September 2, 2016 Coats Museum News
It was a new decade and the year was 1960. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president of the US. Black students sat down at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in protest to the local custom of serving Blacks only if they stood. That sit-in protest spread throughout cities of the Southern states. France exploded its first atomic bomb in the North African Sahara. The radio and pop music industries were rocked with scandal. Disc jockeys in 42 cities had accepted money to plug records. It was called payola. Everybody was talking about the “pill”. Detroit’s new small cars were… bigger. Everything was “Big”. Trampolines were “Big ” in size and “Big” in sales. The felt-tip pen was a “Big” hit.
Chubby Checker and the twist were very popular. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock’s gothic nightmare, set the tone for scary movies. Teflon-coated cookware hit the market and moved like hotcakes. It was a big year for convention centers completions which included the Detroit Cobo Hall, Pittsburgh’s Gateway Center, and Chicago McCormick Place.
According to the 1960 Census, 179,325,175 people lived in America. There were 27,997,377 more people in the U.S. in 1960 than in 1950. This was the largest population increase in the American history to date. There were 3 billion people in the world. The population had reached 2 billion in 1930 when Coats had only 562 people (36 more than in 1920). One out of every ten Americans lived on a farm (Dickson, Paul-From Elvis to E-Mail, Springfield, Massachusetts: Federal Street Press, 1999).
In January of 1960, Coats Motor Company was advertising the Chrysler. Mr. and Mrs. Clesper Beasley had visited Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Jackson on Sunday (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1960). Does anyone recognize those families?
Young Lois Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Johnson, celebrated her 11th birthday with a party. Those who attended were Jeff Stewart, Diane Williams, Betty Ellen Dixon, Vickie Stewart, Ronnie Byrd, Susan Faircloth, Joy Bowden, Patsy Matthews, Mike Coats, Teresa Avery, Angela Stephenson, Kenneth Ennis, Dana Coats, Carolyn Denning, Cecil Stephenson, Sandra Martin, Robert Pleasant, and Charlene Trogden (Daily Record Jan. 8. 1960).
H.L. Cutts, 59, was a victim of throat cancer. He had an artificial larynx inserted in his throat. The Duke Hospital doctors made it possible for him to speak again with the apparatus in his throat leading to his mouth. How many of you remember Mr. Cutts?
Another sad event that was recorded in that paper was the accident which resulted in a young Cynthia Barbour receiving a fractured pelvis and broken leg. Cynthia was the daughter of widow Gertie Barbour. A car at a mid-town intersection had struck the young girl. Donnie Dorman was a witness to the accident (Daily Record Jan. 12, 1960).
Some Coats Baptist Church news was printed in the Jan. 15, 1960 Daily Record. Mrs. Henry Stewart and Mrs. Johnnie Barnes presided over the WMU meeting. Mrs. Clem Godwin and Miss JoAnn Fox hosted a cake cutting for Miss Faith Helen Page of Lillington. The Women of the Methodist Church of Coats held their monthly meeting at Mrs. Evelyn Ennis’s home. Those attending were Mrs. Minnie Ennis, president; Mrs. Hettie Ennis, secretary; Mrs. Hubert Barefoot, treasurer, and Mrs. Joyce Morgan, Mrs. Mamie Bennett, Mrs. Annie Miller, Mrs. Sally Allen, Mrs. Hortense Denning and Mrs. Mary Bennett.
Kent, Jeff, Don and Tony Turlington, Gary and Michael Weaver attended the 7th birthday party of Rickey Weaver (Daily Record Jan. 15, 1960). How many of you recognize those names and know where the birthday attendees are in 2016?
I do know that Norma Lee Johnson and Vickie Lou Lee were on the Honor Roll at East Carolina College. Who knows when that college changed its name from East Carolina Teachers College and when East Carolina College became East Carolina University?
Armeda Mitchell hosted her Sunday School Class of 13 year-old girls in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Mitchell. They attended the First Baptist Church in Dunn. Elsewhere in the Oakdale area, off NC 27, Freda Adams hosted the Dale 4-H Club at her parents’ home. Those attending and participating were Sandra Wolf, Linda Ennis, Judy Barefoot, Becky Ennis, and new member Brenda Norris. The program was on “Table Manners”. The only member absent was Debbie Jones who was sent a special get-well card from the members (Daily Record Jan. 22, 1960).
The death angel took Mrs. Jennie Smith, 82, of Coats on Sunday night at her daughter’s home in Raleigh. She was the widow of George I. Smith of Coats. Surviving her were two daughters-Mrs. G.C. Upchurch and Mrs. J.B. Adams. Her four sons were Carlyle Smith of Sanford, J.K. Bryon, John Allen and Howard L. Smith. Her two step-daughters were Mrs. Eva Smith Nichols and Mrs. Nellie Royal and step-son was Irbin Smith (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1960).
Wonder what couple in the area has been married the longest? We have the dress worn by Dorothy Matthews at Max, Sr. and her 50th Golden Anniversary celebration and that dress contains part of her wedding dress worn 50 years earlier. We also have many pictures in the museum of couples who have celebrated their 50th. We even have the picture of Charles and Dorothy Denning who have celebrated their 69th anniversary. Has anyone been married longer than Charles and Dorothy? I do know that approximately 125 guests attended the Golden Anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Sorrell, Sr. of Dunn, Route 3 according to the Daily Record Feb. 1, 1960 edition.
Little Sharon Byrd was the birthday girl on her 9th. Guests were Susan Hawley, Janice Williams, Mary Ellen Johnson, Marilyn Langdon, Deborah Trodgen, Carolyn Denning, Teresa Avery, Bill House, Joe Byrd, Helen Lockamy, and Elaine Byrd. Across town another young lady was seven. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ennis. Who came to the mystery girl’s birthday party? Reggie Jackson, Betty Ellen Dixon, Paul Parker, Angela Stephenson, Debbie Jo Lee, Ann Stewart, Bonnie Lee, Debbie Honeycutt, and Danny Parker sang “Happy Birthday” to Deborah Ennis.
Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Dixon had a special weekend. Their daughter and son-in-law were in town. Gwen and Dunbar Stewart had spent the weekend with her parents. In Coats, the youngsters and oldsters enjoyed a good birthday party. A birthday party was a chance for family and friends to gather for food and merriment. This is exactly what the M.E. Ennis family did on his 62nd birthday. Is that why Gwen and Dunbar were in town to attend her granddaddy’s birthday event (Daily Record Feb. 12, 1960)?
The Feb. 22, 1960 edition of the Daily Record was filled with Coats area news. The Oakdale HD Club had held its February meeting at the home of Mrs. Rob Adams with Mrs. Harvey Barefoot as co-hostess. The new members welcomed were Mrs. Juanita Hudson, Mrs. Naomi Hudson and Mrs. Alma Weaver. Guests were Mrs. Rupert Parrish and Mrs. Lamas Denning of the Goodwill Club. Reports were given by Mrs. Nelson Ennis on music, Mrs. David Ennis on 4-H, Mrs. W.T. Messer on loan fund, Mrs. Spicey Pollard on arts and crafts, Mrs. Delmer Ennis on food and nutrition, Mrs. Mack Hudson on international relations who reported that a quilt had been sent overseas and lastly, Mrs. Floyd Whittington on recreation (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1960). Were Home Demonstration Clubs not amazing for the rural communities in the Coats area?
The Coats area has lost so many fine citizens these last few months. They were loved by so many. Patsy and Stacy Avery have given memorials to the Coats Museum to honor Sherwood Avery and Etheline Faulkner and H.L. and I have given to the Coats Museum Endowment to honor the memory of our friend Rachel Stephenson Ennis. These individuals will be greatly missed.
It was a new decade and the year was 1960. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president of the US. Black students sat down at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in protest to the local custom of serving Blacks only if they stood. That sit-in protest spread throughout cities of the Southern states. France exploded its first atomic bomb in the North African Sahara. The radio and pop music industries were rocked with scandal. Disc jockeys in 42 cities had accepted money to plug records. It was called payola. Everybody was talking about the “pill”. Detroit’s new small cars were… bigger. Everything was “Big”. Trampolines were “Big ” in size and “Big” in sales. The felt-tip pen was a “Big” hit.
Chubby Checker and the twist were very popular. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock’s gothic nightmare, set the tone for scary movies. Teflon-coated cookware hit the market and moved like hotcakes. It was a big year for convention centers completions which included the Detroit Cobo Hall, Pittsburgh’s Gateway Center, and Chicago McCormick Place.
According to the 1960 Census, 179,325,175 people lived in America. There were 27,997,377 more people in the U.S. in 1960 than in 1950. This was the largest population increase in the American history to date. There were 3 billion people in the world. The population had reached 2 billion in 1930 when Coats had only 562 people (36 more than in 1920). One out of every ten Americans lived on a farm (Dickson, Paul-From Elvis to E-Mail, Springfield, Massachusetts: Federal Street Press, 1999).
In January of 1960, Coats Motor Company was advertising the Chrysler. Mr. and Mrs. Clesper Beasley had visited Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Jackson on Sunday (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1960). Does anyone recognize those families?
Young Lois Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Johnson, celebrated her 11th birthday with a party. Those who attended were Jeff Stewart, Diane Williams, Betty Ellen Dixon, Vickie Stewart, Ronnie Byrd, Susan Faircloth, Joy Bowden, Patsy Matthews, Mike Coats, Teresa Avery, Angela Stephenson, Kenneth Ennis, Dana Coats, Carolyn Denning, Cecil Stephenson, Sandra Martin, Robert Pleasant, and Charlene Trogden (Daily Record Jan. 8. 1960).
H.L. Cutts, 59, was a victim of throat cancer. He had an artificial larynx inserted in his throat. The Duke Hospital doctors made it possible for him to speak again with the apparatus in his throat leading to his mouth. How many of you remember Mr. Cutts?
Another sad event that was recorded in that paper was the accident which resulted in a young Cynthia Barbour receiving a fractured pelvis and broken leg. Cynthia was the daughter of widow Gertie Barbour. A car at a mid-town intersection had struck the young girl. Donnie Dorman was a witness to the accident (Daily Record Jan. 12, 1960).
Some Coats Baptist Church news was printed in the Jan. 15, 1960 Daily Record. Mrs. Henry Stewart and Mrs. Johnnie Barnes presided over the WMU meeting. Mrs. Clem Godwin and Miss JoAnn Fox hosted a cake cutting for Miss Faith Helen Page of Lillington. The Women of the Methodist Church of Coats held their monthly meeting at Mrs. Evelyn Ennis’s home. Those attending were Mrs. Minnie Ennis, president; Mrs. Hettie Ennis, secretary; Mrs. Hubert Barefoot, treasurer, and Mrs. Joyce Morgan, Mrs. Mamie Bennett, Mrs. Annie Miller, Mrs. Sally Allen, Mrs. Hortense Denning and Mrs. Mary Bennett.
Kent, Jeff, Don and Tony Turlington, Gary and Michael Weaver attended the 7th birthday party of Rickey Weaver (Daily Record Jan. 15, 1960). How many of you recognize those names and know where the birthday attendees are in 2016?
I do know that Norma Lee Johnson and Vickie Lou Lee were on the Honor Roll at East Carolina College. Who knows when that college changed its name from East Carolina Teachers College and when East Carolina College became East Carolina University?
Armeda Mitchell hosted her Sunday School Class of 13 year-old girls in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Mitchell. They attended the First Baptist Church in Dunn. Elsewhere in the Oakdale area, off NC 27, Freda Adams hosted the Dale 4-H Club at her parents’ home. Those attending and participating were Sandra Wolf, Linda Ennis, Judy Barefoot, Becky Ennis, and new member Brenda Norris. The program was on “Table Manners”. The only member absent was Debbie Jones who was sent a special get-well card from the members (Daily Record Jan. 22, 1960).
The death angel took Mrs. Jennie Smith, 82, of Coats on Sunday night at her daughter’s home in Raleigh. She was the widow of George I. Smith of Coats. Surviving her were two daughters-Mrs. G.C. Upchurch and Mrs. J.B. Adams. Her four sons were Carlyle Smith of Sanford, J.K. Bryon, John Allen and Howard L. Smith. Her two step-daughters were Mrs. Eva Smith Nichols and Mrs. Nellie Royal and step-son was Irbin Smith (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1960).
Wonder what couple in the area has been married the longest? We have the dress worn by Dorothy Matthews at Max, Sr. and her 50th Golden Anniversary celebration and that dress contains part of her wedding dress worn 50 years earlier. We also have many pictures in the museum of couples who have celebrated their 50th. We even have the picture of Charles and Dorothy Denning who have celebrated their 69th anniversary. Has anyone been married longer than Charles and Dorothy? I do know that approximately 125 guests attended the Golden Anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Sorrell, Sr. of Dunn, Route 3 according to the Daily Record Feb. 1, 1960 edition.
Little Sharon Byrd was the birthday girl on her 9th. Guests were Susan Hawley, Janice Williams, Mary Ellen Johnson, Marilyn Langdon, Deborah Trodgen, Carolyn Denning, Teresa Avery, Bill House, Joe Byrd, Helen Lockamy, and Elaine Byrd. Across town another young lady was seven. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ennis. Who came to the mystery girl’s birthday party? Reggie Jackson, Betty Ellen Dixon, Paul Parker, Angela Stephenson, Debbie Jo Lee, Ann Stewart, Bonnie Lee, Debbie Honeycutt, and Danny Parker sang “Happy Birthday” to Deborah Ennis.
Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Dixon had a special weekend. Their daughter and son-in-law were in town. Gwen and Dunbar Stewart had spent the weekend with her parents. In Coats, the youngsters and oldsters enjoyed a good birthday party. A birthday party was a chance for family and friends to gather for food and merriment. This is exactly what the M.E. Ennis family did on his 62nd birthday. Is that why Gwen and Dunbar were in town to attend her granddaddy’s birthday event (Daily Record Feb. 12, 1960)?
The Feb. 22, 1960 edition of the Daily Record was filled with Coats area news. The Oakdale HD Club had held its February meeting at the home of Mrs. Rob Adams with Mrs. Harvey Barefoot as co-hostess. The new members welcomed were Mrs. Juanita Hudson, Mrs. Naomi Hudson and Mrs. Alma Weaver. Guests were Mrs. Rupert Parrish and Mrs. Lamas Denning of the Goodwill Club. Reports were given by Mrs. Nelson Ennis on music, Mrs. David Ennis on 4-H, Mrs. W.T. Messer on loan fund, Mrs. Spicey Pollard on arts and crafts, Mrs. Delmer Ennis on food and nutrition, Mrs. Mack Hudson on international relations who reported that a quilt had been sent overseas and lastly, Mrs. Floyd Whittington on recreation (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1960). Were Home Demonstration Clubs not amazing for the rural communities in the Coats area?
The Coats area has lost so many fine citizens these last few months. They were loved by so many. Patsy and Stacy Avery have given memorials to the Coats Museum to honor Sherwood Avery and Etheline Faulkner and H.L. and I have given to the Coats Museum Endowment to honor the memory of our friend Rachel Stephenson Ennis. These individuals will be greatly missed.