March 24, 2017 Coats Museum News
Did Dr. H. C. Connell recently die? Do any of you remember when Dr. Connell was in practice with Dr. Donald Moore in Coats? Did the Connells once live in the house across from Howard and Florine Penny between Buies Creek and Coats and do they have sons who are talented musicians? Answer these questions for me. However, this I do know. Dr. Donald Moore and Dr. H.C. Connell appeared with several other Harnett doctors to tell the story of how the Harnett County Medical Society saved thousands of dollars every month with the public service examination of applicants for welfare disability. The appearance of the doctors was on WRAL-TV Channel 5.
Wonder if the station has that segment in their archives and was Grady Jefferies who married Coats native Thelma Jackson at the station in 1961? Grady was associated with that station for several years. Grady is an interesting and talented author who, along with Thelma, has visited the museum on several occasions and has also shared a few of his publications with the research library at the museum.
I also know the Daily Record printed that Mrs. Frances Matthews and Mr. Fleming Stewart were hospital patients while elsewhere Reverend Don Carson of Sanford had conducted a revival at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (Daily Record Nov. 9, 1961). The next edition of the same paper indicated that Mr. Hugh R. Byrd and Mrs. Willa Dean Stewart were ill at Betsy Johnson Hospital.
In Grove Township and in much of the Coastal area of North Carolina, the naval stores played a major role in the economy in days past. After wooden ships were no longer used and after the long-leaf pine had been drained of its life, cotton was a big crop. The boll weevil played havoc on the cotton production and tobacco became a major money crop. Cotton has gone and come in our area over the past 50 years but in 1961 cotton was king on the Earl Stewart farm on Route One, Coats. In 1947, the mechanical cotton picker had come on the scene in Harnett County when the McLambs of Dunn introduced two with one of those on the Ennis farm outside of Dunn where there apparently was competition for hiring hand pickers which resulted in the hand pickers demanding an increase in picking cotton prices. In that time frame, it was estimated that 22,500 bales would be recorded with a value of $3,375,000 in lint and a million more in seeds and oil. Keep in mind most of that cotton was handpicked!
Back to Mr. Earl Stewart who had machine picked 74 bales of cotton on 66 acres. The bales were in the 500-pound plus category. The Coats farmer cultivated his cotton seven times. Do you know what that meant? The article did note that the cotton was planted on May 6, 1961 and was dusted the first time on June 6th. The last dusting was on August 15th. The cotton was defoliated 7 to 10 days before Stewart started picking on September 13th when he picked the first bale (Daily Record Nov. 10, 1961).
Do you know what dusting meant? Is that like the snow dusting we had last week? Some may recall that Mr. Earl Stewart had a small plane. Did he use it for dusting crops? Surely some will recall watching in awe as those small planes swooped down leaving a trail of white dust before rising up over the trees only to repeat to the delight of watchers until the job was done. Is this how cotton is cared for in 2017?
Over on the Old Fairground Road at the home of Mrs. J.A. Miller, a household shower was held for Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Miller. Eighty guests attended the event given by hostesses Doris Ennis, Eunice Rhines, Lottie Glover, Patsy Leek, and Maude Byrd. Not far from the Miller house, another family had reason to celebrate. Carolyn Wood, wife of Sherrill Wood, was the former Carolyn Elaine Pleasant. Carolyn and Sherrill were parents of a new son, Timothy R. Wood (Daily Record Nov. 13, 1961). Wonder if Carolyn was in the same hospital with Audrey Stewart and Mrs. Wilbert Truelove who were patients at Good Hope according to the Daily Record Nov. 14, 1961 edition.
Some news in the Daily Record Nov. 15, 1961 edition likely brought anxiety to many households containing young men of military age for it was reported the Army was to draft 16,000 men in December. Was that nationwide?
Question—do you ever recall reading that the Navy, Marines or Air Force was drafting a certain number of young men? I do know the Adams Kinton Nursing Home had opened and Dr. and Mrs. Donald Moore and Dr. and Mrs. Clarence Roberts attended the dinner (Daily Record Nov. 15, 1961).
Wonder if Smithy Pollard and Master Richard Allen Westbrook at the Good Hope Hospital were patients of Dr. Donald Moore? For sure we know is that 2-10 ounce loaves of bread could have been purchased for 29 cents at Piggly Wiggly Stores (Daily Record Nov. 16, 1961). What has made the cost of this product to skyrocket over the years? Some bread cost over two dollars a loaf today?
Parents of the young people who were members of the Dale 4-H Club were likely some of those farmers who were growing wheat for use in biscuits and loaf bread. Surely those parents were excited to learn that their offspring were elected as officers of the organization at the November meeting. Janet Norris was elected the new president, Robert Pleasant, vice president; and Daywood Ennis, secretary-treasurer. The Oakdale HD Club also held its meeting and Mrs. Mack Reid Hudson reported on her United Nations tour for the HD Clubs. Mrs. Herbert Wood was a new member.
Mr. and Mrs. Haywood Williams were parents of a daughter born on November 18th. The mother was the former Mary Wilmoth. Master Randy Allen, Mrs. Mildred Hudson and Mamie Robertson were patients at Good Hope where Mrs. Williams gave birth. Does anyone know where the beautiful, dark-haired Mary Wilmoth Williams lives today?
Death had taken Mrs. Smithy Turlington Pollard, 86, of Coats and widow of Joseph Thomas (J.T.) Pollard. She had died on Saturday. Rev. Dewey Herring of Fayetteville and Rev. Herbert Baker of Apex conducted the services. Burial was in the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church Cemetery. She was one of the oldest members of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Pollard was survived by Banks, Dilmon, Tilmon, Mrs. Eunice Pollard Pleasant, Mrs. Luther Ryals and Mrs. Lovie Wilborn (Daily Record Nov. 20, 1961).
If you do some math, you will discover that Mrs. Pollard was born in 1875. If you were living in 1961, do you realize that you were living at the same time that there were actually people who lived during the term of President Ulysses S. Grant? After her birth in 1875, the Americans saw the first bicycle sold, the first Frank Woolworth five and ten cent store open, the patenting of the phonograph and the first silver dollar (40 Presidents Facts and Fun by Joan Bumann and John Patterson copyright in 1981 by the Willowwisp Press, Inc., page 74).
How long has fundraising been around? We remember from our school days, and before, that we had the task of raising money for some special cause. In 1961, Coats was the first town in Harnett County to raise its quota during the Boys Scouts Drive. Coats exceeded its goal of $350.00 by raising $377.00. Joe C. Hawley was chairman of the drive which speaks for itself as to why the town was the first out of the gate (Daily Record Nov. 21, 1961).
Desi Campbell, Peggy Robinson and their team will be showing their documentary about African American Heritage in Harnett County. This team has been tireless in preserving their heritage. Many of their families intertwine with others in Harnett and with those in other cities and states. The event will be in the Coats Community Building this Sunday (Mar. 26th) from 2-5pm-the same hours that the Coats Museum will be open for tours if desired. This should an interesting event. Thanks to this hardworking team for all the hours of work that have gone into this project.
A special thank you goes to Claude Medlin of Raleigh. He has gifted a copy of his research on the Avera Family and its Affiliated Families—it is truly a work of love and commitment. The massive book is worth a visit to check to see if you are connected to the founders of Averasboro. Also, if you have not purchased a copy of Bryan Avery’s book-Olde Averasborough-Cape Fear River Town, you are missing out on an amazing novel.
Friends of Sybil Beasley Wells continue to send memorials to honor her mom, Lib Guy. This week, Sybil’s friend, Sylvia Wrobel from Atlanta, GA. sent a donation to the Coats Museum. Mary Ellen J. Lauder frequently drops by the museum to donate items to be utilized either in the exhibits or filed in our heritage books. Thanks goes to Mary Ellen for sharing a 1964 N/O newspaper, newspaper article and a letter about her Aunt Mary Jo Mann. Also thank you, Mary Ellen, for giving generous memorials for Tony Stewart, Elizabeth Guy and your dad, Herbert Johnson.
Visit the coatsmuseum.com website if you would like to enjoy the columns covering the earlier years of Coats history. There will always be something to learn.
Did Dr. H. C. Connell recently die? Do any of you remember when Dr. Connell was in practice with Dr. Donald Moore in Coats? Did the Connells once live in the house across from Howard and Florine Penny between Buies Creek and Coats and do they have sons who are talented musicians? Answer these questions for me. However, this I do know. Dr. Donald Moore and Dr. H.C. Connell appeared with several other Harnett doctors to tell the story of how the Harnett County Medical Society saved thousands of dollars every month with the public service examination of applicants for welfare disability. The appearance of the doctors was on WRAL-TV Channel 5.
Wonder if the station has that segment in their archives and was Grady Jefferies who married Coats native Thelma Jackson at the station in 1961? Grady was associated with that station for several years. Grady is an interesting and talented author who, along with Thelma, has visited the museum on several occasions and has also shared a few of his publications with the research library at the museum.
I also know the Daily Record printed that Mrs. Frances Matthews and Mr. Fleming Stewart were hospital patients while elsewhere Reverend Don Carson of Sanford had conducted a revival at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (Daily Record Nov. 9, 1961). The next edition of the same paper indicated that Mr. Hugh R. Byrd and Mrs. Willa Dean Stewart were ill at Betsy Johnson Hospital.
In Grove Township and in much of the Coastal area of North Carolina, the naval stores played a major role in the economy in days past. After wooden ships were no longer used and after the long-leaf pine had been drained of its life, cotton was a big crop. The boll weevil played havoc on the cotton production and tobacco became a major money crop. Cotton has gone and come in our area over the past 50 years but in 1961 cotton was king on the Earl Stewart farm on Route One, Coats. In 1947, the mechanical cotton picker had come on the scene in Harnett County when the McLambs of Dunn introduced two with one of those on the Ennis farm outside of Dunn where there apparently was competition for hiring hand pickers which resulted in the hand pickers demanding an increase in picking cotton prices. In that time frame, it was estimated that 22,500 bales would be recorded with a value of $3,375,000 in lint and a million more in seeds and oil. Keep in mind most of that cotton was handpicked!
Back to Mr. Earl Stewart who had machine picked 74 bales of cotton on 66 acres. The bales were in the 500-pound plus category. The Coats farmer cultivated his cotton seven times. Do you know what that meant? The article did note that the cotton was planted on May 6, 1961 and was dusted the first time on June 6th. The last dusting was on August 15th. The cotton was defoliated 7 to 10 days before Stewart started picking on September 13th when he picked the first bale (Daily Record Nov. 10, 1961).
Do you know what dusting meant? Is that like the snow dusting we had last week? Some may recall that Mr. Earl Stewart had a small plane. Did he use it for dusting crops? Surely some will recall watching in awe as those small planes swooped down leaving a trail of white dust before rising up over the trees only to repeat to the delight of watchers until the job was done. Is this how cotton is cared for in 2017?
Over on the Old Fairground Road at the home of Mrs. J.A. Miller, a household shower was held for Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Miller. Eighty guests attended the event given by hostesses Doris Ennis, Eunice Rhines, Lottie Glover, Patsy Leek, and Maude Byrd. Not far from the Miller house, another family had reason to celebrate. Carolyn Wood, wife of Sherrill Wood, was the former Carolyn Elaine Pleasant. Carolyn and Sherrill were parents of a new son, Timothy R. Wood (Daily Record Nov. 13, 1961). Wonder if Carolyn was in the same hospital with Audrey Stewart and Mrs. Wilbert Truelove who were patients at Good Hope according to the Daily Record Nov. 14, 1961 edition.
Some news in the Daily Record Nov. 15, 1961 edition likely brought anxiety to many households containing young men of military age for it was reported the Army was to draft 16,000 men in December. Was that nationwide?
Question—do you ever recall reading that the Navy, Marines or Air Force was drafting a certain number of young men? I do know the Adams Kinton Nursing Home had opened and Dr. and Mrs. Donald Moore and Dr. and Mrs. Clarence Roberts attended the dinner (Daily Record Nov. 15, 1961).
Wonder if Smithy Pollard and Master Richard Allen Westbrook at the Good Hope Hospital were patients of Dr. Donald Moore? For sure we know is that 2-10 ounce loaves of bread could have been purchased for 29 cents at Piggly Wiggly Stores (Daily Record Nov. 16, 1961). What has made the cost of this product to skyrocket over the years? Some bread cost over two dollars a loaf today?
Parents of the young people who were members of the Dale 4-H Club were likely some of those farmers who were growing wheat for use in biscuits and loaf bread. Surely those parents were excited to learn that their offspring were elected as officers of the organization at the November meeting. Janet Norris was elected the new president, Robert Pleasant, vice president; and Daywood Ennis, secretary-treasurer. The Oakdale HD Club also held its meeting and Mrs. Mack Reid Hudson reported on her United Nations tour for the HD Clubs. Mrs. Herbert Wood was a new member.
Mr. and Mrs. Haywood Williams were parents of a daughter born on November 18th. The mother was the former Mary Wilmoth. Master Randy Allen, Mrs. Mildred Hudson and Mamie Robertson were patients at Good Hope where Mrs. Williams gave birth. Does anyone know where the beautiful, dark-haired Mary Wilmoth Williams lives today?
Death had taken Mrs. Smithy Turlington Pollard, 86, of Coats and widow of Joseph Thomas (J.T.) Pollard. She had died on Saturday. Rev. Dewey Herring of Fayetteville and Rev. Herbert Baker of Apex conducted the services. Burial was in the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church Cemetery. She was one of the oldest members of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Pollard was survived by Banks, Dilmon, Tilmon, Mrs. Eunice Pollard Pleasant, Mrs. Luther Ryals and Mrs. Lovie Wilborn (Daily Record Nov. 20, 1961).
If you do some math, you will discover that Mrs. Pollard was born in 1875. If you were living in 1961, do you realize that you were living at the same time that there were actually people who lived during the term of President Ulysses S. Grant? After her birth in 1875, the Americans saw the first bicycle sold, the first Frank Woolworth five and ten cent store open, the patenting of the phonograph and the first silver dollar (40 Presidents Facts and Fun by Joan Bumann and John Patterson copyright in 1981 by the Willowwisp Press, Inc., page 74).
How long has fundraising been around? We remember from our school days, and before, that we had the task of raising money for some special cause. In 1961, Coats was the first town in Harnett County to raise its quota during the Boys Scouts Drive. Coats exceeded its goal of $350.00 by raising $377.00. Joe C. Hawley was chairman of the drive which speaks for itself as to why the town was the first out of the gate (Daily Record Nov. 21, 1961).
Desi Campbell, Peggy Robinson and their team will be showing their documentary about African American Heritage in Harnett County. This team has been tireless in preserving their heritage. Many of their families intertwine with others in Harnett and with those in other cities and states. The event will be in the Coats Community Building this Sunday (Mar. 26th) from 2-5pm-the same hours that the Coats Museum will be open for tours if desired. This should an interesting event. Thanks to this hardworking team for all the hours of work that have gone into this project.
A special thank you goes to Claude Medlin of Raleigh. He has gifted a copy of his research on the Avera Family and its Affiliated Families—it is truly a work of love and commitment. The massive book is worth a visit to check to see if you are connected to the founders of Averasboro. Also, if you have not purchased a copy of Bryan Avery’s book-Olde Averasborough-Cape Fear River Town, you are missing out on an amazing novel.
Friends of Sybil Beasley Wells continue to send memorials to honor her mom, Lib Guy. This week, Sybil’s friend, Sylvia Wrobel from Atlanta, GA. sent a donation to the Coats Museum. Mary Ellen J. Lauder frequently drops by the museum to donate items to be utilized either in the exhibits or filed in our heritage books. Thanks goes to Mary Ellen for sharing a 1964 N/O newspaper, newspaper article and a letter about her Aunt Mary Jo Mann. Also thank you, Mary Ellen, for giving generous memorials for Tony Stewart, Elizabeth Guy and your dad, Herbert Johnson.
Visit the coatsmuseum.com website if you would like to enjoy the columns covering the earlier years of Coats history. There will always be something to learn.