June 28, 2013 Coats Museum News
The Flu Epidemic of 1918 brought death to thousands of children and adults. A visit to a local cemetery can give proof to that. In 1941, a flu epidemic of a milder form resulted in people being urged to go to bed on the first day of the symptoms since that was the most contagious day. Those who were not affected by the flu may have gone to a Pontiac dealer to check out the Pontiac Deluxe “Torpedo” Six, a two-door sedan for $874. White sidewall tires were extra. Wages for a skilled worker were 90 cents an hour; semiskilled were 80 cents; and unskilled were 75 cents an hour. I bet some of our farm readers who worked in tobacco remember being paid less than that even after 1941.
I do know that W.J. Sauls was the new Police Chief in Coats to follow Chief E.B. Beasley. Sauls was formerly employed at Pat F. Pope Lumber Company. Was 1941 too early for ballpoint pens? The News office in Lillington would fill an ink bottle with good writing ink for a nickel. If there was nothing to do on the farm, the movies were an option. “Victory”, “Christmas in July”, “Second Chorus”, “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”, and “Blondie Plays Cupid” were some choices to see. Who knows when Coats had a movie theater? I do know that a farmer could purchase a new 2-Row Model C Allis- Chalmers Tractor for $595.00 (Harnett County News January 16, 1941).
When I ask the question about the ownership of one of the first automobiles in Coats, Leo McDonald from Lillington came forth with the restored car of Roger Coats-quite a job he did in restoring it. Does someone know who was one of the first tractor owners in the area?
Let’s see! How many hours would an unskilled worker have to work to buy that tractor? Since farmers appeared very skilled to this writer, how many hours would a skilled worker have had to work? Did they have social security deductions in 1941? Did they have sales tax? Possibly we should wait on buying that tractor.
The County Land Use Committee printed the plans each community hoped to accomplish in 1941. Guess what Coats selected. Coats plans were beautification, home demonstration clubs, home sanitation, live at home markets, and soil improvements. That’s how it was written folks (Harnett County News January 23, 1941).
Was fear of war in the hearts, minds and actions of lawbreakers? For the first time since May 22, 1937, the Harnett jail cells were completely empty of prisoners and for the first time the cells were vacant overnight in eight years (Harnett County News January 23, 1941).
The same edition of the paper recorded that Fort Bragg was the largest Field Artillery reservation in the world. Approximately 28.5 miles long and 14.5 miles at its widest point, it contained 228 square miles or 122,000 acres. The base had 68,000 enlisted men in 1941. The Turlington’s Crossroads Home Demonstration Club met at the home of Mrs. Paul Turlington.( They were officially organized on January 24, 1941.)
The Coats FFA boys won two contests. They were awarded the Federation banner, which they would keep until another unit outscored the Coats unit. Plant identification and egg judging were areas of judging. H.A. Turlington, Jr. scored the highest points for plant identification. Sylvester Neighbors, Carlton Eanes and Rayvaugh Stewart were on that team. Lamas Denning was high scorer with 350 points out of 400. Others on the team were Daywood Langdon and Joe Neighbors. The Turlington community had organized a Home Demonstration earlier in the month and six members were charters. Mrs. Paul Turlington was president; Mrs. Stewart Turlington was vice president, and Mrs. Millard Turlington was secretary.
While the ladies below Coats were talking extension club work, the younger girls from Coats were more concerned with winning the basketball game against Lillington in which they did so by scoring 31 to 14. Berlene Langdon was the offensive star. The Coats boys lost by one point (Harnett County News January 30, 1941).
A check of the registration of draft age men in Harnett’s Board 1 revealed that more than 800 of the registrants did not list for taxes in 1940. Why was that relevant? The ladies continued with their social lives as it was reported that the Fortnightly Bridge Club of Coats met regularly. Members were Mrs. Haywood Roberts, Mrs. Vic Lee, Mrs. M.O. Phillips, Mrs. Louise Coats Cameron, Miss Helen White Roycroft, Mrs. John Byrd, Mrs. Lennox Coggins, Mrs. Charles Beasley and Miss Kate Black. Are any of these ladies alive? Who was Kate Black?
“Gone with the Wind” was showing in Dunn. Fish could be purchased for 12 ½ cents a pound and oysters were 35 cents a pint (Harnett County News February 6, 1941). Wow—what does a pint of oysters cost in 2013? Did you say probably over $13.00? By the way, did you know that some people will not purchase fresh oysters unless there is an “r” in the month of the year?
“Gone with the Wind” was held over for 3 additional days at the Dunn Theater. Should you wonder what the cost was to attend that movie in 1941-here goes. For the Matinee, a child’s ticket was a quarter and the adult’s was 40 cents. At night, one had to pay 55 cents for all seats. The Neighborly Club hosted M.O. Phillips as speaker and the Turlington Club attended as guests. Was the Neighborly Club a Home Demonstration Club?
Josie Lynn Hayes edited the first annual for Coats School. Her staff was Mildred Johnson, associate editor; Christine Stewart, business manager; Raeford Parrish, assistant business manager; Berlene Langdon, sports editor; and Carsie Denning, art editor. Berlene stayed busy with all her school activities. Was she a farm girl? She scored 27 points for a victory of 46-11 over Anderson Creek. The boys lost, but won against Buies Creek. “Beanie” led the girls with 20 points to defeat Buies Creek by 32-19 (Harnett County News February 13, 1941).
The Flu Epidemic of 1918 brought death to thousands of children and adults. A visit to a local cemetery can give proof to that. In 1941, a flu epidemic of a milder form resulted in people being urged to go to bed on the first day of the symptoms since that was the most contagious day. Those who were not affected by the flu may have gone to a Pontiac dealer to check out the Pontiac Deluxe “Torpedo” Six, a two-door sedan for $874. White sidewall tires were extra. Wages for a skilled worker were 90 cents an hour; semiskilled were 80 cents; and unskilled were 75 cents an hour. I bet some of our farm readers who worked in tobacco remember being paid less than that even after 1941.
I do know that W.J. Sauls was the new Police Chief in Coats to follow Chief E.B. Beasley. Sauls was formerly employed at Pat F. Pope Lumber Company. Was 1941 too early for ballpoint pens? The News office in Lillington would fill an ink bottle with good writing ink for a nickel. If there was nothing to do on the farm, the movies were an option. “Victory”, “Christmas in July”, “Second Chorus”, “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”, and “Blondie Plays Cupid” were some choices to see. Who knows when Coats had a movie theater? I do know that a farmer could purchase a new 2-Row Model C Allis- Chalmers Tractor for $595.00 (Harnett County News January 16, 1941).
When I ask the question about the ownership of one of the first automobiles in Coats, Leo McDonald from Lillington came forth with the restored car of Roger Coats-quite a job he did in restoring it. Does someone know who was one of the first tractor owners in the area?
Let’s see! How many hours would an unskilled worker have to work to buy that tractor? Since farmers appeared very skilled to this writer, how many hours would a skilled worker have had to work? Did they have social security deductions in 1941? Did they have sales tax? Possibly we should wait on buying that tractor.
The County Land Use Committee printed the plans each community hoped to accomplish in 1941. Guess what Coats selected. Coats plans were beautification, home demonstration clubs, home sanitation, live at home markets, and soil improvements. That’s how it was written folks (Harnett County News January 23, 1941).
Was fear of war in the hearts, minds and actions of lawbreakers? For the first time since May 22, 1937, the Harnett jail cells were completely empty of prisoners and for the first time the cells were vacant overnight in eight years (Harnett County News January 23, 1941).
The same edition of the paper recorded that Fort Bragg was the largest Field Artillery reservation in the world. Approximately 28.5 miles long and 14.5 miles at its widest point, it contained 228 square miles or 122,000 acres. The base had 68,000 enlisted men in 1941. The Turlington’s Crossroads Home Demonstration Club met at the home of Mrs. Paul Turlington.( They were officially organized on January 24, 1941.)
The Coats FFA boys won two contests. They were awarded the Federation banner, which they would keep until another unit outscored the Coats unit. Plant identification and egg judging were areas of judging. H.A. Turlington, Jr. scored the highest points for plant identification. Sylvester Neighbors, Carlton Eanes and Rayvaugh Stewart were on that team. Lamas Denning was high scorer with 350 points out of 400. Others on the team were Daywood Langdon and Joe Neighbors. The Turlington community had organized a Home Demonstration earlier in the month and six members were charters. Mrs. Paul Turlington was president; Mrs. Stewart Turlington was vice president, and Mrs. Millard Turlington was secretary.
While the ladies below Coats were talking extension club work, the younger girls from Coats were more concerned with winning the basketball game against Lillington in which they did so by scoring 31 to 14. Berlene Langdon was the offensive star. The Coats boys lost by one point (Harnett County News January 30, 1941).
A check of the registration of draft age men in Harnett’s Board 1 revealed that more than 800 of the registrants did not list for taxes in 1940. Why was that relevant? The ladies continued with their social lives as it was reported that the Fortnightly Bridge Club of Coats met regularly. Members were Mrs. Haywood Roberts, Mrs. Vic Lee, Mrs. M.O. Phillips, Mrs. Louise Coats Cameron, Miss Helen White Roycroft, Mrs. John Byrd, Mrs. Lennox Coggins, Mrs. Charles Beasley and Miss Kate Black. Are any of these ladies alive? Who was Kate Black?
“Gone with the Wind” was showing in Dunn. Fish could be purchased for 12 ½ cents a pound and oysters were 35 cents a pint (Harnett County News February 6, 1941). Wow—what does a pint of oysters cost in 2013? Did you say probably over $13.00? By the way, did you know that some people will not purchase fresh oysters unless there is an “r” in the month of the year?
“Gone with the Wind” was held over for 3 additional days at the Dunn Theater. Should you wonder what the cost was to attend that movie in 1941-here goes. For the Matinee, a child’s ticket was a quarter and the adult’s was 40 cents. At night, one had to pay 55 cents for all seats. The Neighborly Club hosted M.O. Phillips as speaker and the Turlington Club attended as guests. Was the Neighborly Club a Home Demonstration Club?
Josie Lynn Hayes edited the first annual for Coats School. Her staff was Mildred Johnson, associate editor; Christine Stewart, business manager; Raeford Parrish, assistant business manager; Berlene Langdon, sports editor; and Carsie Denning, art editor. Berlene stayed busy with all her school activities. Was she a farm girl? She scored 27 points for a victory of 46-11 over Anderson Creek. The boys lost, but won against Buies Creek. “Beanie” led the girls with 20 points to defeat Buies Creek by 32-19 (Harnett County News February 13, 1941).