd) house and the former Coats Town Hall (teacherage) which I have heard was the site of Dr. Garner Fuquay’s house that burned. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Dr. Marshbanks shared that Ollie Link was a highly decorated veteran of WWI and more information about him will be forthcoming.
The Chuck Tocci family from CA spent several hours in the museum and took photographs of his mom’s wedding dress and his dad’s WWII uniform that are on display in the parlor. This is the third Tocci brother from the Pacific coast. The Coates Family from Texas came seeking information on Soloman Coats. A couple from Il who are visiting museums on the east coast spent a couple of hours touring the museum and when he is not visiting museums, he restores classic cars. They came in only a few minutes after Dr. Marshbanks had left. Would they not have enjoyed talking about their old cars since Dr. Marshbanks also has vintage cars?
Some folks who attended the 90th birthday celebration of James Grimes toured the museums. Several of his family and friends from Georgia, Texas and Kentucky came to honor and celebrate with James and his family. Some of you will remember Andy Grimes who was son of Clyde and Hazel Eure Grimes (former Coats teacher). Andy, retired military officer, is serving as an advisor in Afghanistan. Red Callihan, who spent 2.5 tours in Vietnam, came by to share items relevant to that war.
We also enjoyed a short visit from Billy Vaughan who volunteered years ago to do some painting at the museum’s farm shelter. He is a collector of Native American artifacts. He has had many health issues and this was his first visit to our new addition and renovation. We enjoyed a visit from Jutta Turlington and her friend, the former Grace Turlington of Coats, but now of Sanford.
We are so appreciative of the families who designate the Coats Museum as the recipient of memorials. Recently the Thomas “Tom” Stephenson family of Cornelius, N.C. did just that and, as a result, the following people have honored Tom’s memory: C.T. Clayton, Sr., John and Doris Turlington Tullock, Billy and Peggie Pope, Kenneth and Rebecca Tart, Patsy and Lynn Williams, Gary Denning and H.L. Sorrell. Thank you also goes to Doris J. Nolan for remembering Paul McDonald with a memorial to the museum. Thanks to all of you. We thank Butch Turner of Benson and Gerald Dincher, a teacher from Hope Mills, for their generous donations. Because of the generosity of these donors, the museum folks are able to meet the operational expenses of such items as lighting, heating and cooling, securing, and insuring the buildings. Not having to have fundraisers allows the volunteers more time to showcase the history of our small town in a museum worthy of it.