May 25, 2012 Coats Museum News
In 1909, Coats was only four years into its charter. In 1929, when John Green was the Harnett County Tax Collector, he reminisced that the 1909 taxes levied in Harnett County was only $68,000 by comparison to 1928 when Erwin Mills alone paid more that. The payer paid so little in 1909 that they were easy to collect he said. In 1928, taxes amounted to 10 times more. Do you know who represented the Grove Township and Coats in the N.C. General Assembly in 1929? It was J.M. Byrd of Coats and he had been appointed to the following committees: Agriculture, Corporation Commission, and Committee on Drainage (Harnett County News January 17, 1929).
M.L. Ballard, Harnett County Superintendent of Roads, attempted to get all the convicts he could to help him maintain its road system which was in bad disrepair due to winter rains .He also said that detours from state highways had caused great damage to the roads. Work was being done rapidly on the direct road from Lillington to Angier where it would connect with the state highway # 21 on the Wake County Line. Was this the current Highway 210? The state road from Erwin to the Wake County line was to be tarred soon according to Ballard. Is this Highway 55? He stated that good roads were needed for the safety of school buses (Harnett County News January 24, 1929).
Once Kentucky stood as #1 tobacco producer; then Virginia held that position, but in 1929, N.C. produced twice as much as any other commonwealth. N.C. produced 468,000,000 pounds. N.C. produced over half the hundred billion cigarettes being manufactured in this country. Six hundred and fifty thousand acres of tobacco was grown (Harnett County News from News and Observer January 24, 1929).
The Harnett County Manager, David H. Senter, said the county must sell bonds or stop schools due to insufficient funds. Senter encouraged the people to pay their 1928 taxes of which only 50 percent of taxpayers had done so (Harnett County News January 24, 1929).
All the figures were in and it was disclosed that 33,264 bales of cotton were ginned for the 1927 crop as compared to the 1928 crop of 35,139 in Harnett County (Harnett County News January 31, 1929).
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners voted to wipe out the list for “outside paupers” for Harnett County. That meant unless one was cared for in the county home, no assistance was given to that pauper unless recommended by the welfare officer. The county would save $7, 512.00 which would have gone for burials, supplies, etc. for “outside paupers”(Harnett County News January 31, 1929).
The “Coats School News Items” stated that the Coats High School girls basketball team defeated Angier by 18-14. Most points were made by J. Parrish and with Grace Penny close behind. The outstanding feature of the game was the close guarding of Nell Penny. Were they sisters of Ed, Joe, Howard, Talmon and Haywood Penny? The Literary and Dramatic Club presented a program on January 31. The most interesting selections were the piano duet by Nell Penny and Mildred Parrish; jokes by Thelma Parrish, and a debate : Resolved “That Movies are More Harmful than Beneficial”. The best speaker for the affirmative was Lillian Hudgins and the best negative was Thelma Ennis. After the eighth graders had read Treasure Island, they made scenarios of the parts they liked best. Onea Gregory and Ruth Dixon handed in the best work. They had given the scene of the old Sea King’s first appearance at Admiral Benhow’s and the visit of Dr. Trelwaney. The play “Lighthouse Man” was given last Friday night with great success. The best talent was Inez Ennis as lighthouse man. Marie Sorrell played a haughty city belle, and Annie Hudgins an English woman of nobility. Nellie Penny was the lighthouse keeper’s wife and she never for a minute let up on her drinking husband. James Lee took part as the Honorable John Enlow of the Sea Coast Benching Company. Felton Ennis, the hero of the play, acted as his secretary, Ned Blake. Sherwood Williams took the part of the villain. David Wood, the old lighthouse, was perhaps the most amusing character. William Patterson, as an English count, added spice to the program (Harnett County News February 7, 1929).
Dr. and Mrs. C. Garner Fuquay served the faculty with a three-course turkey feast. The valentine theme was carried out with color scheme, place cards, dessert and a contest on hearts over which guests had much merriment. Mrs. T. D. Stewart assisted her daughter. Edith Maynard graciously gave several vocal selections.
Down in Erwin, the new hospital was located on a site next to the two wooden buildings in which the hospital had been located since 1913 when Dr. Holt established Good Hope Hospital. The new building was constructed along the lines of a colonial home. It was a one story structure. It would handle 30 patients and was built by Erwin Cotton Mill (Harnett County News February 7, 1929).
Read the column next week to attend the funeral of William Andrew Stewart and read to discover who the three high school boys were who wrestled five black bears in the Coats High School auditorium.
The exhibit hall building is nearing completion. Progress Energy should have brought service into the building by the time this article is being read. A special thank you goes to Beverley Weeks Howard for the many items that she has donated to the museum. Also thank you is sent to Eddie Vaughan, his daughter Katrina V. Smith of Fayetteville, his brother John Wiggins and Polly Lloyd Wicker of Burlington for giving money toward the expansion project to honor the memory of Jimmy Vaughn , Edna Raynor and Anita Jernigan Raynor Lloyd. Jimmy Vaughn was one of the loyal researchers for our Coats heritage book. Visit our website-coatsmuseum.com to see what the Coats Museum is all about and how you too can be a part of the expansion project.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in th e Daily Record on May 25, 2012.
In 1909, Coats was only four years into its charter. In 1929, when John Green was the Harnett County Tax Collector, he reminisced that the 1909 taxes levied in Harnett County was only $68,000 by comparison to 1928 when Erwin Mills alone paid more that. The payer paid so little in 1909 that they were easy to collect he said. In 1928, taxes amounted to 10 times more. Do you know who represented the Grove Township and Coats in the N.C. General Assembly in 1929? It was J.M. Byrd of Coats and he had been appointed to the following committees: Agriculture, Corporation Commission, and Committee on Drainage (Harnett County News January 17, 1929).
M.L. Ballard, Harnett County Superintendent of Roads, attempted to get all the convicts he could to help him maintain its road system which was in bad disrepair due to winter rains .He also said that detours from state highways had caused great damage to the roads. Work was being done rapidly on the direct road from Lillington to Angier where it would connect with the state highway # 21 on the Wake County Line. Was this the current Highway 210? The state road from Erwin to the Wake County line was to be tarred soon according to Ballard. Is this Highway 55? He stated that good roads were needed for the safety of school buses (Harnett County News January 24, 1929).
Once Kentucky stood as #1 tobacco producer; then Virginia held that position, but in 1929, N.C. produced twice as much as any other commonwealth. N.C. produced 468,000,000 pounds. N.C. produced over half the hundred billion cigarettes being manufactured in this country. Six hundred and fifty thousand acres of tobacco was grown (Harnett County News from News and Observer January 24, 1929).
The Harnett County Manager, David H. Senter, said the county must sell bonds or stop schools due to insufficient funds. Senter encouraged the people to pay their 1928 taxes of which only 50 percent of taxpayers had done so (Harnett County News January 24, 1929).
All the figures were in and it was disclosed that 33,264 bales of cotton were ginned for the 1927 crop as compared to the 1928 crop of 35,139 in Harnett County (Harnett County News January 31, 1929).
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners voted to wipe out the list for “outside paupers” for Harnett County. That meant unless one was cared for in the county home, no assistance was given to that pauper unless recommended by the welfare officer. The county would save $7, 512.00 which would have gone for burials, supplies, etc. for “outside paupers”(Harnett County News January 31, 1929).
The “Coats School News Items” stated that the Coats High School girls basketball team defeated Angier by 18-14. Most points were made by J. Parrish and with Grace Penny close behind. The outstanding feature of the game was the close guarding of Nell Penny. Were they sisters of Ed, Joe, Howard, Talmon and Haywood Penny? The Literary and Dramatic Club presented a program on January 31. The most interesting selections were the piano duet by Nell Penny and Mildred Parrish; jokes by Thelma Parrish, and a debate : Resolved “That Movies are More Harmful than Beneficial”. The best speaker for the affirmative was Lillian Hudgins and the best negative was Thelma Ennis. After the eighth graders had read Treasure Island, they made scenarios of the parts they liked best. Onea Gregory and Ruth Dixon handed in the best work. They had given the scene of the old Sea King’s first appearance at Admiral Benhow’s and the visit of Dr. Trelwaney. The play “Lighthouse Man” was given last Friday night with great success. The best talent was Inez Ennis as lighthouse man. Marie Sorrell played a haughty city belle, and Annie Hudgins an English woman of nobility. Nellie Penny was the lighthouse keeper’s wife and she never for a minute let up on her drinking husband. James Lee took part as the Honorable John Enlow of the Sea Coast Benching Company. Felton Ennis, the hero of the play, acted as his secretary, Ned Blake. Sherwood Williams took the part of the villain. David Wood, the old lighthouse, was perhaps the most amusing character. William Patterson, as an English count, added spice to the program (Harnett County News February 7, 1929).
Dr. and Mrs. C. Garner Fuquay served the faculty with a three-course turkey feast. The valentine theme was carried out with color scheme, place cards, dessert and a contest on hearts over which guests had much merriment. Mrs. T. D. Stewart assisted her daughter. Edith Maynard graciously gave several vocal selections.
Down in Erwin, the new hospital was located on a site next to the two wooden buildings in which the hospital had been located since 1913 when Dr. Holt established Good Hope Hospital. The new building was constructed along the lines of a colonial home. It was a one story structure. It would handle 30 patients and was built by Erwin Cotton Mill (Harnett County News February 7, 1929).
Read the column next week to attend the funeral of William Andrew Stewart and read to discover who the three high school boys were who wrestled five black bears in the Coats High School auditorium.
The exhibit hall building is nearing completion. Progress Energy should have brought service into the building by the time this article is being read. A special thank you goes to Beverley Weeks Howard for the many items that she has donated to the museum. Also thank you is sent to Eddie Vaughan, his daughter Katrina V. Smith of Fayetteville, his brother John Wiggins and Polly Lloyd Wicker of Burlington for giving money toward the expansion project to honor the memory of Jimmy Vaughn , Edna Raynor and Anita Jernigan Raynor Lloyd. Jimmy Vaughn was one of the loyal researchers for our Coats heritage book. Visit our website-coatsmuseum.com to see what the Coats Museum is all about and how you too can be a part of the expansion project.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in th e Daily Record on May 25, 2012.