October 2, 2011 Coats Museum News
One of the perks of writing the Coats Museum News is the excitement that some readers share as they tell about some of their memories of certain topics written about in the column. For example on Sunday afternoon, Mack and Juanita Hudson dropped by the museum when H.L. and I were serving as volunteers and told us that they remembered well about their parents having “tater hills” and that their “tater hills” had a stove pipe inserted in the top. Wonder what “tater hills” were like on other farms.
I do know there are likely few people alive who were present in the Coats High School auditorium on Friday, October 27, 1922 at 8:00pm where the entire upper level of the brick school building had been turned into a spook-land with black cats, witches, and ghosts. Brilliant colors were created by pumpkin jack o ’lanterns. Booths were decorated. Ice cream, candy, and peanuts were sold. Visits to the fountain of youth, café, fishing ponds, shooting booths, gypsy tent, witch tent, and a trip through the mystery land took money from those who entered. There was a free program, a Hawaiian band, readings and a ghost dance.
Does this carnival read like one that might be familiar to our youngsters in 2011? Can you guess how much money was raised that night and how they planned to spend the proceeds? The “Harnett County News” November 2, 1922 edition recorded that $70.00 was raised and was to be spent in the school library.
That same edition of that paper recorded on October 28, 1922 that a teacher’s conference was held in Lillington. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and outline methods best suited for educating the youth of Harnett County. One hundred and fifty-six teachers from 60 white schools attended. There were still about half dozen schools not opened. Were farm students needed in the cotton patch? A conference for the colored teachers was held one week later for the educators from the 38 colored schools. Are you thinking that is a large number of schools? Students of some of those educators likely purchased their schoolbooks from Atkins Bros. in Lillington.
On November 7, 1922, the board of the Coats Town Commissioners met in regular session with Mayor C.T. Matthews calling it to order. The commissioners were paid for their services rendered in 1921—1921? These are the ones to whom money was paid with the amount of the voucher: Mayor C.T. Matthews, $25.00; Clerk A.C. Grimes, $25.00; Commissioner T.D. Whittenton,$12.00; Commissioner J.F. Parrish, $12,00; and Commissioner J.H. McLamb,$12.00. Newport Culvert Co. was paid $158.00 and Dr. H.C. Roberts was paid $6.00 for making a report of births and deaths. Commissioner T.D. Whittenton was instructed to make an effort to get town citizens to clean up their premises and he was instructed to assist in the matter at an expense not to exceed $15.00 to the town. C.T. Matthews was instructed to investigate means by which the water could be turned out of the street in front of J.M. Byrd’s residence, and ascertain the cost of repairing the sidewalk at this point. A report was to be made at the next regular meeting (Coats Town Meeting Minutes, November 7, 1922).
We will never know the outcome of those instructions since no town meeting minutes are available again until December 23, 1924 and at that date, none of the 1922 officials were serving on the 1924 board of commissioners.
The folks at the Coats Museum are so elated about the restoration of the Halfway House believed to have been built around 1806 by poplar foot Daniel Shaw. Recall that this is the site of the well that had a cave large enough for a horse and wagon to turn around in it. The dilapidated building also once had a kitchen apart from the house. Much work, money and commitment will be needed to restore the building and grounds to the original state. On Sunday afternoon at the Coats Senior Center, Bryan Avery and his team shared their plans at a Turlington family reunion. Most of those attending were some of the descendents of Willis Turlington. Willis ‘s grandson , Sheriff W.H. Turlington and his family, lived in the structure until around 1908 when he built a large house on the opposite side of the stage road. How lucky are the Turlingtons and other folks in the area to have individuals who will take on such an arduous task to restore a historical landmark that should bring in large numbers of tourists and money to Harnett County. Visit our website at coatsmuseum.com.
A very special thank you goes to Rev. J.M. Mewborn for his gift to museum of a picture of the Mark Myatt house and papers regarding the Mark Myatt family and also some copied pages from the North Carolina Troops: 1861-1865 sharing information about the Black Rivers Tigers. Randy Turlington drove down from Newport News, Virginia to attend the Turlington Reunion and he gave the museum copies of the CSA military records of Randall Turlington and H.H. Penny. Randy is the 2nd great grandson of these two Confederate soldiers.
With Farmer’s Day coming up this weekend, the museum will give tours to 140 third graders, teachers and helpers from Coats Elementary on Thursday. Back in 1914, youngsters of that age were also in the museum but at that time it was actually two classrooms. The museum will also be open on Saturday for tours, so drop in and talk with our volunteers about the history of the Coats area.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published on October 2, 2011 in the Daily Record.
One of the perks of writing the Coats Museum News is the excitement that some readers share as they tell about some of their memories of certain topics written about in the column. For example on Sunday afternoon, Mack and Juanita Hudson dropped by the museum when H.L. and I were serving as volunteers and told us that they remembered well about their parents having “tater hills” and that their “tater hills” had a stove pipe inserted in the top. Wonder what “tater hills” were like on other farms.
I do know there are likely few people alive who were present in the Coats High School auditorium on Friday, October 27, 1922 at 8:00pm where the entire upper level of the brick school building had been turned into a spook-land with black cats, witches, and ghosts. Brilliant colors were created by pumpkin jack o ’lanterns. Booths were decorated. Ice cream, candy, and peanuts were sold. Visits to the fountain of youth, café, fishing ponds, shooting booths, gypsy tent, witch tent, and a trip through the mystery land took money from those who entered. There was a free program, a Hawaiian band, readings and a ghost dance.
Does this carnival read like one that might be familiar to our youngsters in 2011? Can you guess how much money was raised that night and how they planned to spend the proceeds? The “Harnett County News” November 2, 1922 edition recorded that $70.00 was raised and was to be spent in the school library.
That same edition of that paper recorded on October 28, 1922 that a teacher’s conference was held in Lillington. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and outline methods best suited for educating the youth of Harnett County. One hundred and fifty-six teachers from 60 white schools attended. There were still about half dozen schools not opened. Were farm students needed in the cotton patch? A conference for the colored teachers was held one week later for the educators from the 38 colored schools. Are you thinking that is a large number of schools? Students of some of those educators likely purchased their schoolbooks from Atkins Bros. in Lillington.
On November 7, 1922, the board of the Coats Town Commissioners met in regular session with Mayor C.T. Matthews calling it to order. The commissioners were paid for their services rendered in 1921—1921? These are the ones to whom money was paid with the amount of the voucher: Mayor C.T. Matthews, $25.00; Clerk A.C. Grimes, $25.00; Commissioner T.D. Whittenton,$12.00; Commissioner J.F. Parrish, $12,00; and Commissioner J.H. McLamb,$12.00. Newport Culvert Co. was paid $158.00 and Dr. H.C. Roberts was paid $6.00 for making a report of births and deaths. Commissioner T.D. Whittenton was instructed to make an effort to get town citizens to clean up their premises and he was instructed to assist in the matter at an expense not to exceed $15.00 to the town. C.T. Matthews was instructed to investigate means by which the water could be turned out of the street in front of J.M. Byrd’s residence, and ascertain the cost of repairing the sidewalk at this point. A report was to be made at the next regular meeting (Coats Town Meeting Minutes, November 7, 1922).
We will never know the outcome of those instructions since no town meeting minutes are available again until December 23, 1924 and at that date, none of the 1922 officials were serving on the 1924 board of commissioners.
The folks at the Coats Museum are so elated about the restoration of the Halfway House believed to have been built around 1806 by poplar foot Daniel Shaw. Recall that this is the site of the well that had a cave large enough for a horse and wagon to turn around in it. The dilapidated building also once had a kitchen apart from the house. Much work, money and commitment will be needed to restore the building and grounds to the original state. On Sunday afternoon at the Coats Senior Center, Bryan Avery and his team shared their plans at a Turlington family reunion. Most of those attending were some of the descendents of Willis Turlington. Willis ‘s grandson , Sheriff W.H. Turlington and his family, lived in the structure until around 1908 when he built a large house on the opposite side of the stage road. How lucky are the Turlingtons and other folks in the area to have individuals who will take on such an arduous task to restore a historical landmark that should bring in large numbers of tourists and money to Harnett County. Visit our website at coatsmuseum.com.
A very special thank you goes to Rev. J.M. Mewborn for his gift to museum of a picture of the Mark Myatt house and papers regarding the Mark Myatt family and also some copied pages from the North Carolina Troops: 1861-1865 sharing information about the Black Rivers Tigers. Randy Turlington drove down from Newport News, Virginia to attend the Turlington Reunion and he gave the museum copies of the CSA military records of Randall Turlington and H.H. Penny. Randy is the 2nd great grandson of these two Confederate soldiers.
With Farmer’s Day coming up this weekend, the museum will give tours to 140 third graders, teachers and helpers from Coats Elementary on Thursday. Back in 1914, youngsters of that age were also in the museum but at that time it was actually two classrooms. The museum will also be open on Saturday for tours, so drop in and talk with our volunteers about the history of the Coats area.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published on October 2, 2011 in the Daily Record.