July 4, 2014 Coats Museum News
Many of you have shared your stories about going to the Coats Theater which was located where the Coats Public Works Department is, but how many of you can recall when the Stewart Theater in Dunn opened? The Dunn Dispatch June 20, 1949 issue printed that it had opened on June 22, 1949. It was proclaimed one of the finest in the state and would hold 600 patrons. Worth Stewart erected the new theater. The other theater in Dunn, the Dunn Theater, was being renovated and would have staggered seating arrangement. What was the third theater in Dunn in 1949? Was Worth Stewart kin to the Coats Stewarts?
I do know that lots of news was being made that dealt with Coats people such as new officers for the Palmyra Lodge 147 were elected where Vic Lee served as junior warden; however, Johnny Williams was a Boy Scout leader. “Mr. Peacock and the Mermaid” and “Joe Palooka in Winner Take All” were showing at the Coats Theater. Bible School was held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church near Bailey’s Crossroads. Rev. James Porter was minister and he was assisted in the leadership of the school with Miss Margaret Stephenson, Mrs. Joe Johnson, Mrs. Kirk Ennis, Mrs. Ed Creech, Mrs. Frank Elliott, Mary Jo Johnson, Mrs. Herbert Johnson, Mrs. Edith Denning, Miss Rachel Denning, Mrs. Bill Johnson, Mrs. Ben Paschal, Mrs. Maynard Coats, and Doris Johnson.
Sheers, cotton, and print dresses sold for $5.98 at Louis Baer Department Store in Dunn. Annie Laura Clevenger of Coats had visited her aunts, Mrs. Tony Harper and Mrs. J.M. Morgan of Erwin. Mrs. L.C. McMillian , the former Cornie Pollard of Coats, had died in Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Pollard. Her siblings were Mrs. L.C. Ryals, Mrs. J.M. Wilburn, Mrs. Eunice Pleasant, W.B., H.B. and J.T. Pollard. Services were in Massachusetts (Dunn Dispatch June 20, 1949).
Dorothy Young of Charlotte, formerly of the Coats area, was secretary in the office of Everette Enterprises that was connected with the Stewart Theater. The Harnett 4-H youth were back in the county after having attended Camp Millstone near Rockingham. Those who attended were Curtis Adams, Peggy Barnes, Carol Broadwell, Joanne Ennis, Charlotte Ferrell, Willie Carol Honeycutt, Stewart Hough, James Larry Johnson, Emily and Junior Norris, J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Donald Stewart, Shirley Whittington, and Billy Whittington (Dunn Dispatch June 24, 1949).
Maylon Denning, 42, Coats civic leader, had died after a long illness. He was a member of the Coats Baptist Church, Junior Order and manager of Stephens Hardware in Coats. He was son of J.K. and Flora Stewart Denning. His brothers were Melvin Denning, Rochelle Denning, Brady Denning and Ed Denning; his sisters were Mrs. H.F. Turlington, Mrs. W.M. Allen, Mrs. Perry Glover, Mrs. T.S. Byerly, Mrs. Bruce Byerly, Mrs. Robert H. Morgan, and Mrs. C. Otis Williford.
Mr. T.M. Stewart, photographer for the Dunn Dispatch, stated, “Around here few people realize how near we will be to Benson when the new highway is completed from Coats to Benson. With the new hard surface, it will be only a matter of a few minutes. In the past, the road was so bumpy and bad that most people would go the longer way by Dunn, and usually thought of Benson as miles away” (Dunn Dispatch June 27, 1949).
Carol Broadwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Waylon Broadwell, was honored at Camp Millstone for her leadership and performance. Do you know what connection Carol now has to some Coats people? I do know that Harnett County would lose $30,000 in beer revenue if voters voted out the selling of beer and wine. Mr. and Mrs. Neill McKay Salmon had returned from a trip to Camp Carolina at Tuxedo where their son “McKay” entered the camp. Miss Helen Joyce Parrish, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie L. Parrish, had married James Carson Carter, son of Mrs. J.E. Carter. The ceremony was at the home of the bride. She wore a dress of street length and it was embroidered organdy. Mrs. Carter was a graduate of Coats High School. Mr. Carter was employed with the Community Frozen Foods Locker in Fuquay Springs. J.C. Huff of Coats lost his brother, Billy Ray Huff, in a drowning at the lake at the Fayetteville Country Club. He was a senior at Linden High School and was an excellent swimmer (Dunn Dispatch June 29, 1949). Does anyone know what happened for him to drown?
Edison Johnson, native of Coats and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson, had been appointed as the new building inspector for the City of Durham. Now that the state bond had passed for road paving and improvement, 168 miles of roads in Harnett were to be tarred and graveled. In addition to that, 26 miles which had been approved earlier would also be paved. Those mentioned to be paved were from Coats to Johnston County and from Coats to Bailey’s Crossroads. A new petition was for 7.4 miles from Williams Crossroads to Bailey’s Crossroads via county line road.
B.L. Barnes headed a road request delegation of 15 people for an unnamed road. Owen Odum requested 3.9 miles be paved (G.I. Smith Road northeast of Coats which is the current Abattoir Road). He had a delegation of 15 people. Owen Odum also asked for 3.5 miles from Coats to Parlia Wood Cane Mill which is the current Cane Mill Road which passes by Hunter’s Run. Owen Odum asked for 3.1 miles from Coats southwest via Cannady’s Crossroads to Melvin Byrd’s filling station on 421 (Dunn Dispatch July 1, 1949). What road is that today? Are you surprised at the number of roads that Mr. Odum was petitioning?
The HCBOC cut the property tax rate by 5 cents. The new rate was $1.22 per $100.00. Seven road petitions were approved. Another petition in the Coats area was for a road in the vicinity of Coats leading from the Frank Elliott farm to the George Dorman Store on the Harnett-Johnston County line. It was requested that the 2.7 miles be made an all-weather road. Elsewhere, Woodrow Langdon, Alton Grimes, and W.A. Sawyer were appointed to the Grove committee to handle the referendum on marketing quotas and the financing of the tobacco association.
Cpl. Roy B. Jackson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. Jackson, had been promoted to Sergeant in Askiya Air Force Base in Japan. Jackson, a former student at Coats High School, had entered service in 1947. Do you remember reading about Gertrude Byrd many columns back? She was in the news again after being selected as runner-up in the senior group for the annual Harnett Dress Revue for 4H members. Miss Byrd wore a rayon checked gingham street dress, which had cost her $2.13 to make. A blue ribbon went to Jean Creech of Coats who wore a blue chambray school dress that cost $1.00 to make. Girls who won red ribbons were Patsy Smith and Peggy Weaver (Dunn Dispatch July 11, 1949). Who can guess who Patsy Smith is?
Read next week to learn about some of the most interesting folks who have visited from all over the country to tour the museum. It has been unbelievable. Please note that the new museum hours are on Thursdays from 9-3pm and on Sundays from 2-5 pm. For other days, we will open by appointment for groups.
Many thanks go to Peggie and Billy Pope for honoring the memory of Tom Stephenson, to Butch Turner for his generous donation to the museum and to the individual who honored James Grimes on his 90th birthday by giving to the museum’s endowment.
Many of you have shared your stories about going to the Coats Theater which was located where the Coats Public Works Department is, but how many of you can recall when the Stewart Theater in Dunn opened? The Dunn Dispatch June 20, 1949 issue printed that it had opened on June 22, 1949. It was proclaimed one of the finest in the state and would hold 600 patrons. Worth Stewart erected the new theater. The other theater in Dunn, the Dunn Theater, was being renovated and would have staggered seating arrangement. What was the third theater in Dunn in 1949? Was Worth Stewart kin to the Coats Stewarts?
I do know that lots of news was being made that dealt with Coats people such as new officers for the Palmyra Lodge 147 were elected where Vic Lee served as junior warden; however, Johnny Williams was a Boy Scout leader. “Mr. Peacock and the Mermaid” and “Joe Palooka in Winner Take All” were showing at the Coats Theater. Bible School was held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church near Bailey’s Crossroads. Rev. James Porter was minister and he was assisted in the leadership of the school with Miss Margaret Stephenson, Mrs. Joe Johnson, Mrs. Kirk Ennis, Mrs. Ed Creech, Mrs. Frank Elliott, Mary Jo Johnson, Mrs. Herbert Johnson, Mrs. Edith Denning, Miss Rachel Denning, Mrs. Bill Johnson, Mrs. Ben Paschal, Mrs. Maynard Coats, and Doris Johnson.
Sheers, cotton, and print dresses sold for $5.98 at Louis Baer Department Store in Dunn. Annie Laura Clevenger of Coats had visited her aunts, Mrs. Tony Harper and Mrs. J.M. Morgan of Erwin. Mrs. L.C. McMillian , the former Cornie Pollard of Coats, had died in Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Pollard. Her siblings were Mrs. L.C. Ryals, Mrs. J.M. Wilburn, Mrs. Eunice Pleasant, W.B., H.B. and J.T. Pollard. Services were in Massachusetts (Dunn Dispatch June 20, 1949).
Dorothy Young of Charlotte, formerly of the Coats area, was secretary in the office of Everette Enterprises that was connected with the Stewart Theater. The Harnett 4-H youth were back in the county after having attended Camp Millstone near Rockingham. Those who attended were Curtis Adams, Peggy Barnes, Carol Broadwell, Joanne Ennis, Charlotte Ferrell, Willie Carol Honeycutt, Stewart Hough, James Larry Johnson, Emily and Junior Norris, J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Donald Stewart, Shirley Whittington, and Billy Whittington (Dunn Dispatch June 24, 1949).
Maylon Denning, 42, Coats civic leader, had died after a long illness. He was a member of the Coats Baptist Church, Junior Order and manager of Stephens Hardware in Coats. He was son of J.K. and Flora Stewart Denning. His brothers were Melvin Denning, Rochelle Denning, Brady Denning and Ed Denning; his sisters were Mrs. H.F. Turlington, Mrs. W.M. Allen, Mrs. Perry Glover, Mrs. T.S. Byerly, Mrs. Bruce Byerly, Mrs. Robert H. Morgan, and Mrs. C. Otis Williford.
Mr. T.M. Stewart, photographer for the Dunn Dispatch, stated, “Around here few people realize how near we will be to Benson when the new highway is completed from Coats to Benson. With the new hard surface, it will be only a matter of a few minutes. In the past, the road was so bumpy and bad that most people would go the longer way by Dunn, and usually thought of Benson as miles away” (Dunn Dispatch June 27, 1949).
Carol Broadwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Waylon Broadwell, was honored at Camp Millstone for her leadership and performance. Do you know what connection Carol now has to some Coats people? I do know that Harnett County would lose $30,000 in beer revenue if voters voted out the selling of beer and wine. Mr. and Mrs. Neill McKay Salmon had returned from a trip to Camp Carolina at Tuxedo where their son “McKay” entered the camp. Miss Helen Joyce Parrish, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie L. Parrish, had married James Carson Carter, son of Mrs. J.E. Carter. The ceremony was at the home of the bride. She wore a dress of street length and it was embroidered organdy. Mrs. Carter was a graduate of Coats High School. Mr. Carter was employed with the Community Frozen Foods Locker in Fuquay Springs. J.C. Huff of Coats lost his brother, Billy Ray Huff, in a drowning at the lake at the Fayetteville Country Club. He was a senior at Linden High School and was an excellent swimmer (Dunn Dispatch June 29, 1949). Does anyone know what happened for him to drown?
Edison Johnson, native of Coats and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson, had been appointed as the new building inspector for the City of Durham. Now that the state bond had passed for road paving and improvement, 168 miles of roads in Harnett were to be tarred and graveled. In addition to that, 26 miles which had been approved earlier would also be paved. Those mentioned to be paved were from Coats to Johnston County and from Coats to Bailey’s Crossroads. A new petition was for 7.4 miles from Williams Crossroads to Bailey’s Crossroads via county line road.
B.L. Barnes headed a road request delegation of 15 people for an unnamed road. Owen Odum requested 3.9 miles be paved (G.I. Smith Road northeast of Coats which is the current Abattoir Road). He had a delegation of 15 people. Owen Odum also asked for 3.5 miles from Coats to Parlia Wood Cane Mill which is the current Cane Mill Road which passes by Hunter’s Run. Owen Odum asked for 3.1 miles from Coats southwest via Cannady’s Crossroads to Melvin Byrd’s filling station on 421 (Dunn Dispatch July 1, 1949). What road is that today? Are you surprised at the number of roads that Mr. Odum was petitioning?
The HCBOC cut the property tax rate by 5 cents. The new rate was $1.22 per $100.00. Seven road petitions were approved. Another petition in the Coats area was for a road in the vicinity of Coats leading from the Frank Elliott farm to the George Dorman Store on the Harnett-Johnston County line. It was requested that the 2.7 miles be made an all-weather road. Elsewhere, Woodrow Langdon, Alton Grimes, and W.A. Sawyer were appointed to the Grove committee to handle the referendum on marketing quotas and the financing of the tobacco association.
Cpl. Roy B. Jackson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. Jackson, had been promoted to Sergeant in Askiya Air Force Base in Japan. Jackson, a former student at Coats High School, had entered service in 1947. Do you remember reading about Gertrude Byrd many columns back? She was in the news again after being selected as runner-up in the senior group for the annual Harnett Dress Revue for 4H members. Miss Byrd wore a rayon checked gingham street dress, which had cost her $2.13 to make. A blue ribbon went to Jean Creech of Coats who wore a blue chambray school dress that cost $1.00 to make. Girls who won red ribbons were Patsy Smith and Peggy Weaver (Dunn Dispatch July 11, 1949). Who can guess who Patsy Smith is?
Read next week to learn about some of the most interesting folks who have visited from all over the country to tour the museum. It has been unbelievable. Please note that the new museum hours are on Thursdays from 9-3pm and on Sundays from 2-5 pm. For other days, we will open by appointment for groups.
Many thanks go to Peggie and Billy Pope for honoring the memory of Tom Stephenson, to Butch Turner for his generous donation to the museum and to the individual who honored James Grimes on his 90th birthday by giving to the museum’s endowment.