May 25, 2018 Coats Museum News
The year 1970 was coming to an end. On November 23rd, Defense Secretary Laird revealed that that there had been a daring but unsuccessful raid on a POW camp near Hanoi in an attempt to free American prisoners. The camp was deserted when the raiders got there. Less than a month later, protests had broken out in Poland, and, before they came to an end on December 19th, 300 demonstrators had been killed.
Roses store in Dunn Plaza Shopping Center had held its annual Baby Race. Tara Johnson of Coats had won first place out of 20 entries according to the November 24, 1970 edition of the Daily Record.
Who remembers when Coats had an ABC store? The November 30, 1970 edition of the Daily Record sited that the Coats ABC store had been hit by robbers. Does anyone recall when the ABC store became unprofitable and was converted to another business and later had a beautiful town library on that site?
This I do know. Bettie Stewart and David Surles were patients at GHH (Daily Record Nov. 30, 1970) and Melliard Young of Route 1, Coats was a patient at BJMH (Daily Record Dec. 1, 1970).
In Harnett County, the Daily Record December 2nd edition of that paper shared two deaths. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming Parker of Coats had announced the birth and death of a daughter, Tammy Marie Parker, on Thursday, November 26. Clarence McLeod of Chestertown, Indiana had died. Mr. McLeod was formerly of Coats. He had several siblings of the Grove area. William Henry, Fred, Mrs. Ruth Avery and Mrs. Ruby Byrd were listed. Mr. McLeod was kitchen superintendent with the Michigan City, Indiana Prison.
“Until death we do part” was surely taken seriously by a Coats couple, Mr. and Mrs. Zennie Lee Poole, Sr. A Golden Wedding Anniversary Reception was given at the Coats home of their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Regan. The hosts of the event were the Poole children who were Mrs. Garland Avery, Mrs. Holly D. Hudson, Mr. Zennie Poole, Jr., and Mrs. Albert Regan. Approximately 150 guests called during the afternoon.
Cathy Penny and friends hosted a Lingerie Shower for bride-elect Linda Ruth Barefoot. Elsewhere, James Willis, Jr. was a patient at GHH according to the December 3rd Daily Record paper.
Good news was shared in Coats when it was announced the Mr. and Mrs. James Douglas Johnson of Route One Coats had a new arrival. The birth of a son to James and former Vickie Lynn Stewart had occurred on Dec. 7th (Daily Record Dec. 9, 1970). In that edition of the paper was printed that Glenn Ennis, 76, a retired farmer of Benson, had died on Sunday Dec. 7th.
The next edition of the paper reported that Russell Lamm, Lela Ellen Johnson and Mrs. Omie Moore were Coats residents in Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital on December 10th and 11th.
Mrs. Belva Turner, 60, had died and was survived by her husband, Robert Turner and daughter, Mrs. Edith Allen (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Ed Turlington, a member of the Harnett County Board of Education, said that “he felt the vocational programs in the Harnett Schools should be broadened to include other skilled trades in order to prepare students for gainful occupations after graduation.”He also remarked that he would add more courses to prepare students for college. Consolidated schools offered 150 high school courses compared to the 20-50 offered in Harnett High Schools (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Jennifer Jane Anton and Dr. Charles Langdon were married in a double ring ceremony in Montgomery Hills Baptist Church in Silver Springs, Maryland. Jennifer Jane was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell A. Sellers. Dr. Langdon was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Langdon of Coats. The bride wore a peasant style black velvet gown embroidered with flowers, and she carried one long stemmed red rose. Edward Turlington, Kenneth Ennis and Ronald Langdon were ushers. The wedding was performed in late October (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
The Coats Baptist Church was the setting of the wedding of Linda Barefoot and Edward Joseph Lunney, III. Rev. Howard Beard performed the double-ring ceremony before a basket of mums, greenery and candles (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Carson Gregory of Route 2, Angier was elected as head of Swine Association while elsewhere, Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Maynor, Jr. announced the birth of a son. Several other locals were patients in area hospitals during the holiday season- Gail Smith (BJMH), Mr. Ed Dixon (GHH), and Mrs. Sylvia Gray Dorman (BJMH) (Daily Record Dec. 23, 24, 30 and 31).
Another page on the calendar was flipped and this time it had displayed 1971. This was the year in which the Supreme Court had ordered busing to end segregation in the public schools. On January 1st, a ban on radio and television advertising of tobacco products had gone into effect after a New Year’s Eve, during which the nation’s eyes and ears were blitzed with tobacco ads. This was the year that a bomb exploded in the men’s room in the US Senate wing of the US Capitol, causing $300,000 in damages but no injuries.
Smiley-faced buttons showed up everywhere: Have a nice day! The staid Commonwealth of Virginia created a stir when it released the ad campaign: “Virginia is for Lovers”. The television show about a lovable bigot named Archie Bunker made the “All in the Family” a hit. Hot pants were very short and as it turned out, very short-lived. The Mariner 9 sent back the first out-of-this world photos from Mars.
Numbers grew in 1971. Billie Jean King became the first woman athlete in history to earn more than a million dollars in a single year. The longest seagoing tanker to this point in history was built by the Japanese and weighed 378, 377 tons. (How many pounds of butter would that be?)The cost of mailing a first class stamp went up to eight cents from six cents.
Bowmar Instruments Corporation marketed the first handheld calculator. It was listed for $249. Big bucks were appropriated for fighting crime through the Omnibus Crime Control Act-$3.6 billion. Americans were puffing down 547.2 billion cigarettes in 1971. For the first time in this century, America imported more than it exported. Nearly 30 percent of all petroleum was imported. The Department of Agriculture gave schools permission to use up to 30 percent soybean substitute in meat and fish dishes in the hot lunch programs (Dickson, Paul, From Elvis to E-Mail, Federal Street Press: Springfield, MA 1999, pp. 186-192).
In Coats, the Bookmobile of Harnett County Public Library had made several stops in the area-Ed Weaver’s Store, O.K. Keene Store, Alonzo Coats’s home, and the Community Beauty Shop (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1971).
Bobby Pope of the Coats area had an irrigation pond dug close to his fields so it would not require a lot of pipe to get water into the field (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1971).
The January 6, 1971 edition of the Daily Record reported in that Mrs. Myra Bryant, Mrs. Bessie Page, and Mrs. Joseph Daniel Nordan, Jr., were hospital patients. Pope’s planned to occupy the old Roses store in downtown Dunn. William R. Pope of Coats announced the plans. This was his 18th store out of 19 he owned. The Pope’s Distributing Co. operated under three different names-Pope’s 5-10-25 Cent Stores, Pope’s Dollar Mart, and Pope’s Discount Center. Opening the store was a dream comes true for the 35 -year-old Coats businessman.
Kathy Weeks, Peggy Robinson, Lynda Butler and I have a fun and exciting time volunteering at the museum. Recently we welcomed to the museum Clyde and Betty Phillips Gaster of Raleigh. Clyde is the son of the late Wilhelmina Gaster Johnson. She was the daughter of Andrew Coats, son of Preacher Tom Coats. Andrew was the first train agent of the Cape Fear and Northern Railroad (later the Durham and Southern) and was postmaster of the town of Coats in 1903. He had followed Joseph Ary Stewart who was postmaster of Troyville. (How did you like all that history?)
Clyde served in the military during the Vietnam War era but was stationed in Germany where he was fortunate to have his bride Betty to be with him there. On Thursday, he gave the museum his military overcoat from the Vietnam War era along with two pictures. One is of his grandmother Mrs. Andrew (Betty) Coats, his mother Wilhelmina and himself as a soldier. Thank you goes to Betty and Clyde for adding to our digital photo library.
As we were saying good bye to Desi Campbell who was in town from Charlotte, Doan Denning dropped by with two friends from Australia who were in town visiting the Dennings. Amazingly the Australians knew much American history and right off the bat he mentioned the date of the American Revolution as I shared the information about our Continental uniform and paintings of that era by our local artists - Diane Allen, Myrtle Bridges and Sandra Denning. They were a delightful as we shared the history of our small American town.
Thank you goes to Ralph Denning, our dedicated board member, who has shown his presence and generosity over and over by giving to the Coats Museum and its Endowment. Ralph and Lorena have given memorials for Dan Honeycutt and Kay Fish Toombs. Jeanette D. Johnson and Robie and Lynda Butler have also remembered Betty Gregory and Dan Honeycutt. Lenee and J.B. Smith honored Lenee’s mom on Mother’s Day with a donation to the endowment. Rhonda and Randy Stephenson have remembered Betty Gregory with a museum memorial and Cathy McLamb has given a museum memorial for her classmate Joe Tart’s mother, Mrs. Hazel Tart. The Coats Museum board and volunteers sincerely appreciate those who support the Coats Museum and its endowment because they inspire us to be the best keepers of our town’s heritage.
The year 1970 was coming to an end. On November 23rd, Defense Secretary Laird revealed that that there had been a daring but unsuccessful raid on a POW camp near Hanoi in an attempt to free American prisoners. The camp was deserted when the raiders got there. Less than a month later, protests had broken out in Poland, and, before they came to an end on December 19th, 300 demonstrators had been killed.
Roses store in Dunn Plaza Shopping Center had held its annual Baby Race. Tara Johnson of Coats had won first place out of 20 entries according to the November 24, 1970 edition of the Daily Record.
Who remembers when Coats had an ABC store? The November 30, 1970 edition of the Daily Record sited that the Coats ABC store had been hit by robbers. Does anyone recall when the ABC store became unprofitable and was converted to another business and later had a beautiful town library on that site?
This I do know. Bettie Stewart and David Surles were patients at GHH (Daily Record Nov. 30, 1970) and Melliard Young of Route 1, Coats was a patient at BJMH (Daily Record Dec. 1, 1970).
In Harnett County, the Daily Record December 2nd edition of that paper shared two deaths. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming Parker of Coats had announced the birth and death of a daughter, Tammy Marie Parker, on Thursday, November 26. Clarence McLeod of Chestertown, Indiana had died. Mr. McLeod was formerly of Coats. He had several siblings of the Grove area. William Henry, Fred, Mrs. Ruth Avery and Mrs. Ruby Byrd were listed. Mr. McLeod was kitchen superintendent with the Michigan City, Indiana Prison.
“Until death we do part” was surely taken seriously by a Coats couple, Mr. and Mrs. Zennie Lee Poole, Sr. A Golden Wedding Anniversary Reception was given at the Coats home of their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Regan. The hosts of the event were the Poole children who were Mrs. Garland Avery, Mrs. Holly D. Hudson, Mr. Zennie Poole, Jr., and Mrs. Albert Regan. Approximately 150 guests called during the afternoon.
Cathy Penny and friends hosted a Lingerie Shower for bride-elect Linda Ruth Barefoot. Elsewhere, James Willis, Jr. was a patient at GHH according to the December 3rd Daily Record paper.
Good news was shared in Coats when it was announced the Mr. and Mrs. James Douglas Johnson of Route One Coats had a new arrival. The birth of a son to James and former Vickie Lynn Stewart had occurred on Dec. 7th (Daily Record Dec. 9, 1970). In that edition of the paper was printed that Glenn Ennis, 76, a retired farmer of Benson, had died on Sunday Dec. 7th.
The next edition of the paper reported that Russell Lamm, Lela Ellen Johnson and Mrs. Omie Moore were Coats residents in Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital on December 10th and 11th.
Mrs. Belva Turner, 60, had died and was survived by her husband, Robert Turner and daughter, Mrs. Edith Allen (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Ed Turlington, a member of the Harnett County Board of Education, said that “he felt the vocational programs in the Harnett Schools should be broadened to include other skilled trades in order to prepare students for gainful occupations after graduation.”He also remarked that he would add more courses to prepare students for college. Consolidated schools offered 150 high school courses compared to the 20-50 offered in Harnett High Schools (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Jennifer Jane Anton and Dr. Charles Langdon were married in a double ring ceremony in Montgomery Hills Baptist Church in Silver Springs, Maryland. Jennifer Jane was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell A. Sellers. Dr. Langdon was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Langdon of Coats. The bride wore a peasant style black velvet gown embroidered with flowers, and she carried one long stemmed red rose. Edward Turlington, Kenneth Ennis and Ronald Langdon were ushers. The wedding was performed in late October (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
The Coats Baptist Church was the setting of the wedding of Linda Barefoot and Edward Joseph Lunney, III. Rev. Howard Beard performed the double-ring ceremony before a basket of mums, greenery and candles (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1970).
Carson Gregory of Route 2, Angier was elected as head of Swine Association while elsewhere, Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Maynor, Jr. announced the birth of a son. Several other locals were patients in area hospitals during the holiday season- Gail Smith (BJMH), Mr. Ed Dixon (GHH), and Mrs. Sylvia Gray Dorman (BJMH) (Daily Record Dec. 23, 24, 30 and 31).
Another page on the calendar was flipped and this time it had displayed 1971. This was the year in which the Supreme Court had ordered busing to end segregation in the public schools. On January 1st, a ban on radio and television advertising of tobacco products had gone into effect after a New Year’s Eve, during which the nation’s eyes and ears were blitzed with tobacco ads. This was the year that a bomb exploded in the men’s room in the US Senate wing of the US Capitol, causing $300,000 in damages but no injuries.
Smiley-faced buttons showed up everywhere: Have a nice day! The staid Commonwealth of Virginia created a stir when it released the ad campaign: “Virginia is for Lovers”. The television show about a lovable bigot named Archie Bunker made the “All in the Family” a hit. Hot pants were very short and as it turned out, very short-lived. The Mariner 9 sent back the first out-of-this world photos from Mars.
Numbers grew in 1971. Billie Jean King became the first woman athlete in history to earn more than a million dollars in a single year. The longest seagoing tanker to this point in history was built by the Japanese and weighed 378, 377 tons. (How many pounds of butter would that be?)The cost of mailing a first class stamp went up to eight cents from six cents.
Bowmar Instruments Corporation marketed the first handheld calculator. It was listed for $249. Big bucks were appropriated for fighting crime through the Omnibus Crime Control Act-$3.6 billion. Americans were puffing down 547.2 billion cigarettes in 1971. For the first time in this century, America imported more than it exported. Nearly 30 percent of all petroleum was imported. The Department of Agriculture gave schools permission to use up to 30 percent soybean substitute in meat and fish dishes in the hot lunch programs (Dickson, Paul, From Elvis to E-Mail, Federal Street Press: Springfield, MA 1999, pp. 186-192).
In Coats, the Bookmobile of Harnett County Public Library had made several stops in the area-Ed Weaver’s Store, O.K. Keene Store, Alonzo Coats’s home, and the Community Beauty Shop (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1971).
Bobby Pope of the Coats area had an irrigation pond dug close to his fields so it would not require a lot of pipe to get water into the field (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1971).
The January 6, 1971 edition of the Daily Record reported in that Mrs. Myra Bryant, Mrs. Bessie Page, and Mrs. Joseph Daniel Nordan, Jr., were hospital patients. Pope’s planned to occupy the old Roses store in downtown Dunn. William R. Pope of Coats announced the plans. This was his 18th store out of 19 he owned. The Pope’s Distributing Co. operated under three different names-Pope’s 5-10-25 Cent Stores, Pope’s Dollar Mart, and Pope’s Discount Center. Opening the store was a dream comes true for the 35 -year-old Coats businessman.
Kathy Weeks, Peggy Robinson, Lynda Butler and I have a fun and exciting time volunteering at the museum. Recently we welcomed to the museum Clyde and Betty Phillips Gaster of Raleigh. Clyde is the son of the late Wilhelmina Gaster Johnson. She was the daughter of Andrew Coats, son of Preacher Tom Coats. Andrew was the first train agent of the Cape Fear and Northern Railroad (later the Durham and Southern) and was postmaster of the town of Coats in 1903. He had followed Joseph Ary Stewart who was postmaster of Troyville. (How did you like all that history?)
Clyde served in the military during the Vietnam War era but was stationed in Germany where he was fortunate to have his bride Betty to be with him there. On Thursday, he gave the museum his military overcoat from the Vietnam War era along with two pictures. One is of his grandmother Mrs. Andrew (Betty) Coats, his mother Wilhelmina and himself as a soldier. Thank you goes to Betty and Clyde for adding to our digital photo library.
As we were saying good bye to Desi Campbell who was in town from Charlotte, Doan Denning dropped by with two friends from Australia who were in town visiting the Dennings. Amazingly the Australians knew much American history and right off the bat he mentioned the date of the American Revolution as I shared the information about our Continental uniform and paintings of that era by our local artists - Diane Allen, Myrtle Bridges and Sandra Denning. They were a delightful as we shared the history of our small American town.
Thank you goes to Ralph Denning, our dedicated board member, who has shown his presence and generosity over and over by giving to the Coats Museum and its Endowment. Ralph and Lorena have given memorials for Dan Honeycutt and Kay Fish Toombs. Jeanette D. Johnson and Robie and Lynda Butler have also remembered Betty Gregory and Dan Honeycutt. Lenee and J.B. Smith honored Lenee’s mom on Mother’s Day with a donation to the endowment. Rhonda and Randy Stephenson have remembered Betty Gregory with a museum memorial and Cathy McLamb has given a museum memorial for her classmate Joe Tart’s mother, Mrs. Hazel Tart. The Coats Museum board and volunteers sincerely appreciate those who support the Coats Museum and its endowment because they inspire us to be the best keepers of our town’s heritage.