June 21, 2013 Coats Museum News
Food safety has been a concern for a very long time in North Carolina. That is proven by the many times you have read about market establishments being inspected. So was the case in 1940 when Inspector Ballentine visited the markets of Joel Ennis, M.E. Ennis, W.M. Keene, and L.M. Johnson in Coats (Harnett County News November 23, 1940). I bet there are many of you who can recall exactly where each of those markets was located on Main Street.
Mayor J.B. Williams was persistent in his effort to get clean water, sewer and fire protection for the Coats citizens. He stated that after he had completed the arduous task of being chairman of the draft board, he would again devote his efforts to get the water system (Harnett County News November 28, 1940).
The Harnett County News introduced the work of Zenobia Surles as a student reporter. She reported that the Coats PTA presented a program, “Tillie and Mac’s Wedding”. It featured most of the comic strip characters who were played by merchants and other town people of Coats. Mrs. Clem Godwin was Tillie and Lamas Denning was Mac. The grammar grade students were enjoying the easels built by the Agriculture Department. They would soon have cabinets and other things that were necessary to make the Elementary Department a standard one. Do we have any readers who helped build those easels and cabinets?
Miss Surles also reported that four Coats High School students made nothing except an “A” on their courses this year. The students were Shirley Faye Hayes, Rosalie Whittington, Helen Roycroft, and Josie Lynn Hayes (Harnett County News December 5, 1940).
Joe E. Fish, a retired Coats farmer, died at his home in Coats early Monday morning. He had been ill for five years. The popular man was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. Surviving him were his wife and three daughters-Mrs. Elsie Weaver, Annie Ruth and Obie Fish. He had five sons- Lewis, Clarence, Sherwood, J.D., and Junice Fish. Turner, Arthur, Daniel, Lloyd, and Snow Fish were his brothers. Mrs. Lovie Stephens and Mrs. G.W. Scoggins were his sisters. Joe was interred in the Barnes Cemetery after the funeral services at Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church (Harnett County News December 12, 1940). Does anyone know where the church and cemetery are located in the Coats area?
As we flip the final pages on the 1940 calendar, shall we view a bridal shower for a Coats bride-elect. Miss Mary Sue Nichols was honored by Mrs. M.O. Phillips who marked the bride’s table with a miniature bride and groom from which extended a ribbon which led the bride on a treasure hunt where she found a shower of lovely linens (Harnett County News December 19, 1940). Read on to see whom she married.
The bold numbers on a new calendar read 1941. Roosevelt requested the lend-lease for arms. The plan provided for arms to those nations engaged in war against the Nazis. The Supreme Court ruled that Negroes were entitled to all first-class services on railroad trains. The Bismarck sank. Joe Louis won his 17th title defense. Jews in Germany had to wear the Star of David. The Japanese devastated the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor. FDR signed the U.S. into a war.
In Grove, many young men knew it would be a short time before they would be subject to the draft. The Lonnie L. Stewart family was more concerned with plans for his funeral. Mr. Stewart had died on December 30th. He had been a farmer, merchant, Chief of Police and a member of the Coats Baptist Church (Harnett County News January 2, 1940).
Mary Sue Nichols, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Nichols, married Thomas Joseph Byrne of Wake Forest and Baltimore. Mrs. Landis (Meredith) Tyner of Dunn served as Dame of Honor. Mrs. M. O. Phillips and Miss Madeline Keene of Coats were two in the wedding party. The wedding occurred on December 23, 1940 (Harnett County News January 2, 1941). You recognize Tommy Byrne as later being the New York Yankees pitcher-right? Mary Sue and Tommy Byrne’s son John is the current mayor of Fuquay.
Miss Alease Turlington who was on the staff at Rex Hospital left on December 27, 1940 for a postgraduate course in obstetrics in New York. She was the daughter of U.S. Deputy Marshal and Mrs. Henry Turlington (Harnett County News January 2, 1941).
Many sections of North Carolina were surely excited to hear that a 3 million dollar electric generating system would be in service by spring of 1942. The station was to be built in Raleigh (Harnett County News January 1941).Is this connected with CPL?
The official figures released showed that Harnett’s population had increased 16.7 percent and now had 44,239. The increase was considerably lower than the decade between 1920 and 1930. That increase was recorded at 33.9 percent. In 1930, Coats had 562 people compared to 827 for 1940. Angier had 1,028 compared to 760 in 1930 (Harnett County News January 9, 1941). Do you recall if Coats ever had a higher population than Angier?
The schools started special classes designed to fit youth into the Defense Program jobs. Classes were taught at Coats on sheet metal work, carpentry, and automobile mechanics. Wonder if any of the Hayes boys outside of Coats were enrolled in those classes? I do know that Billy Hayes decreased the population of Harnett County when he died at his home from injuries he received when he slipped and fell on the doorsteps. The 81-year –old retired farmer was one of the oldest members of Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church. Was he kin to the Richard Hayes family? Was he kin to those two girls who had made all A’s whom you read about above? We do know that the Turlington Grove Colored School consolidated with Mt. Pisgah. The school property was sold because it was no longer used (Harnett County News January 9, 1941).
A special thank you to Benny Weaver of Angier for sharing the answers about the Coats people killed by the Durham and Southern Railroad—good job Benny! Thanks to H.A. Turlington for sharing that Susie Turlington Mewborn was named after her grandmother Susannah Grimes Parrish, first wife of B.F. Parrish. The museum folks appreciated Susie giving a generous donation and many documents to the museum to honor the memory of her late husband, J.M Mewborn. Verle Flowers of Angier knows the answers to most of my questions and once again shared lots of information about the old road to Coats via the current McLamb -Fleming Roads. Keep calling Verle. Thanks goes to the family of Mrs. Pearl Tart Lumley for designating the museum as the recipient of memorials for her. The delightful lady visited the museum on several occasions with her sister, Frances Matthews. Lynda and Robie Butler, Hilda Pope, Margaret House and H.L. Sorrell have given to the museum to honor her memory. Judy W. Ennis sent a donation from the Coats High School Class of 1960 to honor the memory of classmate Wade Weaver, Jr. What a wonderful way to remember Wade that was.
Food safety has been a concern for a very long time in North Carolina. That is proven by the many times you have read about market establishments being inspected. So was the case in 1940 when Inspector Ballentine visited the markets of Joel Ennis, M.E. Ennis, W.M. Keene, and L.M. Johnson in Coats (Harnett County News November 23, 1940). I bet there are many of you who can recall exactly where each of those markets was located on Main Street.
Mayor J.B. Williams was persistent in his effort to get clean water, sewer and fire protection for the Coats citizens. He stated that after he had completed the arduous task of being chairman of the draft board, he would again devote his efforts to get the water system (Harnett County News November 28, 1940).
The Harnett County News introduced the work of Zenobia Surles as a student reporter. She reported that the Coats PTA presented a program, “Tillie and Mac’s Wedding”. It featured most of the comic strip characters who were played by merchants and other town people of Coats. Mrs. Clem Godwin was Tillie and Lamas Denning was Mac. The grammar grade students were enjoying the easels built by the Agriculture Department. They would soon have cabinets and other things that were necessary to make the Elementary Department a standard one. Do we have any readers who helped build those easels and cabinets?
Miss Surles also reported that four Coats High School students made nothing except an “A” on their courses this year. The students were Shirley Faye Hayes, Rosalie Whittington, Helen Roycroft, and Josie Lynn Hayes (Harnett County News December 5, 1940).
Joe E. Fish, a retired Coats farmer, died at his home in Coats early Monday morning. He had been ill for five years. The popular man was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. Surviving him were his wife and three daughters-Mrs. Elsie Weaver, Annie Ruth and Obie Fish. He had five sons- Lewis, Clarence, Sherwood, J.D., and Junice Fish. Turner, Arthur, Daniel, Lloyd, and Snow Fish were his brothers. Mrs. Lovie Stephens and Mrs. G.W. Scoggins were his sisters. Joe was interred in the Barnes Cemetery after the funeral services at Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church (Harnett County News December 12, 1940). Does anyone know where the church and cemetery are located in the Coats area?
As we flip the final pages on the 1940 calendar, shall we view a bridal shower for a Coats bride-elect. Miss Mary Sue Nichols was honored by Mrs. M.O. Phillips who marked the bride’s table with a miniature bride and groom from which extended a ribbon which led the bride on a treasure hunt where she found a shower of lovely linens (Harnett County News December 19, 1940). Read on to see whom she married.
The bold numbers on a new calendar read 1941. Roosevelt requested the lend-lease for arms. The plan provided for arms to those nations engaged in war against the Nazis. The Supreme Court ruled that Negroes were entitled to all first-class services on railroad trains. The Bismarck sank. Joe Louis won his 17th title defense. Jews in Germany had to wear the Star of David. The Japanese devastated the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor. FDR signed the U.S. into a war.
In Grove, many young men knew it would be a short time before they would be subject to the draft. The Lonnie L. Stewart family was more concerned with plans for his funeral. Mr. Stewart had died on December 30th. He had been a farmer, merchant, Chief of Police and a member of the Coats Baptist Church (Harnett County News January 2, 1940).
Mary Sue Nichols, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Nichols, married Thomas Joseph Byrne of Wake Forest and Baltimore. Mrs. Landis (Meredith) Tyner of Dunn served as Dame of Honor. Mrs. M. O. Phillips and Miss Madeline Keene of Coats were two in the wedding party. The wedding occurred on December 23, 1940 (Harnett County News January 2, 1941). You recognize Tommy Byrne as later being the New York Yankees pitcher-right? Mary Sue and Tommy Byrne’s son John is the current mayor of Fuquay.
Miss Alease Turlington who was on the staff at Rex Hospital left on December 27, 1940 for a postgraduate course in obstetrics in New York. She was the daughter of U.S. Deputy Marshal and Mrs. Henry Turlington (Harnett County News January 2, 1941).
Many sections of North Carolina were surely excited to hear that a 3 million dollar electric generating system would be in service by spring of 1942. The station was to be built in Raleigh (Harnett County News January 1941).Is this connected with CPL?
The official figures released showed that Harnett’s population had increased 16.7 percent and now had 44,239. The increase was considerably lower than the decade between 1920 and 1930. That increase was recorded at 33.9 percent. In 1930, Coats had 562 people compared to 827 for 1940. Angier had 1,028 compared to 760 in 1930 (Harnett County News January 9, 1941). Do you recall if Coats ever had a higher population than Angier?
The schools started special classes designed to fit youth into the Defense Program jobs. Classes were taught at Coats on sheet metal work, carpentry, and automobile mechanics. Wonder if any of the Hayes boys outside of Coats were enrolled in those classes? I do know that Billy Hayes decreased the population of Harnett County when he died at his home from injuries he received when he slipped and fell on the doorsteps. The 81-year –old retired farmer was one of the oldest members of Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church. Was he kin to the Richard Hayes family? Was he kin to those two girls who had made all A’s whom you read about above? We do know that the Turlington Grove Colored School consolidated with Mt. Pisgah. The school property was sold because it was no longer used (Harnett County News January 9, 1941).
A special thank you to Benny Weaver of Angier for sharing the answers about the Coats people killed by the Durham and Southern Railroad—good job Benny! Thanks to H.A. Turlington for sharing that Susie Turlington Mewborn was named after her grandmother Susannah Grimes Parrish, first wife of B.F. Parrish. The museum folks appreciated Susie giving a generous donation and many documents to the museum to honor the memory of her late husband, J.M Mewborn. Verle Flowers of Angier knows the answers to most of my questions and once again shared lots of information about the old road to Coats via the current McLamb -Fleming Roads. Keep calling Verle. Thanks goes to the family of Mrs. Pearl Tart Lumley for designating the museum as the recipient of memorials for her. The delightful lady visited the museum on several occasions with her sister, Frances Matthews. Lynda and Robie Butler, Hilda Pope, Margaret House and H.L. Sorrell have given to the museum to honor her memory. Judy W. Ennis sent a donation from the Coats High School Class of 1960 to honor the memory of classmate Wade Weaver, Jr. What a wonderful way to remember Wade that was.