May 30, 2011 Coats
Museum News
A few columns back you read that the Harnett County Board of Commissioners had called for a special election in Coats, N.C. on the 12th day of August, 1919, to submit to the qualified voters of the Coats School Grove #3 District the question of issuing $15,000 in bonds to build a school house in Coats. Did the school bond issue pass?
A public notice was placed in the “Harnett County News” (Vol. 2 No. 42) by the Harnett County Board of Commissioners that a special election would be held in Coats on the 12th day of October, 1920 to submit to the qualified voters of the Coats School District the question of issuing “Thirty Thousand Dollars in bonds to build a school for the said District. Said bonds to run for a period of 20 years and to bear interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum, payable semi-annually, and providing for a tax levy not to exceed 30 cents on the hundred dollars of property and 90 cents on the poll to pay the interest thereon and provide payment of the principal thereof”. A new registration was ordered and J.F. Parrish was again appointed register. (Does this mean that the first bond election failed or that additional money was needed to complete the school?)
Miss Verl Johnson, daughter of Coats merchant T.M. Johnson, wrote the social page of Coats News printed in the “Harnett County News”. She encouraged all eligible persons to register to qualify to vote in the election. Note that she said all “persons”. She stressed to all females 21 years of age to register. She pointed out that many opposed suffrage or were indifferent about it and would be disposed to pass the matter up; and some will be timid about making the venture. She wrote in the “Harnett County News” ( Vol. 2 No. 42) that “the question of woman suffrage is settled. Sex is no longer a bar to the electoral franchise. The only matter for women to consider now is their duty as citizens.” Was she saying that any woman who fails to participate in the bond election neglects her duty as a citizen?
We’ll catch up with the election later. Now let’s read about other activities that occurred in Coats in the summer of 1920. On Tuesday night, June 22nd, all members of the Coats Scottish Rite met at the Stewart Hotel. (Some people recalled that the hotel was not called by a name—were they wrong?)The supper was delightful and a sumptuous affair. The purpose of the meeting was to organize a Scottish Rite Club. The following 32nd degree masons were present: N.T. Patterson, J.M. Byrd, T.M. Johnson, J.P. Lee, B.L. Langdon, W.M. Keene, T.V. Stewart, Dr. H.C. Roberts, W.W. Wiggins and L.L. Levinson. N.T. Patterson was elected president, W.W. Wiggins – vice president, and L.L. Levinson – secretary and treasurer. Matters of interest and importance were discussed at a round table discussion after the elegant meal “Harnett County News” ( July 1, 1920). For those of you who have been reading the museum news for the last couple of years, does Mollie Stewart of the Stewart Hotel and Mildred Barclay of Barclay’s Inn remind you of each other in that both of them were gracious southern hostesses who filled the dinner table with an abundance of country cooking?
An ordinance was passed by the Lillington Board of Alderman that ordained that drivers of automobiles, trucks, buggies, wagons , carts and vehicles of any kind or description be required to drive right on Main Street and Front Street and to keep right in passing the traffic signs in Front Street. For every violation of the ordinance, each and every offender shall be fined $1.00 (one dollar) upon each conviction (“Harnett County News “ Vol.2 No.8). Wonder if the folks in Coats were thinking that just in a matter of time, we will be fined for driving in the middle of the street. If you ever have the chance to see a very early picture of the Main Street of Coats, check out where the cars were driving.
Just down the road from Coats in the Sorrell School region, Mr. Kimrey, assistant husbandman of A&E College, presented and gave a demonstration on butter making. Mrs. Morris, one of the extension workers, gave a talk on the value of milk for growing children as well as adults (“Harnett County News” Vol.2 No.28).
Where was A&E College located and what is it called today? Can you guess what the A and E represented? Does it surprise you that housewives in 1920 needed a demonstration on how to make butter? Was this butter making done in an electric churn or was the churn placed beside the wood stove or fireplace to make the milk sour faster? Wonder if Mr. Kimrey talked to the mothers about child labor laws in using the little ones to churn the milk-just being facetious. The children probably begged to do the task so they could have those hot, homemade biscuits made from the buttermilk and filled with the warm butter that would ooze out as a big bite was taken.
This I will say, in the ”Harnett County News” July 27, 1920 edition, L.L. Levinson continued to write about the Coats School being built. We can conclude that more than one of the school bonds passed because Mr. Levinson stated that the $60,000 school was looking great despite a lack of materials.
Next week we shall continue our journey through Coats in the 1920’s. Meanwhile if you get a chance, look at our Coats Museum webpage (www.coatsmuseum.com) and witness some of the hard work that museum board member Mark Valsame did in putting together the Coats City Cemetery section. Thank David Barnes for his work on the web page and Teresa Honeycutt for keeping the grounds immaculate. Lots of people visit the Coats Heritage Square and last week there was even a wedding in front of the fountain and wall of honor.
Please be mindful that this article was published in the Daily Record in 2011.
A few columns back you read that the Harnett County Board of Commissioners had called for a special election in Coats, N.C. on the 12th day of August, 1919, to submit to the qualified voters of the Coats School Grove #3 District the question of issuing $15,000 in bonds to build a school house in Coats. Did the school bond issue pass?
A public notice was placed in the “Harnett County News” (Vol. 2 No. 42) by the Harnett County Board of Commissioners that a special election would be held in Coats on the 12th day of October, 1920 to submit to the qualified voters of the Coats School District the question of issuing “Thirty Thousand Dollars in bonds to build a school for the said District. Said bonds to run for a period of 20 years and to bear interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum, payable semi-annually, and providing for a tax levy not to exceed 30 cents on the hundred dollars of property and 90 cents on the poll to pay the interest thereon and provide payment of the principal thereof”. A new registration was ordered and J.F. Parrish was again appointed register. (Does this mean that the first bond election failed or that additional money was needed to complete the school?)
Miss Verl Johnson, daughter of Coats merchant T.M. Johnson, wrote the social page of Coats News printed in the “Harnett County News”. She encouraged all eligible persons to register to qualify to vote in the election. Note that she said all “persons”. She stressed to all females 21 years of age to register. She pointed out that many opposed suffrage or were indifferent about it and would be disposed to pass the matter up; and some will be timid about making the venture. She wrote in the “Harnett County News” ( Vol. 2 No. 42) that “the question of woman suffrage is settled. Sex is no longer a bar to the electoral franchise. The only matter for women to consider now is their duty as citizens.” Was she saying that any woman who fails to participate in the bond election neglects her duty as a citizen?
We’ll catch up with the election later. Now let’s read about other activities that occurred in Coats in the summer of 1920. On Tuesday night, June 22nd, all members of the Coats Scottish Rite met at the Stewart Hotel. (Some people recalled that the hotel was not called by a name—were they wrong?)The supper was delightful and a sumptuous affair. The purpose of the meeting was to organize a Scottish Rite Club. The following 32nd degree masons were present: N.T. Patterson, J.M. Byrd, T.M. Johnson, J.P. Lee, B.L. Langdon, W.M. Keene, T.V. Stewart, Dr. H.C. Roberts, W.W. Wiggins and L.L. Levinson. N.T. Patterson was elected president, W.W. Wiggins – vice president, and L.L. Levinson – secretary and treasurer. Matters of interest and importance were discussed at a round table discussion after the elegant meal “Harnett County News” ( July 1, 1920). For those of you who have been reading the museum news for the last couple of years, does Mollie Stewart of the Stewart Hotel and Mildred Barclay of Barclay’s Inn remind you of each other in that both of them were gracious southern hostesses who filled the dinner table with an abundance of country cooking?
An ordinance was passed by the Lillington Board of Alderman that ordained that drivers of automobiles, trucks, buggies, wagons , carts and vehicles of any kind or description be required to drive right on Main Street and Front Street and to keep right in passing the traffic signs in Front Street. For every violation of the ordinance, each and every offender shall be fined $1.00 (one dollar) upon each conviction (“Harnett County News “ Vol.2 No.8). Wonder if the folks in Coats were thinking that just in a matter of time, we will be fined for driving in the middle of the street. If you ever have the chance to see a very early picture of the Main Street of Coats, check out where the cars were driving.
Just down the road from Coats in the Sorrell School region, Mr. Kimrey, assistant husbandman of A&E College, presented and gave a demonstration on butter making. Mrs. Morris, one of the extension workers, gave a talk on the value of milk for growing children as well as adults (“Harnett County News” Vol.2 No.28).
Where was A&E College located and what is it called today? Can you guess what the A and E represented? Does it surprise you that housewives in 1920 needed a demonstration on how to make butter? Was this butter making done in an electric churn or was the churn placed beside the wood stove or fireplace to make the milk sour faster? Wonder if Mr. Kimrey talked to the mothers about child labor laws in using the little ones to churn the milk-just being facetious. The children probably begged to do the task so they could have those hot, homemade biscuits made from the buttermilk and filled with the warm butter that would ooze out as a big bite was taken.
This I will say, in the ”Harnett County News” July 27, 1920 edition, L.L. Levinson continued to write about the Coats School being built. We can conclude that more than one of the school bonds passed because Mr. Levinson stated that the $60,000 school was looking great despite a lack of materials.
Next week we shall continue our journey through Coats in the 1920’s. Meanwhile if you get a chance, look at our Coats Museum webpage (www.coatsmuseum.com) and witness some of the hard work that museum board member Mark Valsame did in putting together the Coats City Cemetery section. Thank David Barnes for his work on the web page and Teresa Honeycutt for keeping the grounds immaculate. Lots of people visit the Coats Heritage Square and last week there was even a wedding in front of the fountain and wall of honor.
Please be mindful that this article was published in the Daily Record in 2011.