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                                                                                               September 23, 2016 Coats Museum News
While traveling through the countryside in our area, one can see that the tobacco stalks are becoming   bare of the golden leaves while the cotton fields are changing their color from green to white. With all the changes that  have occurred in the way crops are harvested today, do the workers continue to enjoy the morning and afternoon breaks with soft drinks and a variety of salty and sweet treats as was done in days past? Many visitors who tour our museum often laugh as they ponder which snacks were the best as they viewed our tobacco artifacts. What about you? Did you always pick the same snack each time?
In May of 1960, the Pepsi soft drink company was offering a new 16 oz. bottle for 8 cents or a carton of 6 for 39 cents. Would you agree that would be a convenient way to get the rid of pocket change? Did they have a food tax in 1960? Did one have to make a deposit on the bottles or were they plastic?
This I do know. The Goodwill Community Building in Barclaysville had added a bathroom and kitchen. Does that mean that they previously had outdoor facilities and brought in prepared food for the events? How many of you recall how that little community rallied together –men and women-to build that local meeting place so the ladies would not have to drive to the community center in Coats for their Home Demonstration Club meeting (Daily Record May 3, 1960).
The area doctors continued to admit patients into the local hospitals. Mrs. Wallace Parker, Mrs. Myrtle Capps, Mr. Eugene Ferrell, Mrs. Patricia Faircloth and Mrs. Thelma Johnson were the latest admissions (Daily Record May 5, 1960).
If one was a daily reader of the paper, they discovered why one lady was admitted. Major and Mrs. Daniel Faircloth announced the birth of a daughter. Was this mother Patricia Faircloth? I do know that Margaret House hosted the Ruth Eller Class at the Baptist Church.   Surprise stork shower was given for Mrs. Rayvon Stewart.
It seems that the news about Home Demonstration Clubs is not so frequent as in earlier years. In fact, it has been sometime since we have reported on the Turlington HD Club but we know that it was active because it was reported that the group met for their May meeting in the Coats Community Building.
Elsewhere, Mr. M.E. Ennis was a patient at Rex Hospital and Mrs. F.H. Fleming was at Betsy Johnson. Fortunately, Mr. Newton Byrd and Mrs. Guy Stewart had returned home from the hospital (Daily Record May 6, 1960). Other patients at Good Hope were Mrs. Shirley Fuquay and Mr. Harold Pickett (Daily Record May 10, 1960).
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Eugene McLeod of rural Coats announced the birth of a daughter. Herbert L. Johnson, Carson Gregory, Henry Turlington, and L.E. McKnight, Jr. helped with a barbecue for Terry Sanford, a candidate for governor on the Democratic ticket. It was held at the King Roberts Farm.
People in the rural areas of Coats experienced the “good ole days” when there was no electricity for a couple of hours on Sunday due to the replacing poles serving their areas (Daily Record May 13, 1960). Question-did all people in the rural area s get electricity at the same time. Did any of them have lights before there was electricity that came through wires on power poles?
One of the interesting things about reading family stories in heritage books is that so many people who shared that their family was the first one in their neighborhood to have a car, lights, telephone, TV and even a wringer washing machine. There was a certain status in having these modern conveniences in days past. Can you imagine life without some of them today?
Today, many of you get your news of deaths from a funeral home’s website. Some newspapers continue to print the death announcements for free while others charge by the line. Had that been the case of charging for announcements in 1960, our local Daily Record would have recognized some substantial income. Had they charged for birth announcements and hospital admissions even more income would have gone into their bank account in 1960.
Note the following examples.  Mrs. Mary Matthews at Betsy Johnson Hospital and Mrs. Marie Bennett and Mrs. Fleming were at Good Hope (Daily Record May 17, 1960). Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Matthews had a new daughter on May 17th, 1960. John Calvin Faircloth, 73, of Coats had died on Tuesday. Services were held at Red Hill Church. Survivors were his wife Jessie; two sons-J.P. of California and James of Benson; one daughter-Mrs. J.H. Shepard of Greensboro. Mrs. Jack Hayes of Coats was his stepdaughter. Mrs. Louvenia Gregory of Dunn and Mrs. Florence Hall of Coats were sisters of Mr. Faircloth (Daily Record May 18, 1960).
Is tuberculosis a major health concern in 2016? I do know that L.E. McKnight, Coats druggist, was elected head of the Harnett County Tuberculosis Association and Dr. Donald Moore was chosen for a 2 year term as representative director of the N.C. Association. Why was it referred to as TB sometimes?
Stanley parties—remember when they were almost monthly occurrences? Were they really social events or selling events? Was the hostess given a bunch of freebies? Mrs. Roscoe Thornton had invited Mrs. Willie Mae Byrd, Mrs. Mrs. Wille Byrd, Mrs. Graymon Powell, Mrs. Faye Byrd, Mrs. Wilma Byrd, Mrs. Margaret House, Mrs. Belle Williams, Mrs. Edna Stephenson, Mrs. Barbara Powell, Mrs. Estelle Williams, and Mrs. Gladys Denning to a Stanley party.
Mrs. J.C. Hawley, the Coats School principal’s wife, also had a Stanley party. Attending her event were Mrs. Barbara Gardner, Mrs. Graymon Powell, Mrs. Barbara Powell, Mrs. Charlie Williams, Mrs. Wilma Byrd, Mrs. Ethel Stewart, Mrs. McRay Stewart, Mrs. Belle Williams, Mrs., Gladys Beasley and Mrs. Margaret House (Daily Record May 23, 1960). Wonder if their husbands inquired if they had not just gone to a Stanley party.
I do know that Sgt. Clyde Ryals, a 1940 graduate of Coats High School, had participated in Operation Safe Carry II to determine the unit’s ability to set up a field hospital in blackout conditions. He had entered the US Army in 1941. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. D.H. Ryals of rural Coats (Daily Record May 19, 1960). How many of you can tell me if he graduated in 1940, how many years did he attend school?
 
Read the lists of the hospital patients from the Coats area to get an idea of who resided in the Coats area in 1960. Mrs. Sue Core, Mrs. Otis Capps, Miss Jean Johnson, Mrs. Louise Capps, Mrs. Maude Dale, Mrs. Haywood Goodman, Mrs. Shirley Byrd, and Behonest McNair were listed as patients.
The Dale 4-H Club had met with Mrs. Bobby Caudle as a guest. The 4-Hers presented a program to the Pioneers of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church on 4-H Sunday. New officers were Frances Avery, president; Brenda Norris, vice president, Freda Adams, secretary with assistant Linda Barefoot; Becky Ennis, treasurer; Linda Ennis, song leader; Judy Barefoot, pianist and Brenda Coats, recreation chairman (Daily Record May 23, 1960).
Last week, Bryan Avery dropped by the museum to give a DVD on Tar, Pitch and Turpentine. We look forward to our Farmer’s Day visitors viewing this amazing story of the Naval Stores. This fifty minute production shares that some  people moved into our area in the early 1700’s to work the 500 year old long-leaf pines that provided them a source of income and later the name “Tar Heels” as they worked the trees for their resin to produce tar, pitch and turpentine. The DVD shows the process and tools needed to produce each of the products that were floated down the Cape Fear River to be shipped to England. Water proofing for ships and sails, lighting devices, and medical purposes were derived from the naval stores products. To Bryan and all who had a part in making this video, it is truly a remarkable educational learning experience—thank you.
Also a special thank you goes to the Coats High School Class of 1966 who pulled off a fun night of sharing their memories of yesterdays at the old school and for some their memories while in the military service. The museum folks are very appreciative of the donation that the class gave to support the Coats Museum Endowment.
One of our dedicated readers from Johnston County celebrated his 90th birthday last Saturday. Leron Parrish, we really enjoyed seeing your many friends and H.L. and I are delighted to add your name to the honorarium list on the Coats Museum Endowment.