June 8, 2012 Coats Museum News
It was spring o f 1929, and a mass meeting was held at the Coats Town Hall for the purpose of nominating town officials. C. Garner Fuquay and J. F. McLeod were nominated for mayor. T.O. Beasley, M.C. Stewart, T.H. Grimes, W.M. Keene, Joel Keene, B.F. Byrd, and R.M. Coats were nominated for commissioners (Coats town board meeting minutes April 23, 1929).
The Coats High School honor roll lists were published in the Harnett County News. The students who had made the first grade list were Curtis Lee, Doris McLamb, Louise Franklin, and Ola Williams. Second grade students were Eugene Ennis, Maggie Stevens, Odell Stewart, George Lee, Violette Hayes, and John Sorrell. Third graders who made honor roll were Ellis Avery, J.L. Fuquay, and Madeline Turner. Ruth Fuquay, Dorothy Patterson, Ollie Belle, Ruby Turlington, and Kathyrn Smith made the fourth grade roll. Curtis Ennis, Vera Lee Johnson, Marjorie Whittington, Dorothy Stewart, and Katie McCless were on the grade five record. Hettie Holmes was the single honor student in grade six. Grade seven students listed were Josie Cannady, Allene Coats, Lois Grimes, Neill Patterson, Thurman Ennis, and Elease Williams. Onea Gregory, Grace Coats, Leta Dorman, and Ruby Ennis were honor recipients in grade eight. Ninth graders named were Linwood Stewart, Thomas Williams, Thelma Ennis, Thelma Stancil, Tiny Turner, and Viola Wood. Tenth graders were Lillian Hudgins, Annie Belle King, Bruce Langdon, and Thelma McLamb. Bernice Bayles, Annie Hudgins, James Lee, William Patterson, and Nell Penny made grade eleven honor roll (Harnett County News April 25, 1929).Are any of these students alive today? That list was printed eighty-three years ago.
While proud parents may have been smiling over the honor roll, the teachers had enjoyed a shad supper and a pleasant evening at the home of Mrs. T.D. Stewart. Those who attended were Misses Ola Reirson, Ann Whitty, Edith Maynard, Theresa Newton, Sue Williams, Ada Burt, Lois Williams, and Lillian Johnson.
Where did those teachers live? Were there no male teachers and wonder if so, why they were not at the fish supper? I do know that the ninth graders had studied short stories in April of 1929. One of the stories was put to play by Thelma Stancil and the play was given during chapel. Did they have chapel in all schools in 1929? The Scotch dialect and costumes were a big hit recorded Annie Belle King for the newspaper. The school also reported that the grammar grade classes of Coats presented the operetta, “One Midsummer’s Day”, in the auditorium. The stage and costumes received much attention from those who attended. The cast of 74 characters had made an especially pretty finale. The juniors had entertained the seniors with a gypsy tea at Matthews Mill Pond. Two questions—where was Matthews Mill Pond and what is a gypsy tea? That same newspaper article recorded that the Coats baseball team had defeated Lillington with a score of 10-3 and that Fuquay Springs High School would be the Coats team’s next rival (Harnett County News April 25, 1929).
Recall last week that I listed the names of many men who lived in Grove Township and asked you to guess what they had in common. Walter Ennis, B.F. Byrd, O.R. Simpson, J.A. Turlington, Joseph Marion Johnson, J.E. Byrd, J.M. Messer, and F.L. Denning had their names drawn to serve as June term of Superior Court jurors in Lillington (Harnett County News May 9, 1929). All of these gentlemen were big farmers or businessmen. Don’t you know they welcomed the news of jury duty in this busy season? Also, did you notice that no female names appeared on the list? Why?
On Monday afternoon, Miss Margaret McLeod, 71, had died at her home after a week of illness. Miss McLeod had enjoyed good health, but she had developed blood poisoning after she had scratched her arm. She was the daughter of the late Elizabeth and Neill McLeod. Neill had been killed in the Civil War. She was survived by her stepfather, Mr. J.W. Bain. Mrs. Reuben Stewart was her half-sister. Was that Lila Bain, wife of Coats postmaster R.O. Stewart? Miss McLeod’s nieces and nephews were Mrs. Jim Kelly, Mrs. Mattie Patterson, Dr. C.G. Fuquay, Dr. George L. Fuquay, Mrs. C.R. Young, Mr. J. B. Fuquay, Mr. Leon Fuquay, and Mr. J.N. Fuquay (Harnett County News May 15, 1929).Trust me; these were some of Coats’ finest citizens.
In the May 23, 1929 edition of the Harnett County News it was written that the Harnett County School system would lose 21 teachers. There would be 289 white and black teachers versus the current 310. If teachers are kept, the local boards would have to pay the salaries. The Harnett County Schools had an average daily attendance of 8,522 students in 1927-28. In 1928-29, the daily attendance was 8,564. There were 49 teachers in high schools and 165 teachers in white elementary schools. In colored schools, there were 5 high school teachers and 91 elementary for a total of 96. The establishment of Shawtown would increase the number of the colored schools. The increase in high school will be two additional high school teachers to make 7 for the colored school.
A Coats man was a wreck victim. Johnny L .Coats, age 23, was instantly killed on a Saturday night at 8:00 when his Ford car came into a collision with a Chrysler driven by B.Smith of Fayetteville. Mr. Coats lived in Coats, was married and the father of seven-week-old twins. The accident occurred at “Five Points” near Cairo where Highway 21, the road from Angier, and a neighborhood road converge on the south side of the overhead bridge. Mr. Coats was on his way from Roxboro where he was employed by Carolina Power and Light Company. According to the “Harnett County News” August 10, 1929 paper, Mr. Coats was on his way home and his family was to move to Spring Hope where he had been transferred by CP&L. He was the grandson of the town’s founding father J. Tom Coats and Nancy Turlington Coats. His widow was from Tabor City.
Last week you read that Peggy Senter presented a check to the museum to honor special friends of the Class of 1952. The donation was a gift from the members of the Class of 1952 to honor the memories of Mrs. Josephine Johnson Matthews, Mrs. Howard Smith, and Mrs. Thomas Cooper. Thanks goes to those Yellow Jackets of 1952.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News appeared in the Daily Record on June 8, 2012.
It was spring o f 1929, and a mass meeting was held at the Coats Town Hall for the purpose of nominating town officials. C. Garner Fuquay and J. F. McLeod were nominated for mayor. T.O. Beasley, M.C. Stewart, T.H. Grimes, W.M. Keene, Joel Keene, B.F. Byrd, and R.M. Coats were nominated for commissioners (Coats town board meeting minutes April 23, 1929).
The Coats High School honor roll lists were published in the Harnett County News. The students who had made the first grade list were Curtis Lee, Doris McLamb, Louise Franklin, and Ola Williams. Second grade students were Eugene Ennis, Maggie Stevens, Odell Stewart, George Lee, Violette Hayes, and John Sorrell. Third graders who made honor roll were Ellis Avery, J.L. Fuquay, and Madeline Turner. Ruth Fuquay, Dorothy Patterson, Ollie Belle, Ruby Turlington, and Kathyrn Smith made the fourth grade roll. Curtis Ennis, Vera Lee Johnson, Marjorie Whittington, Dorothy Stewart, and Katie McCless were on the grade five record. Hettie Holmes was the single honor student in grade six. Grade seven students listed were Josie Cannady, Allene Coats, Lois Grimes, Neill Patterson, Thurman Ennis, and Elease Williams. Onea Gregory, Grace Coats, Leta Dorman, and Ruby Ennis were honor recipients in grade eight. Ninth graders named were Linwood Stewart, Thomas Williams, Thelma Ennis, Thelma Stancil, Tiny Turner, and Viola Wood. Tenth graders were Lillian Hudgins, Annie Belle King, Bruce Langdon, and Thelma McLamb. Bernice Bayles, Annie Hudgins, James Lee, William Patterson, and Nell Penny made grade eleven honor roll (Harnett County News April 25, 1929).Are any of these students alive today? That list was printed eighty-three years ago.
While proud parents may have been smiling over the honor roll, the teachers had enjoyed a shad supper and a pleasant evening at the home of Mrs. T.D. Stewart. Those who attended were Misses Ola Reirson, Ann Whitty, Edith Maynard, Theresa Newton, Sue Williams, Ada Burt, Lois Williams, and Lillian Johnson.
Where did those teachers live? Were there no male teachers and wonder if so, why they were not at the fish supper? I do know that the ninth graders had studied short stories in April of 1929. One of the stories was put to play by Thelma Stancil and the play was given during chapel. Did they have chapel in all schools in 1929? The Scotch dialect and costumes were a big hit recorded Annie Belle King for the newspaper. The school also reported that the grammar grade classes of Coats presented the operetta, “One Midsummer’s Day”, in the auditorium. The stage and costumes received much attention from those who attended. The cast of 74 characters had made an especially pretty finale. The juniors had entertained the seniors with a gypsy tea at Matthews Mill Pond. Two questions—where was Matthews Mill Pond and what is a gypsy tea? That same newspaper article recorded that the Coats baseball team had defeated Lillington with a score of 10-3 and that Fuquay Springs High School would be the Coats team’s next rival (Harnett County News April 25, 1929).
Recall last week that I listed the names of many men who lived in Grove Township and asked you to guess what they had in common. Walter Ennis, B.F. Byrd, O.R. Simpson, J.A. Turlington, Joseph Marion Johnson, J.E. Byrd, J.M. Messer, and F.L. Denning had their names drawn to serve as June term of Superior Court jurors in Lillington (Harnett County News May 9, 1929). All of these gentlemen were big farmers or businessmen. Don’t you know they welcomed the news of jury duty in this busy season? Also, did you notice that no female names appeared on the list? Why?
On Monday afternoon, Miss Margaret McLeod, 71, had died at her home after a week of illness. Miss McLeod had enjoyed good health, but she had developed blood poisoning after she had scratched her arm. She was the daughter of the late Elizabeth and Neill McLeod. Neill had been killed in the Civil War. She was survived by her stepfather, Mr. J.W. Bain. Mrs. Reuben Stewart was her half-sister. Was that Lila Bain, wife of Coats postmaster R.O. Stewart? Miss McLeod’s nieces and nephews were Mrs. Jim Kelly, Mrs. Mattie Patterson, Dr. C.G. Fuquay, Dr. George L. Fuquay, Mrs. C.R. Young, Mr. J. B. Fuquay, Mr. Leon Fuquay, and Mr. J.N. Fuquay (Harnett County News May 15, 1929).Trust me; these were some of Coats’ finest citizens.
In the May 23, 1929 edition of the Harnett County News it was written that the Harnett County School system would lose 21 teachers. There would be 289 white and black teachers versus the current 310. If teachers are kept, the local boards would have to pay the salaries. The Harnett County Schools had an average daily attendance of 8,522 students in 1927-28. In 1928-29, the daily attendance was 8,564. There were 49 teachers in high schools and 165 teachers in white elementary schools. In colored schools, there were 5 high school teachers and 91 elementary for a total of 96. The establishment of Shawtown would increase the number of the colored schools. The increase in high school will be two additional high school teachers to make 7 for the colored school.
A Coats man was a wreck victim. Johnny L .Coats, age 23, was instantly killed on a Saturday night at 8:00 when his Ford car came into a collision with a Chrysler driven by B.Smith of Fayetteville. Mr. Coats lived in Coats, was married and the father of seven-week-old twins. The accident occurred at “Five Points” near Cairo where Highway 21, the road from Angier, and a neighborhood road converge on the south side of the overhead bridge. Mr. Coats was on his way from Roxboro where he was employed by Carolina Power and Light Company. According to the “Harnett County News” August 10, 1929 paper, Mr. Coats was on his way home and his family was to move to Spring Hope where he had been transferred by CP&L. He was the grandson of the town’s founding father J. Tom Coats and Nancy Turlington Coats. His widow was from Tabor City.
Last week you read that Peggy Senter presented a check to the museum to honor special friends of the Class of 1952. The donation was a gift from the members of the Class of 1952 to honor the memories of Mrs. Josephine Johnson Matthews, Mrs. Howard Smith, and Mrs. Thomas Cooper. Thanks goes to those Yellow Jackets of 1952.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News appeared in the Daily Record on June 8, 2012.