October 28, 2016 Coats Museum News
The calendar displayed a new month--September 1960 and the hospitals were continuing to admit sick individuals from the Grove area. Among those admitted were Grisetta Cameron, and Hilda McLean and Mrs. Shirley Sorrell who announced the birth of a new son on September 1st. She was the former Edna West (Daily Record Sept. 2, 1960). Wonder if Shirley was ever teased about his name when he was serving in WW II. I do know that Shirley and Edna had all boys in their household and several of those sons would go on to construct some of the finest cabinets found in houses throughout the area. I also know that the military fellows would likely have teased him only one time.
You just read that Shirley Sorrell served his country in WWII. It is interesting to write that his great grandfather, John C. Sorrell, fought during the Civil War and John C.’s grandsons, John L. Sorrell and James Walter Sorrell, Sr., served in WW I. During John C. Sorrell’s life, transportation would have been with horse, mule or oxen and wagon, buggy and stage coach. Routes of travel would have been paths through woods from one dwelling to another. The elder Sorrell would own 1600 acres of land. Some of those acres were recorded as improved while the others were unimproved. Naval stores would have been one source of his income. His family would have raised sheep for wool, cows for dairy products, swine for meat, oxen for labor, corn, potatoes, peas, hay and home manufactured products. Does anyone know what the manufactured products might have been?
James Walter Sorrell, Sr. shared his memoirs in the 1980’s and were given to me by his daughter, Brookie Sorrell West, in 2004 and from them we can learn much about what it was like living on the land that once belonged to William Richard Sorrell, son of John C. Sorrell. He remembered that his dad was the undisputed king of the house and he did everything from cutting hair to buying shoes. “And if they didn’t fit, well they would soon, or the younger ones got them.”
Walt mentioned the days of the open range when towns were surrounded by a fence to keep the livestock off the Main Streets. Although he didn’t go to town often-“My daddy didn’t like going to town,” Walt did recall making a trip to sell some lumber once. He remembered the old ferry that ran on the Cape Fear River. The lock system has long been destroyed by storms but he said the remains could be found when the river level dropped in late summer. He shared that his father had a cotton gin and sawmill. He remembered the time they made a raft, rode it to Wilmington and sold the wood. On one trip they brought back a barrel of oysters from Wilmington.
Mr. Walt bought his first car in 1919 for $700 and it was the first one to have an automatic starter. It would be 1932 before he would be required to have a license to drive it.
Of course today is October 28, 2016, but did you know one hundred years ago in 1916 is when the telephone came to Coats? Mr. Walt would have been 28 years old. Surely he would remember that the hospital in Erwin was called Good Hope and was built even before the telephone came to Coats? The hospital had been built in 1913 by Dr. Holt and then in February of 1929, a new hospital was located on a site next to the two wooden structures built by that doctor. The new structure was built along the lines of a colonial home. It was one story and would handle 30 patients and was built by Erwin Cotton Mills where Walt’s son Thurman Sorrell would die as the result of an accident he had while working there(Harnett County News Feb. 7, 1929).
What about the other hospital that many people that have been mentioned as being patients within? The Harnett County News May 25, 1939 shared that the Dunn Hospital was currently under construction in that year- 1939.
Back to the 1960 news, the paper had reported that Mrs. Alice Pleasant Langdon, 70, had died and was survived by her husband, J.A. Langdon, Sr.; five sons, Roy, Merchant, Lee, Ervin B., and J.A., Jr.; four daughters, Mavis Hayes, Elsie Barnes, Ruth Barefoot, and Josephine Bullard. Her siblings were E.L. and M.B. Pleasant and Emma Matthews (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1960).
Many of the seniors who had graduated from Coats in 1960 were making their way into colleges. Miss Ann Beasley, daughter of Lib Beasley Guy, had left for Watts Hospital. Harold Dixon had spent a few days with his parents, Carlos and Helen Ennis Dixon, before returning to Wake Forest. Joseph Larry Moore, 15, had died in a tractor accident while going for help for a neighbor’s child. Surviving Larry were his mother Mrs. Verdie Moore, three brothers- Eugene, Wayne and Devon Moore. His two sisters were Mrs. Helen Stephenson and Ednaline Stepehnson (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1960). Did you recognize the name Devon Moore? He does own the Moore Buildings Company outside of Erwin -right?
It continued to be hurricane season and hurricane number four, Donna, was headed toward Miami. Three days later, Donna brought million of dollars in damage to the North Carolina Coast. Finally Donna died but not before leaving 144 people dead (Daily Record Sept. 9, 12, 13, 1960).
Good Hope continued to offer health services to people from Coats. Among those admitted were Linda Faye Pollard, Hubert Stewart, and Carson Lee (Daily Record Sept.13, 14, 1960).
The 1960-61 school year had opened with 9 new teachers to greet the students at Coats High School. Miss Virginia Altman, Miss Joyce Barbour, Miss Laura Taylor Johnson, Mrs. Mary Everette Stewart, Miss Katie Yates, Miss Barbour Bailey, Miss Bertha Poulson, Mr. Clarence Cannady, and Mr. Alvin Morgan.
Over the years, the Home Demonstration Clubs were the source for community ladies to learn through demonstrations how to use all the new electrical appliances and to practice new cooking and sewing techniques available to them. The Turlington HD Club had met at the home of Mrs. T. Jeff Turlington to learn how to better prepare green and yellow vegetables. Those who watched the demonstration were Mrs. Susan Mewborn and baby, Nora Etta Avery, Mrs. C.D. Turner, Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Sr., Mrs. Charlie Williams, Mrs. Dorsey Daniel, Mrs. Malcolm C. Stewart and Mrs. M.S. Whittington.
While some ladies attended the HD Club meeting, other ladies in Coats attended a Stanley Party at the Faye Williams Page’s house. Among those ladies were Mrs. Edna Stephenson, Mrs. Roscoe Thornton, Mrs. Graymon Powell, Mrs. Wilma Byrd, Mrs. Belle Williams, Mrs. Bobby Williams, and Mrs. Lester Williams. These ladies surely enjoyed their Stanley parties. Wonder what they bought week after week (Daily Record Sept. 13, 1960).
It was not party time for some Coats folks. Viola Stephenson was in Duke and Mrs. Elsie McLamb was in Betsy Johnson with her new born son, Tommy Glenn. Mrs. McLamb was the former Elsie Lee Munden. Elsewhere two young Coats adults had been hired by the Harnett County Welfare Dept. They were Charlotte Ferrell and Robert Stewart.
Wonder if they crossed paths at lunch with Maylon Avery, Rex Allen Godwin, Marvin Denning, Casper Ennis, Walter Ennis, Bob Adams, T. Owen Beasley, Timothy Johnson, Wallace Parker, Jack Parker, Leslie Parnell, Fletcher Parrish, and Halford Godwin who were called to Lillington possibly to serve on jury duty (Daily Record Sept. 18, 1960)?
I do know that Mrs. Iola Denning Fish had returned from Germany where she had spent the summer with her daughter and son-in-law Don Garvais. I also know it was printed that Mrs. Florence Norris of Coats had a sister, Mrs. Lou Hall, 73, to expire and Mrs. Hermie Turlington had been a patient at Good Hope Hospital (Daily Record Sept. 22, 1960).
We all know some people who seem to have a smile on their face all the time. Our weekly volunteer Becky Adams is always smiling or laughing as are Ralph Denning and Oscar Harris. We had all three of them at the museum this past week. Ralph drove down from Raleigh to see “the museum girls” and once again extended his generosity to honor several museum volunteers. His donation will be sent to the NCCF Coats Museum Endowment to insure the future upkeep of the museum. Thank you, Ralph. Mayor Oscar Harris, Robert Carr, Charlie Carpenter and Mark Johnson dropped by for a tour of both our museums. We are so proud to share our museums made possible by so many generous people.
Thank you to Walmart for your grant and to H.L. Sorrell for remembering Mr. Robert Lee Turlington with a memorial donation and the honorarium for Lynda Butler’s birthday to the Coats Museum Endowment.
The calendar displayed a new month--September 1960 and the hospitals were continuing to admit sick individuals from the Grove area. Among those admitted were Grisetta Cameron, and Hilda McLean and Mrs. Shirley Sorrell who announced the birth of a new son on September 1st. She was the former Edna West (Daily Record Sept. 2, 1960). Wonder if Shirley was ever teased about his name when he was serving in WW II. I do know that Shirley and Edna had all boys in their household and several of those sons would go on to construct some of the finest cabinets found in houses throughout the area. I also know that the military fellows would likely have teased him only one time.
You just read that Shirley Sorrell served his country in WWII. It is interesting to write that his great grandfather, John C. Sorrell, fought during the Civil War and John C.’s grandsons, John L. Sorrell and James Walter Sorrell, Sr., served in WW I. During John C. Sorrell’s life, transportation would have been with horse, mule or oxen and wagon, buggy and stage coach. Routes of travel would have been paths through woods from one dwelling to another. The elder Sorrell would own 1600 acres of land. Some of those acres were recorded as improved while the others were unimproved. Naval stores would have been one source of his income. His family would have raised sheep for wool, cows for dairy products, swine for meat, oxen for labor, corn, potatoes, peas, hay and home manufactured products. Does anyone know what the manufactured products might have been?
James Walter Sorrell, Sr. shared his memoirs in the 1980’s and were given to me by his daughter, Brookie Sorrell West, in 2004 and from them we can learn much about what it was like living on the land that once belonged to William Richard Sorrell, son of John C. Sorrell. He remembered that his dad was the undisputed king of the house and he did everything from cutting hair to buying shoes. “And if they didn’t fit, well they would soon, or the younger ones got them.”
Walt mentioned the days of the open range when towns were surrounded by a fence to keep the livestock off the Main Streets. Although he didn’t go to town often-“My daddy didn’t like going to town,” Walt did recall making a trip to sell some lumber once. He remembered the old ferry that ran on the Cape Fear River. The lock system has long been destroyed by storms but he said the remains could be found when the river level dropped in late summer. He shared that his father had a cotton gin and sawmill. He remembered the time they made a raft, rode it to Wilmington and sold the wood. On one trip they brought back a barrel of oysters from Wilmington.
Mr. Walt bought his first car in 1919 for $700 and it was the first one to have an automatic starter. It would be 1932 before he would be required to have a license to drive it.
Of course today is October 28, 2016, but did you know one hundred years ago in 1916 is when the telephone came to Coats? Mr. Walt would have been 28 years old. Surely he would remember that the hospital in Erwin was called Good Hope and was built even before the telephone came to Coats? The hospital had been built in 1913 by Dr. Holt and then in February of 1929, a new hospital was located on a site next to the two wooden structures built by that doctor. The new structure was built along the lines of a colonial home. It was one story and would handle 30 patients and was built by Erwin Cotton Mills where Walt’s son Thurman Sorrell would die as the result of an accident he had while working there(Harnett County News Feb. 7, 1929).
What about the other hospital that many people that have been mentioned as being patients within? The Harnett County News May 25, 1939 shared that the Dunn Hospital was currently under construction in that year- 1939.
Back to the 1960 news, the paper had reported that Mrs. Alice Pleasant Langdon, 70, had died and was survived by her husband, J.A. Langdon, Sr.; five sons, Roy, Merchant, Lee, Ervin B., and J.A., Jr.; four daughters, Mavis Hayes, Elsie Barnes, Ruth Barefoot, and Josephine Bullard. Her siblings were E.L. and M.B. Pleasant and Emma Matthews (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1960).
Many of the seniors who had graduated from Coats in 1960 were making their way into colleges. Miss Ann Beasley, daughter of Lib Beasley Guy, had left for Watts Hospital. Harold Dixon had spent a few days with his parents, Carlos and Helen Ennis Dixon, before returning to Wake Forest. Joseph Larry Moore, 15, had died in a tractor accident while going for help for a neighbor’s child. Surviving Larry were his mother Mrs. Verdie Moore, three brothers- Eugene, Wayne and Devon Moore. His two sisters were Mrs. Helen Stephenson and Ednaline Stepehnson (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1960). Did you recognize the name Devon Moore? He does own the Moore Buildings Company outside of Erwin -right?
It continued to be hurricane season and hurricane number four, Donna, was headed toward Miami. Three days later, Donna brought million of dollars in damage to the North Carolina Coast. Finally Donna died but not before leaving 144 people dead (Daily Record Sept. 9, 12, 13, 1960).
Good Hope continued to offer health services to people from Coats. Among those admitted were Linda Faye Pollard, Hubert Stewart, and Carson Lee (Daily Record Sept.13, 14, 1960).
The 1960-61 school year had opened with 9 new teachers to greet the students at Coats High School. Miss Virginia Altman, Miss Joyce Barbour, Miss Laura Taylor Johnson, Mrs. Mary Everette Stewart, Miss Katie Yates, Miss Barbour Bailey, Miss Bertha Poulson, Mr. Clarence Cannady, and Mr. Alvin Morgan.
Over the years, the Home Demonstration Clubs were the source for community ladies to learn through demonstrations how to use all the new electrical appliances and to practice new cooking and sewing techniques available to them. The Turlington HD Club had met at the home of Mrs. T. Jeff Turlington to learn how to better prepare green and yellow vegetables. Those who watched the demonstration were Mrs. Susan Mewborn and baby, Nora Etta Avery, Mrs. C.D. Turner, Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Sr., Mrs. Charlie Williams, Mrs. Dorsey Daniel, Mrs. Malcolm C. Stewart and Mrs. M.S. Whittington.
While some ladies attended the HD Club meeting, other ladies in Coats attended a Stanley Party at the Faye Williams Page’s house. Among those ladies were Mrs. Edna Stephenson, Mrs. Roscoe Thornton, Mrs. Graymon Powell, Mrs. Wilma Byrd, Mrs. Belle Williams, Mrs. Bobby Williams, and Mrs. Lester Williams. These ladies surely enjoyed their Stanley parties. Wonder what they bought week after week (Daily Record Sept. 13, 1960).
It was not party time for some Coats folks. Viola Stephenson was in Duke and Mrs. Elsie McLamb was in Betsy Johnson with her new born son, Tommy Glenn. Mrs. McLamb was the former Elsie Lee Munden. Elsewhere two young Coats adults had been hired by the Harnett County Welfare Dept. They were Charlotte Ferrell and Robert Stewart.
Wonder if they crossed paths at lunch with Maylon Avery, Rex Allen Godwin, Marvin Denning, Casper Ennis, Walter Ennis, Bob Adams, T. Owen Beasley, Timothy Johnson, Wallace Parker, Jack Parker, Leslie Parnell, Fletcher Parrish, and Halford Godwin who were called to Lillington possibly to serve on jury duty (Daily Record Sept. 18, 1960)?
I do know that Mrs. Iola Denning Fish had returned from Germany where she had spent the summer with her daughter and son-in-law Don Garvais. I also know it was printed that Mrs. Florence Norris of Coats had a sister, Mrs. Lou Hall, 73, to expire and Mrs. Hermie Turlington had been a patient at Good Hope Hospital (Daily Record Sept. 22, 1960).
We all know some people who seem to have a smile on their face all the time. Our weekly volunteer Becky Adams is always smiling or laughing as are Ralph Denning and Oscar Harris. We had all three of them at the museum this past week. Ralph drove down from Raleigh to see “the museum girls” and once again extended his generosity to honor several museum volunteers. His donation will be sent to the NCCF Coats Museum Endowment to insure the future upkeep of the museum. Thank you, Ralph. Mayor Oscar Harris, Robert Carr, Charlie Carpenter and Mark Johnson dropped by for a tour of both our museums. We are so proud to share our museums made possible by so many generous people.
Thank you to Walmart for your grant and to H.L. Sorrell for remembering Mr. Robert Lee Turlington with a memorial donation and the honorarium for Lynda Butler’s birthday to the Coats Museum Endowment.