March 26. 2012 Coats Museum News
The date was August 26, 1926. The Coats town board meeting minutes recorded that R.O. Stewart (former postmaster of Coats) was elected as cotton weigher and J.H. McLamb had declined the appointment as town policeman. Mayor P.F. Pope was appointed as tax collector for the 1926 tax year. A.J. Matthews was appointed by the board as night watchman for $2.00 per night. The application of John McKay Byrd for privilege to lay water lines was passed by unanimous vote. Did all the houses in Coats have individual wells and sewer facilities in 1926 since there were no water and sewer lines? Note that Mr. Byrd applied only for water lines.
I do know that Buies Creek Junior College had formerly opened for the fall term on August 31, 1926 as Buies Creek Junior College. Dr. J.A. Campbell was now president of the college that he had had grown from a one room subscription school to an academy then to a junior college in 39 years (Harnett County News September 16, 1926).
While students at the junior college were hitting the books, the farmers in the area were being told to cull their flocks of old hens because they were through laying. Farmers were also told to get rid of their roosters, too, unless a few were needed for breeding purposes. The North Carolina Division of Markets were buying leghorns for 16 cents per pound, colored broilers for 23 cents per pound, and turkeys for 25 cents a pound (Harnett County News September 16, 1926). When it was suggested that old hens be “culled” and roosters be “gotten rid of”, did they mean that the farmers should sell them?
Today, the lottery has its foes and supporters. Have not games of chance been around for a long time? Take for instance in 1926, Talton Pleasant won the Ford Touring Car given away at the Four County Fair. He held the lucky ticket #000924. At this same time, farmers were guessing what their tobacco would bring at the Fuquay Varina tobacco warehouses. On October 18, 1926, a quarter of a million pounds of tobacco were sold that day for an average of 31 cents per pound (Harnett County News October 31, 1926).
Do you remember in what month of the year your school started? In 1926, the school session began on October 11th. Rewards were promised to those students who had perfect attendance for the 1926-1927 school year. During the summer of 1926, an up-to-date modern heating system had been installed. The building was supplied with water from J. McKay Byrd ‘s water tank which received water from the cement cistern at the Coats spring. Do you know where this spring was located? Was it located near the Gift Primitive Baptist Church. We do know that indoor toilets were ready to be installed and that the school had attempted to build a teacherage for part of the teachers in the 1926-27 school year. Mrs. Carlos Stewart was to operate it out of the Wheless house. Is that house still standing in the town? Where did the other teachers stay? According to the Harnett County News October 21, 1926 edition, Mrs. Tom Stewart, Miss Caro Coats, Mrs. N.T. Patterson, and Mrs. Johnnie Parrish provided accommodations for the other teachers. Would you like to know who was on the Coats High School faculty in 1926-27? The newspaper gave the following information: J.H. Taylor (science), A.J. Rosser (math and Latin), Mrs. J.O. Sutton (history and English), L.C. McRae (English and athletics), Miss Katie Underwood (1st), Miss Belle Graham (2nd), Miss Blannie Betts (3rd), Miss Ada Burt (4th), Miss Lorena Dakin (5th), Miss Ethel Graham (6th), and Miss Elizabeth Hall (7th), and Miss Elizabeth Martin (music). Who was the principal?
The Harnett County News October 29, 1926 printed that the boys basketball team at Coats High School had met and picked Sidney Turlington and Council Williams as captain and business manager. Is Sidney Turlington the father of Mack Ray Turlington who was a star athlete at Coats and Dunn High Schools and later a scholarship football player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? Was Council Williams the father of Bruce and Jerry Williams of Dunn and brother of Curtis Williams? I do know that same edition of the paper wrote that plans were underway for an indoor court if plans matured. Did it take until 1951 for the plans to mature?
Were the phones in Coats ringing in search for answers as to why Mayor P.F. Pope had resigned as the Coats mayor and tax collector? The Coats town board meeting minutes November 3, 1926 recorded that no time was wasted in selecting A.F. Grimes to take over both positions. The board also appointed L.L. Glover as wiring inspector. Did L.L. Glover ever live in the basement of the home of Dr. H. C. Roberts who used Glover as his right hand man?
In years past, the words Northam Thatcher Motor Company could be read on the brick building that now houses Mitch Clayton’s paint business on McKinley Street. In 1926, the company was an authorized Ford dealer. The business was selling Touring Cars for $441.30 cash. A down payment of $147.30 was required with a balance of $33.95 for 10 months. A Roadster was sold for $420.80; a Coupe for $555.15, a Fordor for $616.65, and a plain truck for $377.00 (Harnett County News November 11, 1926).
Wonder how many Coats farmers bought one of those automobiles after they had sold their tobacco in Fuquay Varina. Surely some of their children made the perfect attendance and honor roll lists at Coats High School. Next week read the names of the students and see if you recognize them being some of your ancestors.
The folks at the Coats Museum were very saddened by the death of Elder J.M. Mewborn who was a valuable resource for much of our Primitive Baptist Church histories. He was a remarkable friend of the museum and would have delighted in adding artifacts in the new exhibit hall upon its completion. A special thank you to the museum member who gave a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment in Elder Mewborn ‘s honor.
We encourage our African American friends who have roots in the Grove area to be at the Coats Heritage Square on Saturday, March 24th from 1:00 to 3:00 to hear our speakers and musicians . The museum folks, along with Peggy Robinson, have the goal to publish the heritage of the African Americans who have Grove area connections.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COATS MUSEUM NEWS APPEARED IN THE DAILY RECORD ON MARCH 26, 2012.
The date was August 26, 1926. The Coats town board meeting minutes recorded that R.O. Stewart (former postmaster of Coats) was elected as cotton weigher and J.H. McLamb had declined the appointment as town policeman. Mayor P.F. Pope was appointed as tax collector for the 1926 tax year. A.J. Matthews was appointed by the board as night watchman for $2.00 per night. The application of John McKay Byrd for privilege to lay water lines was passed by unanimous vote. Did all the houses in Coats have individual wells and sewer facilities in 1926 since there were no water and sewer lines? Note that Mr. Byrd applied only for water lines.
I do know that Buies Creek Junior College had formerly opened for the fall term on August 31, 1926 as Buies Creek Junior College. Dr. J.A. Campbell was now president of the college that he had had grown from a one room subscription school to an academy then to a junior college in 39 years (Harnett County News September 16, 1926).
While students at the junior college were hitting the books, the farmers in the area were being told to cull their flocks of old hens because they were through laying. Farmers were also told to get rid of their roosters, too, unless a few were needed for breeding purposes. The North Carolina Division of Markets were buying leghorns for 16 cents per pound, colored broilers for 23 cents per pound, and turkeys for 25 cents a pound (Harnett County News September 16, 1926). When it was suggested that old hens be “culled” and roosters be “gotten rid of”, did they mean that the farmers should sell them?
Today, the lottery has its foes and supporters. Have not games of chance been around for a long time? Take for instance in 1926, Talton Pleasant won the Ford Touring Car given away at the Four County Fair. He held the lucky ticket #000924. At this same time, farmers were guessing what their tobacco would bring at the Fuquay Varina tobacco warehouses. On October 18, 1926, a quarter of a million pounds of tobacco were sold that day for an average of 31 cents per pound (Harnett County News October 31, 1926).
Do you remember in what month of the year your school started? In 1926, the school session began on October 11th. Rewards were promised to those students who had perfect attendance for the 1926-1927 school year. During the summer of 1926, an up-to-date modern heating system had been installed. The building was supplied with water from J. McKay Byrd ‘s water tank which received water from the cement cistern at the Coats spring. Do you know where this spring was located? Was it located near the Gift Primitive Baptist Church. We do know that indoor toilets were ready to be installed and that the school had attempted to build a teacherage for part of the teachers in the 1926-27 school year. Mrs. Carlos Stewart was to operate it out of the Wheless house. Is that house still standing in the town? Where did the other teachers stay? According to the Harnett County News October 21, 1926 edition, Mrs. Tom Stewart, Miss Caro Coats, Mrs. N.T. Patterson, and Mrs. Johnnie Parrish provided accommodations for the other teachers. Would you like to know who was on the Coats High School faculty in 1926-27? The newspaper gave the following information: J.H. Taylor (science), A.J. Rosser (math and Latin), Mrs. J.O. Sutton (history and English), L.C. McRae (English and athletics), Miss Katie Underwood (1st), Miss Belle Graham (2nd), Miss Blannie Betts (3rd), Miss Ada Burt (4th), Miss Lorena Dakin (5th), Miss Ethel Graham (6th), and Miss Elizabeth Hall (7th), and Miss Elizabeth Martin (music). Who was the principal?
The Harnett County News October 29, 1926 printed that the boys basketball team at Coats High School had met and picked Sidney Turlington and Council Williams as captain and business manager. Is Sidney Turlington the father of Mack Ray Turlington who was a star athlete at Coats and Dunn High Schools and later a scholarship football player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? Was Council Williams the father of Bruce and Jerry Williams of Dunn and brother of Curtis Williams? I do know that same edition of the paper wrote that plans were underway for an indoor court if plans matured. Did it take until 1951 for the plans to mature?
Were the phones in Coats ringing in search for answers as to why Mayor P.F. Pope had resigned as the Coats mayor and tax collector? The Coats town board meeting minutes November 3, 1926 recorded that no time was wasted in selecting A.F. Grimes to take over both positions. The board also appointed L.L. Glover as wiring inspector. Did L.L. Glover ever live in the basement of the home of Dr. H. C. Roberts who used Glover as his right hand man?
In years past, the words Northam Thatcher Motor Company could be read on the brick building that now houses Mitch Clayton’s paint business on McKinley Street. In 1926, the company was an authorized Ford dealer. The business was selling Touring Cars for $441.30 cash. A down payment of $147.30 was required with a balance of $33.95 for 10 months. A Roadster was sold for $420.80; a Coupe for $555.15, a Fordor for $616.65, and a plain truck for $377.00 (Harnett County News November 11, 1926).
Wonder how many Coats farmers bought one of those automobiles after they had sold their tobacco in Fuquay Varina. Surely some of their children made the perfect attendance and honor roll lists at Coats High School. Next week read the names of the students and see if you recognize them being some of your ancestors.
The folks at the Coats Museum were very saddened by the death of Elder J.M. Mewborn who was a valuable resource for much of our Primitive Baptist Church histories. He was a remarkable friend of the museum and would have delighted in adding artifacts in the new exhibit hall upon its completion. A special thank you to the museum member who gave a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment in Elder Mewborn ‘s honor.
We encourage our African American friends who have roots in the Grove area to be at the Coats Heritage Square on Saturday, March 24th from 1:00 to 3:00 to hear our speakers and musicians . The museum folks, along with Peggy Robinson, have the goal to publish the heritage of the African Americans who have Grove area connections.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COATS MUSEUM NEWS APPEARED IN THE DAILY RECORD ON MARCH 26, 2012.
