May 24. 2013 Coats Museum News
Recall that you read several weeks ago about a desire of the Coats Town Board to provide sewer and water for the folks in Coats. Did everyone have an outside toilet and an individual well for their water source in 1940? Do any of you see a problem with that scenario? I do know that the special election in Coats for voting on the water and sewer system became heated. A strong opposition from F.A. Byrd, who owned the private system that supplied 40 customers, contended that the town was too poor to burden itself with a bond issue that would send taxes skyrocketing. The mayor and council disagreed saying the revenues from approximately 125 customers would be sufficient to retire the bonds (Harnett County News April 9, 1940). Can you understand both positions? How many people lived in Coats in 1940?
Death claimed the life of Mrs. Mary Norris. She was believed to be the oldest woman living in this section of the state. Mrs. Norris was 103 years old. She was the widow of J.E. Norris, a confederate veteran and a member of one of the first families to settle in this part of the state. She was born in 1837. Mrs. Norris was interred at Hodges Chapel Church after her funeral services were conducted at Red Hill Church (Harnett County News April 4, 1940).
Many of you will recall reading the name of Bruce Langdon as he attended school at Coats. He went ahead to graduate from UNC Medical College and the William and Mary Class of 1939. He was doing post-graduate work at Yale when he married Miss Helen Brown Bennett of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Bruce was the son of B.L. Langdon and was best friend of Dr. Bill Patterson who also graduated from Coats School. Among those who attended the wedding were Dr. Langdon’s parents, Misses Virginia and Josephine Langdon, Jack Broadhurst, and David Langdon. Wonder if any of his classmates from the Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia attended the wedding?
Neill Thomas McLeod died at his home in the area of Turlington’s Crossroads. He had suffered a heart attack and died almost immediately. His services were held at Prospect Church near Coats. He was the son of Neill Henry and Sara Jane Sawyer McLeod. The former farmer served in Company 1-321 Infantry during the war. Mr. McLeod was survived by his wife, three sons-Neill Edward, Billy, and J.C. McLeod; daughters-Mrs. Fred Bunn, Misses Hazel, Dorothy, Jean, and Barbara Faye McLeod. His siblings were T.W. and L.L. McLeod and Mrs. Jane Temple (Harnett County News April 11, 1940). If he fought in the first world war, how old might he have been when he died in 1940?
J.C. Langdon, who lived between Coats and Angier on Highway 55, filed for the N.C. House seat. He faced off with fellow Republican, attorney J.O. West. The same paper shared that Coats High School sent debating teams to the University of North Carolina to compete in the 28th annual final contest for the Aycock Memorial Cup. The query; “Resolved that the federal government should own and operate the railroads.”
Do you wonder who was on the debating team? Members of the team were affirmative-George Fuquay and Dorothy Denning and negative-Jewel Johnson and Willa Mae Byrd. M.P. Snipes coached the team (Harnett County News April 18, 1940).
The Coats School staff invited parents and patrons to come to an “Open House”. The seventh graders presented a program of a toy orchestra and a grammar grade chorus. The program had centered on the students’ study of Latin America. Lastly, there was a baseball game between Coats and Herring School. Where was Herring School? What year would these seventh graders graduate from Coats? Would it be in 1944? Don’t forget that there were only 11 years of school.
Prentis McLeod, an employee of the Felix Stewart Lumber Mill in Coats, fell from a truck and was crushed by the wheels of a heavy machine. No formal hearing was necessary since it was classified as an unavoidable accidental death according to the above edition of the Lillington newspaper.
The water and sewer issue in Coats was continuing to draw interest and a large number of people were registering to vote on the ballot. A.R. Byrd, Coats registrar, stated that 353 people had registered in the small town of slightly more than 750 residents in the 1930 census.
That same issue of the paper reported that Dr. Joe McKay of Buies Creek was 79 years old. W.E. Nichols, serving as the spokesman for a delegation from Coats, renewed the request for a gymnasium and also asked to have T.E. Barnes as a member of the district school committee to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of E.L. Parrish who declined his recent appointment. Mr. Barnes was named for another term. Zeb Stewart had tendered his resignation. L.B. Langdon had some support for his placement on the board. C.M. Stewart was to replace Prentis McLeod who had been killed recently in an accident. He had served on the Turlington Colored School advisory board.
Democratic Precinct committees were elected on May 11, 1940. In Grove 1, Bernard Hudson (Chair), Edna Beasley (Vice Chair), T.O. Beasley, T.E. Barnes, and T.D. Stewart were selected. In Grove 2, J.B. Williams (Chair), Mrs. W.E. Nichols (Vice Chair), Ellis Langdon, Malcolm C. Stewart, and Randall Turlington represented that precinct. The proposal to install a water and sewer system failed to get the approval by 12 votes. The final count was 167 for and 179 against. Only seven registered voters did not vote. Fred Byrd led the movement to defeat the proposal. It was his contention that shouldering a $38,000.00 burden would send the tax rate soaring and sink the town into a morass of debt. Town officials and leaders who sought a favorable vote for the plan contended that sooner or later Coats would be forced to install a modern system. If the town failed to take advantage of the WPA funds, which would have paid more than half of the money to finance the $90,000.00 project, the taxpayers would have to foot the entire bill for the project (Harnett County News May 16, 1940).
Are some of you wondering how did Coats citizens handle having outdoor toilets and shallow wells on each lot? Where did the dish water and wash water go? Did the residents have septic tanks? How did they extinguish fires of burning buildings with no water hydrants? Where did they get water for the white and colored schools? What happened when wells went dry? What happened when the springs could not supply water for the customers of Mr. Byrd? How could industries come to Coats with no access to water and sewer service?
Do any of the Dunn readers recall a drug store in Dunn by the name of Wilson & Lee-The Corner Drug Store? The store sold school books for Jessie Sill’s name with the date Feb.10, 1916 appeared in a copy of “Young People’s History of North Carolina” (1907)purchased there. Two other names were also in the book –Lessie Barrett and Gordon Shannonhouse. Brenda Rhiner and a friend brought the book by the museum and said they would love to give the book to a descendent of one of those named in the book.
Join us at the Coats Museum for tours on Wednesday from 10 till 3:00 or on Sunday from 2 till 5:00. You will not leave without learning some history of the area.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE Daily RECORD ON MAY 24, 2013.
Recall that you read several weeks ago about a desire of the Coats Town Board to provide sewer and water for the folks in Coats. Did everyone have an outside toilet and an individual well for their water source in 1940? Do any of you see a problem with that scenario? I do know that the special election in Coats for voting on the water and sewer system became heated. A strong opposition from F.A. Byrd, who owned the private system that supplied 40 customers, contended that the town was too poor to burden itself with a bond issue that would send taxes skyrocketing. The mayor and council disagreed saying the revenues from approximately 125 customers would be sufficient to retire the bonds (Harnett County News April 9, 1940). Can you understand both positions? How many people lived in Coats in 1940?
Death claimed the life of Mrs. Mary Norris. She was believed to be the oldest woman living in this section of the state. Mrs. Norris was 103 years old. She was the widow of J.E. Norris, a confederate veteran and a member of one of the first families to settle in this part of the state. She was born in 1837. Mrs. Norris was interred at Hodges Chapel Church after her funeral services were conducted at Red Hill Church (Harnett County News April 4, 1940).
Many of you will recall reading the name of Bruce Langdon as he attended school at Coats. He went ahead to graduate from UNC Medical College and the William and Mary Class of 1939. He was doing post-graduate work at Yale when he married Miss Helen Brown Bennett of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Bruce was the son of B.L. Langdon and was best friend of Dr. Bill Patterson who also graduated from Coats School. Among those who attended the wedding were Dr. Langdon’s parents, Misses Virginia and Josephine Langdon, Jack Broadhurst, and David Langdon. Wonder if any of his classmates from the Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia attended the wedding?
Neill Thomas McLeod died at his home in the area of Turlington’s Crossroads. He had suffered a heart attack and died almost immediately. His services were held at Prospect Church near Coats. He was the son of Neill Henry and Sara Jane Sawyer McLeod. The former farmer served in Company 1-321 Infantry during the war. Mr. McLeod was survived by his wife, three sons-Neill Edward, Billy, and J.C. McLeod; daughters-Mrs. Fred Bunn, Misses Hazel, Dorothy, Jean, and Barbara Faye McLeod. His siblings were T.W. and L.L. McLeod and Mrs. Jane Temple (Harnett County News April 11, 1940). If he fought in the first world war, how old might he have been when he died in 1940?
J.C. Langdon, who lived between Coats and Angier on Highway 55, filed for the N.C. House seat. He faced off with fellow Republican, attorney J.O. West. The same paper shared that Coats High School sent debating teams to the University of North Carolina to compete in the 28th annual final contest for the Aycock Memorial Cup. The query; “Resolved that the federal government should own and operate the railroads.”
Do you wonder who was on the debating team? Members of the team were affirmative-George Fuquay and Dorothy Denning and negative-Jewel Johnson and Willa Mae Byrd. M.P. Snipes coached the team (Harnett County News April 18, 1940).
The Coats School staff invited parents and patrons to come to an “Open House”. The seventh graders presented a program of a toy orchestra and a grammar grade chorus. The program had centered on the students’ study of Latin America. Lastly, there was a baseball game between Coats and Herring School. Where was Herring School? What year would these seventh graders graduate from Coats? Would it be in 1944? Don’t forget that there were only 11 years of school.
Prentis McLeod, an employee of the Felix Stewart Lumber Mill in Coats, fell from a truck and was crushed by the wheels of a heavy machine. No formal hearing was necessary since it was classified as an unavoidable accidental death according to the above edition of the Lillington newspaper.
The water and sewer issue in Coats was continuing to draw interest and a large number of people were registering to vote on the ballot. A.R. Byrd, Coats registrar, stated that 353 people had registered in the small town of slightly more than 750 residents in the 1930 census.
That same issue of the paper reported that Dr. Joe McKay of Buies Creek was 79 years old. W.E. Nichols, serving as the spokesman for a delegation from Coats, renewed the request for a gymnasium and also asked to have T.E. Barnes as a member of the district school committee to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of E.L. Parrish who declined his recent appointment. Mr. Barnes was named for another term. Zeb Stewart had tendered his resignation. L.B. Langdon had some support for his placement on the board. C.M. Stewart was to replace Prentis McLeod who had been killed recently in an accident. He had served on the Turlington Colored School advisory board.
Democratic Precinct committees were elected on May 11, 1940. In Grove 1, Bernard Hudson (Chair), Edna Beasley (Vice Chair), T.O. Beasley, T.E. Barnes, and T.D. Stewart were selected. In Grove 2, J.B. Williams (Chair), Mrs. W.E. Nichols (Vice Chair), Ellis Langdon, Malcolm C. Stewart, and Randall Turlington represented that precinct. The proposal to install a water and sewer system failed to get the approval by 12 votes. The final count was 167 for and 179 against. Only seven registered voters did not vote. Fred Byrd led the movement to defeat the proposal. It was his contention that shouldering a $38,000.00 burden would send the tax rate soaring and sink the town into a morass of debt. Town officials and leaders who sought a favorable vote for the plan contended that sooner or later Coats would be forced to install a modern system. If the town failed to take advantage of the WPA funds, which would have paid more than half of the money to finance the $90,000.00 project, the taxpayers would have to foot the entire bill for the project (Harnett County News May 16, 1940).
Are some of you wondering how did Coats citizens handle having outdoor toilets and shallow wells on each lot? Where did the dish water and wash water go? Did the residents have septic tanks? How did they extinguish fires of burning buildings with no water hydrants? Where did they get water for the white and colored schools? What happened when wells went dry? What happened when the springs could not supply water for the customers of Mr. Byrd? How could industries come to Coats with no access to water and sewer service?
Do any of the Dunn readers recall a drug store in Dunn by the name of Wilson & Lee-The Corner Drug Store? The store sold school books for Jessie Sill’s name with the date Feb.10, 1916 appeared in a copy of “Young People’s History of North Carolina” (1907)purchased there. Two other names were also in the book –Lessie Barrett and Gordon Shannonhouse. Brenda Rhiner and a friend brought the book by the museum and said they would love to give the book to a descendent of one of those named in the book.
Join us at the Coats Museum for tours on Wednesday from 10 till 3:00 or on Sunday from 2 till 5:00. You will not leave without learning some history of the area.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE Daily RECORD ON MAY 24, 2013.