September 12, 2011 Coats Museum News
The July 1, 1922 Coats Town Meeting minutes give the reader insight in how hard times had been in the Coats area in the early 1920’s. Last week you read that J.F. Parrish was to collect back taxes for the town. Peruse the following list to see if you recognize any names on your family trees: Bank of Coats ($5.77), J.W. Bain (?), J. Lewis Barnes (75 cents), C.F. Byrd (92 cents), J.M. Byrd ($1.40), J.M. Byrd and Co. ($1.25), J.P. Foister ($3.12), J.B. Fuquay (62 cents), Mrs. Jane Fuquay ($4.80), C.W. Godwin ($2,25), T.E. Green (37 cents), Carolina Telephone and Telegraph (55 cents), G.W. Harmon ($11.04), E.M. Henley (?), O.Z. Hogan (75 cents),Wyatt M. Johnson ($8.98), L.W. Jones ($6.25), E.P. Kelly ($3.25),W. M. Keen ($9.03), G.C. Langdon ($9.00), W.L. Langdon (75 cents), Harry Lee ( $1.31), Jas. P. Lee ($7.33), L.L. Lewis (98 cents), T.J. Matthews ($2.75), B.F. McLeod ($12.50), W.E. Nichols ($9.45), E.V. Parrish (78 cents), Wanton Parrish ($4.13), Rufus Parrish ($2.25), Mrs. J.T. Pollard ($4.12), P.F. Pope ($2.50), J.D. Pope ($14.31), J.R. Rhodes ($2.50), A.M. Stancil (75 cents), Mrs. Charles Stewart ($1.31), C.R. Stewart ( 80 cents), T.D. Stewart ($10.00), R.O. Stewart ( $6.12), T.V. Stewart ( $41.98), A.L. Turner ($3.25), W.W. Wood ($6.00), Coats Hosiery ($37.50), and Mrs. Mollie Stewart ($7.55). From this list, Mr. Parrish was to collect $300.84 from the property owners. How much was Mr. Parrish’s cut if he was to receive 5 percent of the collected taxes?
The following were Negro property owners listed as owing back taxes: Stephen Ferguson (75 cents), George Holliday ($4.33), Kissie Massie (75 cents), Neill Massey ( (26 cents), Ed McKay ($1.75), Colon McKay ($1.88), Orentiss McLean (75 cents), and Furman Williams (75 cents). Our Negro citizens had only $11.55 due in back taxes.
The town minutes did not record how successful Mr. Parrish was in collecting the past due taxes; however, the minutes did show that B.F. Wallace was to be the cotton weigher for the town of Coats. C.R. Partin, Notary Public, swore him in for the town. The Virginia Stationery Co. of Richmond was paid $6.12 for supplies. Edwards and Broughton Printing Co. in Raleigh was paid $17.13 for the stationery ordered by the Mayor Matthews. Coats Drug Company in Coats was paid $9.00 for the chairs needed for the board meetings. These bills were paid from the General Fund while the following were paid from the Cemetery Fund –Preacher J.T. Coats $5.00 and former Mayor J.L. Johnson was paid $25.00.The minutes did not record why these men were paid those amounts of money. T.D. Whittington was authorized to buy 1,000 square feet of heart bridge lumber for making water boxes at a price not to exceed $25.00 per square per m. feet. At that same July 4, 1922 meeting, it was urged that the police chief and mayor were to enforce the law regulating the opening of businesses of buying and selling.
Do the town meeting minutes leave questions in your mind? Why did the town need water boxes? There was no public town water system. Did the commissioners have funds other than the General and Cemetery Funds? Who handled the town’s checkbook?
This I do know. Marriage licenses were issued to Bernard Hudson and Naomi Stewart and to C.E. Pollard and Malon C. Cobb. You recognize those popular citizens, don’t you? The “Harnett County News” July 20, 1922 issue carried that information.
The Coats Town Board Meeting minutes continue to give us information about the happenings in town government. A.J. Godwin was paid $29.34 for collecting taxes. What happened to Mr. Parrish? T.D. Whittington was paid $38.00 for office rent. Was his business the site of the town meetings? T.V. Stewart was paid $111.36 for street work and labor. Do you think he used some of it to pay his $41.98 past due taxes? Claud Daniel Stewart was paid $25.00 for making tax list books. Don’t you bet he had beautiful penmanship since he was a former teacher and principal? He was Christine Parrish and Eugene Stewart’s granddaddy. T.D. Whittington was ordered to repair the street between the Baptist Church and the Smithfield and Lillington public road at the expense of $25.00. Was this the site of the first Coats Baptist Church? Were there two other sites? Was there a mother church to the Coats Baptist Church? Where was the Lillington and Smithfield public road?
Next week we will attend the 1st Annual Fiddlers Convention held in the Coats School held October 7, 1922. Unlike the Bluebook Spelling Bee and Old Fiddlers Convention held on September 29, 1921, you will be able to read the names of the participants in this event.
A special thank you to Lynda and Robie Butler for their donation to the Coats Museum to honor the memory of Robie’s classmate, Camilla Snipes Weber, and also thank you goes to Joe Tart for the check to the Coats Museum from the Alton Stewart Commemorative Committee. Thanks to Pauline and Dorsey Daniel for their farrago of implements –a blade to debark a tree plus and the awl used in making rail fences on the Dixon Plantation. They also gave the museum a portion of a pine tree which was scarred for the naval stores.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in September 12,2011.
The July 1, 1922 Coats Town Meeting minutes give the reader insight in how hard times had been in the Coats area in the early 1920’s. Last week you read that J.F. Parrish was to collect back taxes for the town. Peruse the following list to see if you recognize any names on your family trees: Bank of Coats ($5.77), J.W. Bain (?), J. Lewis Barnes (75 cents), C.F. Byrd (92 cents), J.M. Byrd ($1.40), J.M. Byrd and Co. ($1.25), J.P. Foister ($3.12), J.B. Fuquay (62 cents), Mrs. Jane Fuquay ($4.80), C.W. Godwin ($2,25), T.E. Green (37 cents), Carolina Telephone and Telegraph (55 cents), G.W. Harmon ($11.04), E.M. Henley (?), O.Z. Hogan (75 cents),Wyatt M. Johnson ($8.98), L.W. Jones ($6.25), E.P. Kelly ($3.25),W. M. Keen ($9.03), G.C. Langdon ($9.00), W.L. Langdon (75 cents), Harry Lee ( $1.31), Jas. P. Lee ($7.33), L.L. Lewis (98 cents), T.J. Matthews ($2.75), B.F. McLeod ($12.50), W.E. Nichols ($9.45), E.V. Parrish (78 cents), Wanton Parrish ($4.13), Rufus Parrish ($2.25), Mrs. J.T. Pollard ($4.12), P.F. Pope ($2.50), J.D. Pope ($14.31), J.R. Rhodes ($2.50), A.M. Stancil (75 cents), Mrs. Charles Stewart ($1.31), C.R. Stewart ( 80 cents), T.D. Stewart ($10.00), R.O. Stewart ( $6.12), T.V. Stewart ( $41.98), A.L. Turner ($3.25), W.W. Wood ($6.00), Coats Hosiery ($37.50), and Mrs. Mollie Stewart ($7.55). From this list, Mr. Parrish was to collect $300.84 from the property owners. How much was Mr. Parrish’s cut if he was to receive 5 percent of the collected taxes?
The following were Negro property owners listed as owing back taxes: Stephen Ferguson (75 cents), George Holliday ($4.33), Kissie Massie (75 cents), Neill Massey ( (26 cents), Ed McKay ($1.75), Colon McKay ($1.88), Orentiss McLean (75 cents), and Furman Williams (75 cents). Our Negro citizens had only $11.55 due in back taxes.
The town minutes did not record how successful Mr. Parrish was in collecting the past due taxes; however, the minutes did show that B.F. Wallace was to be the cotton weigher for the town of Coats. C.R. Partin, Notary Public, swore him in for the town. The Virginia Stationery Co. of Richmond was paid $6.12 for supplies. Edwards and Broughton Printing Co. in Raleigh was paid $17.13 for the stationery ordered by the Mayor Matthews. Coats Drug Company in Coats was paid $9.00 for the chairs needed for the board meetings. These bills were paid from the General Fund while the following were paid from the Cemetery Fund –Preacher J.T. Coats $5.00 and former Mayor J.L. Johnson was paid $25.00.The minutes did not record why these men were paid those amounts of money. T.D. Whittington was authorized to buy 1,000 square feet of heart bridge lumber for making water boxes at a price not to exceed $25.00 per square per m. feet. At that same July 4, 1922 meeting, it was urged that the police chief and mayor were to enforce the law regulating the opening of businesses of buying and selling.
Do the town meeting minutes leave questions in your mind? Why did the town need water boxes? There was no public town water system. Did the commissioners have funds other than the General and Cemetery Funds? Who handled the town’s checkbook?
This I do know. Marriage licenses were issued to Bernard Hudson and Naomi Stewart and to C.E. Pollard and Malon C. Cobb. You recognize those popular citizens, don’t you? The “Harnett County News” July 20, 1922 issue carried that information.
The Coats Town Board Meeting minutes continue to give us information about the happenings in town government. A.J. Godwin was paid $29.34 for collecting taxes. What happened to Mr. Parrish? T.D. Whittington was paid $38.00 for office rent. Was his business the site of the town meetings? T.V. Stewart was paid $111.36 for street work and labor. Do you think he used some of it to pay his $41.98 past due taxes? Claud Daniel Stewart was paid $25.00 for making tax list books. Don’t you bet he had beautiful penmanship since he was a former teacher and principal? He was Christine Parrish and Eugene Stewart’s granddaddy. T.D. Whittington was ordered to repair the street between the Baptist Church and the Smithfield and Lillington public road at the expense of $25.00. Was this the site of the first Coats Baptist Church? Were there two other sites? Was there a mother church to the Coats Baptist Church? Where was the Lillington and Smithfield public road?
Next week we will attend the 1st Annual Fiddlers Convention held in the Coats School held October 7, 1922. Unlike the Bluebook Spelling Bee and Old Fiddlers Convention held on September 29, 1921, you will be able to read the names of the participants in this event.
A special thank you to Lynda and Robie Butler for their donation to the Coats Museum to honor the memory of Robie’s classmate, Camilla Snipes Weber, and also thank you goes to Joe Tart for the check to the Coats Museum from the Alton Stewart Commemorative Committee. Thanks to Pauline and Dorsey Daniel for their farrago of implements –a blade to debark a tree plus and the awl used in making rail fences on the Dixon Plantation. They also gave the museum a portion of a pine tree which was scarred for the naval stores.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in September 12,2011.