July 9, 2021 Coats Museum News
The date on the Daily Record reported it was Sept. 11, 1987 and wrote that Coats Police Chief Tommy Williford asked the Coats Town Board to consider hiring Max Matthews to replace Sgt. Glenn Fipps who resigned to accept a position with the Benson Police Dept. In the absence of members Frances Avery and Margaret House, Mayor Tim McKinnie, Cecil Fuquay, J.D. Norris and Godfrey Beasley also discussed a $40,000 street paving program. The current month revenue was reported at $40, 678.00 (Daily Record September 11, 1987).
Johnston Community College honored Ann Godwin Ennis as “Outstanding Student “in Executive Secretarial Science at their first awards banquet.
Lt. Michael Weaver had been selected to attend the prestigious navy post-graduate school in Monterey, CA. He planned to study for a master’s degree in financial management. Do you think he aspired to become a US Navy Commander one day? You do his mother is Doris Suggs Weaver Whitehurst and she lives near Mike in the NC mountains where he retired.
The CACC recognized Wellons Realty Co., Inc. as the Business Focus of the Week. The corporation was owned by John Wellons and Bobby Wellons was the president and general manager of the company. The major operation in Coats was the subdivision of Hunter’s Run located east of Coats on the property once owned by Gerald Langdon (Daily Record Sept. 15, 1987).Did Cleve Langdon own it before he passed it on to Gerald?
The paper continued to print the notes from Coats and Wanda Pollard shared that Mrs. Ruby Surles, Mrs. Walter Franklin, Mrs. Mable Barnes and Jean Williams were extended get well wishes. Anniversary wishes went out to Mr. and Mrs. Alton Wood on their Golden Anniversary and to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gregory, Mr. and Mrs. Tony Upchurch, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Regan, Mr. and Mrs. Connie Mack Tart and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Powell. Birthday wishes were sent to Howard Penny, Patsy Parrish, Megan Royal, Van Powell, Francis Matthews, Billy G. Pope, Kent Langdon, Lamas Denning, Harriet Roberts, Kay Y. Lawrence, Mable Langdon, Bruce Ennis, Tim Peede, Betty Gregory, Roy Sears, and Rev. D.H. McCollough. Mr. and Mrs. Matt Cannady announced the birth of Adrienne Cannady. Adrienne’s grandparents were J.C. Hawley and Ora Pond Hawley and Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Cannady (Daily Record Sept. 21, 1987).
Adrienne’s sister was Hilary and brother was Jim who must surely have been excited with the new arrival to their household.
Wade and Jenny Stephenson announced the engagement of their daughter Mary Ellen Stephenson to Hamilton M. Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Brown of Lillington (Daily Record Sept. 22, 1987).
Senior citizens-Florence Grimes (92) and Mae Coats (90) presented roses to the state officials who visited the new Coats Senior Citizens building in Coats (Daily Record Sept. 24, 1987).
Contestants in the 1987 Little Miss Coats Pageant in the age 5-6 were Lesley Barefoot, Shawna Pope, Holly Gregory, Jessica Johnson, Kristal Sills, Jessica Honeycutt, Kandi Stevens, Tiffany Matthews, Shelly Stevens and Shelly Stewart. Contestants in the age 7-9 group were Rebecca Williams, Tanya Lucas, Merry (?) Messer, Jenny Baker, Alicia Dixon, Angie Lee, Nicole Lee, Allison Langdon, Misty Tart, and Carisa Westbrook. Contestants in the age 10-12 group were Kara Spivey, Laine Coats, Jessica Johnson, Andrea Currin, Anne Thomson, April Dixon, Kelly Smith, Angela Warren, Mandy Dixon, and Vanessa Beasley (Daily Record Oct. 2, 1987).
Who remembers these girls and who were the winners? You think it will be announced in a later edition the Daily Record?
I do know that the “Notes from Coats” sent sympathy to the families of Mr. LeRoy Hough and Mr. David Byrd. Get well wishes were sent to Ravon Stone, Mrs. Laura Stewart, Mrs. Gracie Stone, and Scott Maynor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dickie Maynor.
The paper printed that Mr. and Mrs. William Pope were enjoying their beautiful new home which was partially surrounded by their lake on Route 2, Angier. Wanda in her notes mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Johnson had a beautiful autumn lawn display.
During the pandemic, people found various ways to entertain themselves while spending so much time in their houses. Many read; some did crossword puzzles or assembled puzzles or did word finds. Others may have crocheted or knitted and some even did water, acrylic or oil painting. A few even put their green thumbs to work. Many found forgotten hidden treasures in their closets or attic.
My husband and I spent much time reading and that is where I revisited my historical treasures. For three years prior to 2005, the Coats Centennial History committee interviewed dozens of our oldest Grove area citizens and researched hundreds of old newspapers, records, books, cemeteries, histories of local churches and organizations, town minutes and other sources that would be parts of the puzzle that depicted Coats.
One part of the puzzle dealt with water and the fire-fighting bucket brigade. We found that Dr. Harry Roberts had an electric plant that was destroyed by fire when the Patterson and Byrd Hosiery Mill burned in 1920.The news paper shared that the town came out in force using the bucket brigade to attempt to save the burning businesses. The Coats Town Board meeting minutes of December 30, 1924 shared that the town board voted on a franchise with CPL to furnish electrical energy for streetlights to parts of Coats. The franchise to Dr. H.C. Roberts on January 18, 1917 was to be cancelled. Part of the puzzle is still missing-did Dr. Roberts rebuild his plant that served a few houses and businesses?
In February of 1925, John McKay Byrd lost his flour mill and cotton gin to another fire. The hard working local fire-fighting brigade was only able to save several large piles of lumber and several residences. Where did the bucket brigade get the water to pass on to douse the fire? In our interviews with the older citizens they mentioned that there were water troughs in town. Where did the water come to fill the water boxes for it was not until the October 21, 1926 edition of the Harnett County News that it was mentioned that the new heating system in the Coats School would be supplied with water from the J. McKay Byrd’s tank which received water from the cement cistern at the Coats spring.
Are we thinking that the water boxes were filled from the Byrd water tank or did the town have a well that was on Main Street. Was it inside the building of Jerry Tyndall’s building?
Can we even verify that there were water boxes? The Coats Town Meeting minutes of July 4, 1922 recorded that town Commissioner T.D. Whittington was authorized to buy 1,000 square feet of heart bridge lumber for making water boxes at a price not to exceed $25.00.
It seems now that we have two possible sources of water and water boxes but how did the brigade pass water to the fire? Do you recall a few columns back that former Coats Fire Chief Keith McLeod was pictured standing on the lid to the Coats town well and was holding a water bucket shaped like a cone that Keith said was used by Coats citizens when they helped fight a fire as a part of the bucket brigade? Do the pieces of the puzzle fit?
The date on the Daily Record reported it was Sept. 11, 1987 and wrote that Coats Police Chief Tommy Williford asked the Coats Town Board to consider hiring Max Matthews to replace Sgt. Glenn Fipps who resigned to accept a position with the Benson Police Dept. In the absence of members Frances Avery and Margaret House, Mayor Tim McKinnie, Cecil Fuquay, J.D. Norris and Godfrey Beasley also discussed a $40,000 street paving program. The current month revenue was reported at $40, 678.00 (Daily Record September 11, 1987).
Johnston Community College honored Ann Godwin Ennis as “Outstanding Student “in Executive Secretarial Science at their first awards banquet.
Lt. Michael Weaver had been selected to attend the prestigious navy post-graduate school in Monterey, CA. He planned to study for a master’s degree in financial management. Do you think he aspired to become a US Navy Commander one day? You do his mother is Doris Suggs Weaver Whitehurst and she lives near Mike in the NC mountains where he retired.
The CACC recognized Wellons Realty Co., Inc. as the Business Focus of the Week. The corporation was owned by John Wellons and Bobby Wellons was the president and general manager of the company. The major operation in Coats was the subdivision of Hunter’s Run located east of Coats on the property once owned by Gerald Langdon (Daily Record Sept. 15, 1987).Did Cleve Langdon own it before he passed it on to Gerald?
The paper continued to print the notes from Coats and Wanda Pollard shared that Mrs. Ruby Surles, Mrs. Walter Franklin, Mrs. Mable Barnes and Jean Williams were extended get well wishes. Anniversary wishes went out to Mr. and Mrs. Alton Wood on their Golden Anniversary and to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gregory, Mr. and Mrs. Tony Upchurch, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Regan, Mr. and Mrs. Connie Mack Tart and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Powell. Birthday wishes were sent to Howard Penny, Patsy Parrish, Megan Royal, Van Powell, Francis Matthews, Billy G. Pope, Kent Langdon, Lamas Denning, Harriet Roberts, Kay Y. Lawrence, Mable Langdon, Bruce Ennis, Tim Peede, Betty Gregory, Roy Sears, and Rev. D.H. McCollough. Mr. and Mrs. Matt Cannady announced the birth of Adrienne Cannady. Adrienne’s grandparents were J.C. Hawley and Ora Pond Hawley and Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Cannady (Daily Record Sept. 21, 1987).
Adrienne’s sister was Hilary and brother was Jim who must surely have been excited with the new arrival to their household.
Wade and Jenny Stephenson announced the engagement of their daughter Mary Ellen Stephenson to Hamilton M. Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Brown of Lillington (Daily Record Sept. 22, 1987).
Senior citizens-Florence Grimes (92) and Mae Coats (90) presented roses to the state officials who visited the new Coats Senior Citizens building in Coats (Daily Record Sept. 24, 1987).
Contestants in the 1987 Little Miss Coats Pageant in the age 5-6 were Lesley Barefoot, Shawna Pope, Holly Gregory, Jessica Johnson, Kristal Sills, Jessica Honeycutt, Kandi Stevens, Tiffany Matthews, Shelly Stevens and Shelly Stewart. Contestants in the age 7-9 group were Rebecca Williams, Tanya Lucas, Merry (?) Messer, Jenny Baker, Alicia Dixon, Angie Lee, Nicole Lee, Allison Langdon, Misty Tart, and Carisa Westbrook. Contestants in the age 10-12 group were Kara Spivey, Laine Coats, Jessica Johnson, Andrea Currin, Anne Thomson, April Dixon, Kelly Smith, Angela Warren, Mandy Dixon, and Vanessa Beasley (Daily Record Oct. 2, 1987).
Who remembers these girls and who were the winners? You think it will be announced in a later edition the Daily Record?
I do know that the “Notes from Coats” sent sympathy to the families of Mr. LeRoy Hough and Mr. David Byrd. Get well wishes were sent to Ravon Stone, Mrs. Laura Stewart, Mrs. Gracie Stone, and Scott Maynor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dickie Maynor.
The paper printed that Mr. and Mrs. William Pope were enjoying their beautiful new home which was partially surrounded by their lake on Route 2, Angier. Wanda in her notes mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Johnson had a beautiful autumn lawn display.
During the pandemic, people found various ways to entertain themselves while spending so much time in their houses. Many read; some did crossword puzzles or assembled puzzles or did word finds. Others may have crocheted or knitted and some even did water, acrylic or oil painting. A few even put their green thumbs to work. Many found forgotten hidden treasures in their closets or attic.
My husband and I spent much time reading and that is where I revisited my historical treasures. For three years prior to 2005, the Coats Centennial History committee interviewed dozens of our oldest Grove area citizens and researched hundreds of old newspapers, records, books, cemeteries, histories of local churches and organizations, town minutes and other sources that would be parts of the puzzle that depicted Coats.
One part of the puzzle dealt with water and the fire-fighting bucket brigade. We found that Dr. Harry Roberts had an electric plant that was destroyed by fire when the Patterson and Byrd Hosiery Mill burned in 1920.The news paper shared that the town came out in force using the bucket brigade to attempt to save the burning businesses. The Coats Town Board meeting minutes of December 30, 1924 shared that the town board voted on a franchise with CPL to furnish electrical energy for streetlights to parts of Coats. The franchise to Dr. H.C. Roberts on January 18, 1917 was to be cancelled. Part of the puzzle is still missing-did Dr. Roberts rebuild his plant that served a few houses and businesses?
In February of 1925, John McKay Byrd lost his flour mill and cotton gin to another fire. The hard working local fire-fighting brigade was only able to save several large piles of lumber and several residences. Where did the bucket brigade get the water to pass on to douse the fire? In our interviews with the older citizens they mentioned that there were water troughs in town. Where did the water come to fill the water boxes for it was not until the October 21, 1926 edition of the Harnett County News that it was mentioned that the new heating system in the Coats School would be supplied with water from the J. McKay Byrd’s tank which received water from the cement cistern at the Coats spring.
Are we thinking that the water boxes were filled from the Byrd water tank or did the town have a well that was on Main Street. Was it inside the building of Jerry Tyndall’s building?
Can we even verify that there were water boxes? The Coats Town Meeting minutes of July 4, 1922 recorded that town Commissioner T.D. Whittington was authorized to buy 1,000 square feet of heart bridge lumber for making water boxes at a price not to exceed $25.00.
It seems now that we have two possible sources of water and water boxes but how did the brigade pass water to the fire? Do you recall a few columns back that former Coats Fire Chief Keith McLeod was pictured standing on the lid to the Coats town well and was holding a water bucket shaped like a cone that Keith said was used by Coats citizens when they helped fight a fire as a part of the bucket brigade? Do the pieces of the puzzle fit?