October 22, 2021 Coats Museum News
The little one-room school, the small five-room one, the 1914 two-room goat house, the 1921 tri-level brick structure, the 1936 two-story high school building and auditorium, the 1939 one-room goat house, the 1946 agriculture building, the 1951 gymnasium and 1957 early grades buildings and cafeteria are all gone with the exception of the 1914 two-room goat house. Remnants of bricks, boards, lights chairs, tables, mirrors, sports memorabilia and the likes are spread throughout the town, county, state and country. About a dozen local history preservationists salvaged the 1914 two-room goat house and with the help of the community established the Coats Museum on the Heritage Square.
Regardless of which building you might select to focus upon, each of those buildings offered the setting for educating our young people. Students of history could tell you that it is recorded at one time, education was not provided for all the students. Parents paid for their children to attend subscription schools or they sent them away to boarding schools while some wealthier families hired a live-in teacher. Ministers sometimes served as teacher and preacher. Some even established academies such as the one of Dr. J.A. Campbell that grew into Campbell University. The early federal census records show that some children were marked as being in school when there is no record of a school being in the area. The Barbee children of Barclaysville are an example. CC Barbee was listed as a teacher on the census. There was a Stewart Academy in the 1840’s (?) near Bailey’s Crossroads. The Stewart Academy was site of a post office as late as 1889 after which the patrons had to go to Troyville to obtain mail.
I do know as time passed more and more leaders and parents saw the need to improve the educational opportunities for the children. While some students attended for only a few weeks, others attended two and three months to finally a nine month school term to the dislike of some farmers who felt that the labor of a son or daughter on the farm was much more important than an education.
Where am I going with this? The opportunity to get an education has improved with each generation. Those boys and girls attending the Ennis School, Gregory School, Sorrell School, Penny School, Barclaysville School, Parker School, Wiggins School, Turlington School, Benson Black River Grove Colored School, the Turlington Grove Colored School , Dickenson Colored School, Rowland Colored School and Coats Colored School did not have equal education to that which was offered at Coats District # 3. Eventually these white students in the rural schools would find their way into attendance in the District #3 Coats town school. The Coats Colored School had a much larger number of students and teachers than did the rural ones. The colored students from the schools would attend later the modern Gentry School at Erwin, the Harnett High School in Dunn and Coats High School.
One thing I have noticed as I have attempted to revisit the happenings of those who grew up in the Coats Grove Township is that an education opened the door to more opportunities which resulted in better lives for the rest of us. I have been amazed at the great number of Coats students who entered the medical fields.
Whether it was Dr. Bill Patterson and Dr. Bruce (?) Landgon whose early education began in the five-room school or Dr. Eastwood Turlington and Dr. Nathan Campbell who sat in seats in the 1921 building, their education began in humble settings. Dr. William Langdon, Dr. Linda Robinson, Dr. Randy Hedgepeth, Dr. Tonya Stewart, Dr. Lori Langdon, Dr. Andora Bass, Dr, Bryan Sorrell, and Dr. Brad Butler attended classes in the Coats School either as a high school or elementary student. There are so many other occupational success stories of graduates from the Coats District #3 Grove before it consolidated with Triton School.
Mr. J.C. Hawley once said you cannot keep a student from getting an education if that student wants one. I do know that there were many students from the Coats School who loved to learn. Many have earned a PH.D. -Janice Barnes Daniel, Ronnie Faulkner, Doan Coats and Lane Gregory come to mind. However, it was Robert V. House in 1988 who made the Daily Record News that he had been awarded his PH.D from UNC Chapel Hill School of Public Health. While earning his doctorate, he was employed at the Chemical Industry institute in the RTP. His work there focused on the effect of toxic chemicals on the body’s ability to fight infection and cancer. He authored and co-authored several articles and was currently writing a book on research in immunology. Robert is the son of Margaret House and the late Lester House. He lived in Chapel Hill with his wife Brenda (Daily Record May 25, 1988).
Kathy Weissinger was the Cowgirl Beauty Queen for the IGA Beef Shootout sponsored by the Coats IGA (Daily Record May 26, 1988).
The battle over the routing of Highway 27 was unresolved. The Coats business leaders were getting opposition from the Buies Creek homeowners and CU students. The university officials spoke out against having trucks going through the campus due to a safety issue of students (Daily Record May 30, 1988).
Another school term had concluded and a Coats athlete was awarded a trophy for Best Athlete of the Year. The young lady was Amy Parrish, daughter of Patsy and Keith Parrish (Daily Record May 31, 1988).
It was time to recognize another Coats Business Focus of the Week. The CACC selected Tony’s Body Shop. Tony Mangum, the owner, was pictured with Randy Rambeau and Dottie Bowden in the news release. Mr. Mangum had four fulltime employees: Anthony Norris, Roscoe Williams, Anthony Hargrove, and Eric Mangum. The business is located on NC 55 and catered to NC, SC, and VA clients. The company repairs about 10 cars per week (Daily Record June 1, 1988). This was 1988, has Tony’s Body Shop increased those numbers considerably since 1988? I do know he painted our 1965 classic burgundy Thunderbird and it looked new when we drove it out of Tony’s shop.
The Liberty Extension Homemakers Club met at the home of Linda Cobb. Congratulations went to Bonnie Lee Pope for being selected as the Harnett County Teacher of the Year. Florence Adams had reason to celebrate also. She was able to enjoy her 93rd birthday. The Harnett County Volunteer Recognition Program was held in the Coats Senior Center. Among those attending was County Commissioner Mack Reid Hudson. Ruth Parrish was the Senior Center Director. Don’t you wish we knew which volunteers they recognized?
Some more good news was that Mike and Kathy Ennis had made a trip to Guatemala to visit the darling baby girl that they would adopt soon. Harry and Mildred Wheeler returned to Coats after visiting in Jacksonville, FL. Harry was enjoying his gardening (Daily Record June 1, 1988). I wonder if he knew how much we enjoyed him when he assisted in the Coats School cafeteria. I never saw him when he was not smiling.
Marc and Jean Powell continue to add to the Boy Scout Exhibit. Drop and be amazed at the huge number of Coats boys who earned the Eagle rank.
The little one-room school, the small five-room one, the 1914 two-room goat house, the 1921 tri-level brick structure, the 1936 two-story high school building and auditorium, the 1939 one-room goat house, the 1946 agriculture building, the 1951 gymnasium and 1957 early grades buildings and cafeteria are all gone with the exception of the 1914 two-room goat house. Remnants of bricks, boards, lights chairs, tables, mirrors, sports memorabilia and the likes are spread throughout the town, county, state and country. About a dozen local history preservationists salvaged the 1914 two-room goat house and with the help of the community established the Coats Museum on the Heritage Square.
Regardless of which building you might select to focus upon, each of those buildings offered the setting for educating our young people. Students of history could tell you that it is recorded at one time, education was not provided for all the students. Parents paid for their children to attend subscription schools or they sent them away to boarding schools while some wealthier families hired a live-in teacher. Ministers sometimes served as teacher and preacher. Some even established academies such as the one of Dr. J.A. Campbell that grew into Campbell University. The early federal census records show that some children were marked as being in school when there is no record of a school being in the area. The Barbee children of Barclaysville are an example. CC Barbee was listed as a teacher on the census. There was a Stewart Academy in the 1840’s (?) near Bailey’s Crossroads. The Stewart Academy was site of a post office as late as 1889 after which the patrons had to go to Troyville to obtain mail.
I do know as time passed more and more leaders and parents saw the need to improve the educational opportunities for the children. While some students attended for only a few weeks, others attended two and three months to finally a nine month school term to the dislike of some farmers who felt that the labor of a son or daughter on the farm was much more important than an education.
Where am I going with this? The opportunity to get an education has improved with each generation. Those boys and girls attending the Ennis School, Gregory School, Sorrell School, Penny School, Barclaysville School, Parker School, Wiggins School, Turlington School, Benson Black River Grove Colored School, the Turlington Grove Colored School , Dickenson Colored School, Rowland Colored School and Coats Colored School did not have equal education to that which was offered at Coats District # 3. Eventually these white students in the rural schools would find their way into attendance in the District #3 Coats town school. The Coats Colored School had a much larger number of students and teachers than did the rural ones. The colored students from the schools would attend later the modern Gentry School at Erwin, the Harnett High School in Dunn and Coats High School.
One thing I have noticed as I have attempted to revisit the happenings of those who grew up in the Coats Grove Township is that an education opened the door to more opportunities which resulted in better lives for the rest of us. I have been amazed at the great number of Coats students who entered the medical fields.
Whether it was Dr. Bill Patterson and Dr. Bruce (?) Landgon whose early education began in the five-room school or Dr. Eastwood Turlington and Dr. Nathan Campbell who sat in seats in the 1921 building, their education began in humble settings. Dr. William Langdon, Dr. Linda Robinson, Dr. Randy Hedgepeth, Dr. Tonya Stewart, Dr. Lori Langdon, Dr. Andora Bass, Dr, Bryan Sorrell, and Dr. Brad Butler attended classes in the Coats School either as a high school or elementary student. There are so many other occupational success stories of graduates from the Coats District #3 Grove before it consolidated with Triton School.
Mr. J.C. Hawley once said you cannot keep a student from getting an education if that student wants one. I do know that there were many students from the Coats School who loved to learn. Many have earned a PH.D. -Janice Barnes Daniel, Ronnie Faulkner, Doan Coats and Lane Gregory come to mind. However, it was Robert V. House in 1988 who made the Daily Record News that he had been awarded his PH.D from UNC Chapel Hill School of Public Health. While earning his doctorate, he was employed at the Chemical Industry institute in the RTP. His work there focused on the effect of toxic chemicals on the body’s ability to fight infection and cancer. He authored and co-authored several articles and was currently writing a book on research in immunology. Robert is the son of Margaret House and the late Lester House. He lived in Chapel Hill with his wife Brenda (Daily Record May 25, 1988).
Kathy Weissinger was the Cowgirl Beauty Queen for the IGA Beef Shootout sponsored by the Coats IGA (Daily Record May 26, 1988).
The battle over the routing of Highway 27 was unresolved. The Coats business leaders were getting opposition from the Buies Creek homeowners and CU students. The university officials spoke out against having trucks going through the campus due to a safety issue of students (Daily Record May 30, 1988).
Another school term had concluded and a Coats athlete was awarded a trophy for Best Athlete of the Year. The young lady was Amy Parrish, daughter of Patsy and Keith Parrish (Daily Record May 31, 1988).
It was time to recognize another Coats Business Focus of the Week. The CACC selected Tony’s Body Shop. Tony Mangum, the owner, was pictured with Randy Rambeau and Dottie Bowden in the news release. Mr. Mangum had four fulltime employees: Anthony Norris, Roscoe Williams, Anthony Hargrove, and Eric Mangum. The business is located on NC 55 and catered to NC, SC, and VA clients. The company repairs about 10 cars per week (Daily Record June 1, 1988). This was 1988, has Tony’s Body Shop increased those numbers considerably since 1988? I do know he painted our 1965 classic burgundy Thunderbird and it looked new when we drove it out of Tony’s shop.
The Liberty Extension Homemakers Club met at the home of Linda Cobb. Congratulations went to Bonnie Lee Pope for being selected as the Harnett County Teacher of the Year. Florence Adams had reason to celebrate also. She was able to enjoy her 93rd birthday. The Harnett County Volunteer Recognition Program was held in the Coats Senior Center. Among those attending was County Commissioner Mack Reid Hudson. Ruth Parrish was the Senior Center Director. Don’t you wish we knew which volunteers they recognized?
Some more good news was that Mike and Kathy Ennis had made a trip to Guatemala to visit the darling baby girl that they would adopt soon. Harry and Mildred Wheeler returned to Coats after visiting in Jacksonville, FL. Harry was enjoying his gardening (Daily Record June 1, 1988). I wonder if he knew how much we enjoyed him when he assisted in the Coats School cafeteria. I never saw him when he was not smiling.
Marc and Jean Powell continue to add to the Boy Scout Exhibit. Drop and be amazed at the huge number of Coats boys who earned the Eagle rank.