November 2. 2012 Coats Museum News
The Coats Town Board had it last meeting for the 1934 year and was told that E.R. Partin could not come up with enough bond to be the tax collector. The board appointed V.R. McGee as tax collector. He, too, had to come up with a $500.00 bond. All tax money had to be turned in at least once a week or when he had collected $25.00. He received 10% of the late taxes and 5% of the present taxes (Coats Town Board meeting minutes, December 4, 1934).
Does anyone know who the postmaster of the Coats post office was before 1934? I do know that Mrs. Lucy Kelly, daughter of the late W.H. Wiggins, was named postmaster at the Coats post office on December 17, 1934, according to the Dunn Dispatch July 31, 1961 edition. She was appointed by Rep. Bayer Clark of Fayetteville.
The year was 1935. Huey Long of Louisiana condemned the policies of the Roosevelt administration, saying that they had not broken down the wealth of the Rockefellers and Astors to give enough to the masses to end poverty. “Ma” Barker and Fred were killed by the FBI. Tensions were high in Europe. Adolf Hitler was growing in power. The U.S. was hit by dust storms hanging over about half of the country. Devastation occurred to man and beast. Roosevelt used the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to provide jobs for thousands 0f construction workers, teachers, musicians, artists, actors and workers of all kinds. Charles Lindbergh invented the artificial heart. President Roosevelt signed into law the “Social Security Act”. Will Rogers and Wiley Post died in a plane crash in Alaska and Huey Long was assassinated in Baton Rouge. The DC-3 made its first flight carrying 21 passengers.
In Coats, North Carolina, the lunchroom sponsored by the PTA and operated by Mrs. Roycroft was going strong (Together We Leave, Sorrell xiii). Harnett County had five students who were students at Atlantic College and Helen Gunter of Coats was one of the five (Harnett County News January 24, 1935).
Mrs. Archie Penny had died on Friday and her services were held at the Johnson Memorial Church in Johnston County and were conducted by Rev. R.K. Davenport of Raleigh. There was a large attendance. Bernard Hudson, J.D. Byrd, W.R. Wilkins, Kirk Lassiter, Glen Johnson, and Rufus Penny were active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Thomas D. Stewart, W.H. Grimes, D.D. Young, Rom Eason, and B.F. Byrd. Mrs. Penny was 39 years old and was survived by her mother and several brothers (Harnett County News January 24, 1935). Was she the oldest daughter of W.J. “Mack” Stewart, Harnett County Commissioner?
May I see your driver’s license, please? When do think that question was first asked of the drivers of cars in North Carolina? An uniform drivers’ license law had been enacted by the legislature to become effective on November 1, 1935. The provisions said a driver must be 16 years old, a chauffeur, 18 years old, and a public passenger vehicle, 21 years old. Fees were $1.00 for drivers and $2.00 for chauffeurs. Replacement licenses were to be 50 cents (Harnett County News February 28, 1935).
Farm season was approaching and farmers needed nutrients for the fields. E.L. Parrish of Barclaysville, Coats Mercantile Co. of Coats, J.B. Ennis of Benson and John Sorrell of Dunn were selling International Fertilizers (Harnett County News March 14, 1935).
Death was on the prowl again in the Coats area and had claimed L.C. Parrish, 48, a highly respected citizen of Coats who was a well-to-do farmer. He had died at the Good Hope Hospital after a protracted illness. Rev. G.A. Turner of the Coats Baptist Church officiated. Pallbearers were C.A. Byrd, M.C. Stewart, M.E. Ennis, Joel Ennis, Clyde Grimes, and T.O. Beasley. Surviving him were his widow, two sons and six daughters (Harnett County News March 21, 1935). Who knows who his survivors were?
I do know that the Coats Town Board was having a difficult time hiring a tax collector. They elected J.A. Spivey as a night watchman and policeman of Coats. He was also picked to be tax collector. He was to be paid $75.00 per month and 10% of old taxes and 5% for present taxes. Again, the commissioners discussed the need to investigate and see what could be done about a guard house for the town. A.C. Grimes, M.C. Stewart, and T.O. Beasley were to see about the blueprints (Coats Town Board meeting minutes March 25, 1935). Was there a crime problem in Coats in 1935?
It appears that the men of the town were concerned with the guard house and that the ladies of the town were concerned with raising money for library funds. Members of the financial committee for the Page Book Club entertained with a Bingo Party at the home of Mrs. J.R. Collier. It was the first of a series of games to be sponsored by the club. Thirty-five people played in addition to the club members (Harnett County News March 28, 1935).
Dr. J.R. Butler was a patient with kidney problems in Rex Hospital but this did not prevent the Page Book Club members from attending a meeting at the house of Mrs. W.E. Nichols where she had used flowers of various hues throughout the room for entertaining guests. Reports from the financial committee showed that quite a nice sum had been made at the Bingo Parties and rummage sales. Mrs. Nichols remained as president. Mrs. Stewart Turlington was vice president and Mrs. C.G. Fuquay was secretary-treasurer. The program was on poets and musicians (Harnett County News April 4, 1935).
The big machines are on the old school campus at Coats to tear down the dilapidated buildings that were so precious to those who walked the halls of them. Gone are most of those leaders who pushed to get the buildings to have adequate space to educate the students in Grove Township. Those of us who give much time and money to preserve much of the heritage of the school and town at the museum are so proud that we do have one of the old Coats School buildings as part of the museum complex on Coats Heritage Square. Thanks to Joyce McLamb and her family, many artifacts from the school are preserved and on display in the museum. More of the new exhibit cabinets were delivered last week and will soon be ready to showcase more of the artifacts given or loaned to the museum.
A special thank you goes to Becky Adams , H.L. Sorrell, Dorsey and Pauline Daniel, Mott Goff, Cliff and Linda Butler who honored Lynda Butler on her birthday and to those who gave to the museum endowment to honor the memory of ninety-eight year old Mary Stewart who touched the lives of so many students in Coats. Again, a special thank you goes to all who bought hotdogs and hamburgers at Farmers Day at the Kiwanis tent. For years, the proceeds of the booth have been given to the Coats Museum Endowment. A big thank you is sent to Coats Cabinets for building and giving the cabinets in the media room to house all of the museum’s security and technology devices.
The Coats Town Board had it last meeting for the 1934 year and was told that E.R. Partin could not come up with enough bond to be the tax collector. The board appointed V.R. McGee as tax collector. He, too, had to come up with a $500.00 bond. All tax money had to be turned in at least once a week or when he had collected $25.00. He received 10% of the late taxes and 5% of the present taxes (Coats Town Board meeting minutes, December 4, 1934).
Does anyone know who the postmaster of the Coats post office was before 1934? I do know that Mrs. Lucy Kelly, daughter of the late W.H. Wiggins, was named postmaster at the Coats post office on December 17, 1934, according to the Dunn Dispatch July 31, 1961 edition. She was appointed by Rep. Bayer Clark of Fayetteville.
The year was 1935. Huey Long of Louisiana condemned the policies of the Roosevelt administration, saying that they had not broken down the wealth of the Rockefellers and Astors to give enough to the masses to end poverty. “Ma” Barker and Fred were killed by the FBI. Tensions were high in Europe. Adolf Hitler was growing in power. The U.S. was hit by dust storms hanging over about half of the country. Devastation occurred to man and beast. Roosevelt used the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to provide jobs for thousands 0f construction workers, teachers, musicians, artists, actors and workers of all kinds. Charles Lindbergh invented the artificial heart. President Roosevelt signed into law the “Social Security Act”. Will Rogers and Wiley Post died in a plane crash in Alaska and Huey Long was assassinated in Baton Rouge. The DC-3 made its first flight carrying 21 passengers.
In Coats, North Carolina, the lunchroom sponsored by the PTA and operated by Mrs. Roycroft was going strong (Together We Leave, Sorrell xiii). Harnett County had five students who were students at Atlantic College and Helen Gunter of Coats was one of the five (Harnett County News January 24, 1935).
Mrs. Archie Penny had died on Friday and her services were held at the Johnson Memorial Church in Johnston County and were conducted by Rev. R.K. Davenport of Raleigh. There was a large attendance. Bernard Hudson, J.D. Byrd, W.R. Wilkins, Kirk Lassiter, Glen Johnson, and Rufus Penny were active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Thomas D. Stewart, W.H. Grimes, D.D. Young, Rom Eason, and B.F. Byrd. Mrs. Penny was 39 years old and was survived by her mother and several brothers (Harnett County News January 24, 1935). Was she the oldest daughter of W.J. “Mack” Stewart, Harnett County Commissioner?
May I see your driver’s license, please? When do think that question was first asked of the drivers of cars in North Carolina? An uniform drivers’ license law had been enacted by the legislature to become effective on November 1, 1935. The provisions said a driver must be 16 years old, a chauffeur, 18 years old, and a public passenger vehicle, 21 years old. Fees were $1.00 for drivers and $2.00 for chauffeurs. Replacement licenses were to be 50 cents (Harnett County News February 28, 1935).
Farm season was approaching and farmers needed nutrients for the fields. E.L. Parrish of Barclaysville, Coats Mercantile Co. of Coats, J.B. Ennis of Benson and John Sorrell of Dunn were selling International Fertilizers (Harnett County News March 14, 1935).
Death was on the prowl again in the Coats area and had claimed L.C. Parrish, 48, a highly respected citizen of Coats who was a well-to-do farmer. He had died at the Good Hope Hospital after a protracted illness. Rev. G.A. Turner of the Coats Baptist Church officiated. Pallbearers were C.A. Byrd, M.C. Stewart, M.E. Ennis, Joel Ennis, Clyde Grimes, and T.O. Beasley. Surviving him were his widow, two sons and six daughters (Harnett County News March 21, 1935). Who knows who his survivors were?
I do know that the Coats Town Board was having a difficult time hiring a tax collector. They elected J.A. Spivey as a night watchman and policeman of Coats. He was also picked to be tax collector. He was to be paid $75.00 per month and 10% of old taxes and 5% for present taxes. Again, the commissioners discussed the need to investigate and see what could be done about a guard house for the town. A.C. Grimes, M.C. Stewart, and T.O. Beasley were to see about the blueprints (Coats Town Board meeting minutes March 25, 1935). Was there a crime problem in Coats in 1935?
It appears that the men of the town were concerned with the guard house and that the ladies of the town were concerned with raising money for library funds. Members of the financial committee for the Page Book Club entertained with a Bingo Party at the home of Mrs. J.R. Collier. It was the first of a series of games to be sponsored by the club. Thirty-five people played in addition to the club members (Harnett County News March 28, 1935).
Dr. J.R. Butler was a patient with kidney problems in Rex Hospital but this did not prevent the Page Book Club members from attending a meeting at the house of Mrs. W.E. Nichols where she had used flowers of various hues throughout the room for entertaining guests. Reports from the financial committee showed that quite a nice sum had been made at the Bingo Parties and rummage sales. Mrs. Nichols remained as president. Mrs. Stewart Turlington was vice president and Mrs. C.G. Fuquay was secretary-treasurer. The program was on poets and musicians (Harnett County News April 4, 1935).
The big machines are on the old school campus at Coats to tear down the dilapidated buildings that were so precious to those who walked the halls of them. Gone are most of those leaders who pushed to get the buildings to have adequate space to educate the students in Grove Township. Those of us who give much time and money to preserve much of the heritage of the school and town at the museum are so proud that we do have one of the old Coats School buildings as part of the museum complex on Coats Heritage Square. Thanks to Joyce McLamb and her family, many artifacts from the school are preserved and on display in the museum. More of the new exhibit cabinets were delivered last week and will soon be ready to showcase more of the artifacts given or loaned to the museum.
A special thank you goes to Becky Adams , H.L. Sorrell, Dorsey and Pauline Daniel, Mott Goff, Cliff and Linda Butler who honored Lynda Butler on her birthday and to those who gave to the museum endowment to honor the memory of ninety-eight year old Mary Stewart who touched the lives of so many students in Coats. Again, a special thank you goes to all who bought hotdogs and hamburgers at Farmers Day at the Kiwanis tent. For years, the proceeds of the booth have been given to the Coats Museum Endowment. A big thank you is sent to Coats Cabinets for building and giving the cabinets in the media room to house all of the museum’s security and technology devices.