September 4, 2011 Coats Museum News
The year was 1922. The “Readers Digest” had printed Volume 1 Number1 of its magazine and sold 1,500 copies. Alexander Graham Bell died on August 2 at his home in Nova Scotia. He began working on the telephone in 1875 in Boston and achieved success on March 10, 1876.
In Grove Township, W.J. Mc Stewart continued to serve the Coats area on the Harnett County Board of Commissioners (County Affairs and Officials-Harnett County-News and Observer 1922). An advertisement in the “Harnett County News” January 1922 edition continued to push the Ford-the Universal Car. The ad told the readers to make that dream a reality by owning a car today and paying for it by the monthly plan. The buyer could pay one-half now and one-half next fall. The ad said, “Don’t save another day for a motor car and come by the Coats Motor Company.”
Did Dr. H.C. Roberts own the Coats Motor Company? The headlines in the “Harnett County News” April 20, 1922 edition stated, “Guy Stewart Making a Swift Go with Fords.” The article shared that Mr. Stewart was making record sales of Fords. He sold a carload of Fords between the first and fifteenth of March. What is meant by “carload”? Mr. Stewart promised that if one could not afford a new car that he would paint an old one. Mr. Guy Stewart also told the public that Mr. Kyle Matthews, formerly with Cape Fear Drug Company for years, was now a field man. Does that mean he was a traveling car salesman? Do any of you remember when a car salesman came to your parent’s farm or house in an attempt to sell a car?
Mr. Stewart warmed up to the reporter when the subject of progress of Coats was mentioned. “Mark this,” said he, “Coats is fast coming back. She has been hit by some hard blows, and some ugly scars still remain, but they are healing. Keep your eyes on Coats, and you will see some of the most wonderful progress ever recorded in the county. Our people don’t know how to quit.”
What were those hard blows and ugly scars? Was he talking about the suicide of banker N.T. Patterson or was he talking about the loss of the hosiery mill to a fire or maybe the low prices of cotton? There was a new bank in town, right?
He said our people don’t quit; however, Mayor W.W. Wiggins did resign as Coats mayor on June 13 and C.T. Matthews was sworn in to that office on June 14, 1922 according to the June, 1922 Coats Town Meeting Minutes.
J.F. Parrish was elected Chief of Police and Town Tax Collector. He was to receive 5 percent of all the money he collected and one dollar for each arrest made by him. WOW-was this his salary? Mr. Parrish was also to purchase six chairs for use by the town and to be placed in the room for commissioners’ meetings. Where was this room? Would you like to know who served on the town board with Mayor Matthews who by the way was the town’s 5th mayor? A.C. Grimes, T.D. Whittington, J.F. Parrish, and J.H. McLamb had been elected to serve in 1922. Mayor Matthews was instructed to place an order for such stationery as was needed to conduct town business. Mayor Matthews was also to purchase a badge for the Chief of Police according to the minutes of the June 14,1922 Coats Town Meeting.
Since Commissioner J.F. Parrish was the Chief of Police, does that mean that there were other policemen? We do know who Parrish was to visit to collect taxes. The following names were on his list to collect taxes due. It is assumed that the following individuals owned property in Coats and the fees or taxes were to be paid for the year 1919: J.L. Barnes ($.50), Mrs. Elendee Byrd ($.40). J.C. Carlise ($.66), Lovit Ennis ($.25), J.A. Gainey ($1.00), J. Allison Langdon ($.20),Margaret Messer ($1.24), Denton Matthews ($.20), J.J. Norris ($2.70), Mrs. J.T. Pollard ($7.13), and J.M. Langdon ($.17).
Parrish also collected from the colored property owners in Coats. The following are the owners he visited: Colon McKay ($1.15), Herbert Manbel ($1.00), Jno. Lewis Massey ($1.06), Elmon Stewart ($1.00), John D. McLean ($.10), Isabella McDonald ($.12), Julia Stewart ($.42), and John D. Shaw ($.20) (Coats Town Meeting Minutes, July1, 1922).
Parrish was to collect a total of $19.50 of which he could keep 5 percent. If he collected it all, how much would he have received for visiting those 19 property owners? It is also interesting to note that just because a name was given on his list, it does not mean that the individual lived in the town of Coats, only owned property there.
Read next week as we continue our journey into 1922 in the Grove area. You might be surprised at the names given to Parrish to collect back taxes for 1920.
The volunteers at the museum had a group by appointment from Lake Gaston and Raleigh last Tuesday. Jack Cobb, who graduated from Coats High School in 1959, brought some friends down to the General Lee Museum, Ernies, the Coats Museum and Smith Farms Ice Cream. Would you believe how surprised Jack was when he realized that the museum was the house that he had lived in when he was a young boy?
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in September 4, 2011.
The year was 1922. The “Readers Digest” had printed Volume 1 Number1 of its magazine and sold 1,500 copies. Alexander Graham Bell died on August 2 at his home in Nova Scotia. He began working on the telephone in 1875 in Boston and achieved success on March 10, 1876.
In Grove Township, W.J. Mc Stewart continued to serve the Coats area on the Harnett County Board of Commissioners (County Affairs and Officials-Harnett County-News and Observer 1922). An advertisement in the “Harnett County News” January 1922 edition continued to push the Ford-the Universal Car. The ad told the readers to make that dream a reality by owning a car today and paying for it by the monthly plan. The buyer could pay one-half now and one-half next fall. The ad said, “Don’t save another day for a motor car and come by the Coats Motor Company.”
Did Dr. H.C. Roberts own the Coats Motor Company? The headlines in the “Harnett County News” April 20, 1922 edition stated, “Guy Stewart Making a Swift Go with Fords.” The article shared that Mr. Stewart was making record sales of Fords. He sold a carload of Fords between the first and fifteenth of March. What is meant by “carload”? Mr. Stewart promised that if one could not afford a new car that he would paint an old one. Mr. Guy Stewart also told the public that Mr. Kyle Matthews, formerly with Cape Fear Drug Company for years, was now a field man. Does that mean he was a traveling car salesman? Do any of you remember when a car salesman came to your parent’s farm or house in an attempt to sell a car?
Mr. Stewart warmed up to the reporter when the subject of progress of Coats was mentioned. “Mark this,” said he, “Coats is fast coming back. She has been hit by some hard blows, and some ugly scars still remain, but they are healing. Keep your eyes on Coats, and you will see some of the most wonderful progress ever recorded in the county. Our people don’t know how to quit.”
What were those hard blows and ugly scars? Was he talking about the suicide of banker N.T. Patterson or was he talking about the loss of the hosiery mill to a fire or maybe the low prices of cotton? There was a new bank in town, right?
He said our people don’t quit; however, Mayor W.W. Wiggins did resign as Coats mayor on June 13 and C.T. Matthews was sworn in to that office on June 14, 1922 according to the June, 1922 Coats Town Meeting Minutes.
J.F. Parrish was elected Chief of Police and Town Tax Collector. He was to receive 5 percent of all the money he collected and one dollar for each arrest made by him. WOW-was this his salary? Mr. Parrish was also to purchase six chairs for use by the town and to be placed in the room for commissioners’ meetings. Where was this room? Would you like to know who served on the town board with Mayor Matthews who by the way was the town’s 5th mayor? A.C. Grimes, T.D. Whittington, J.F. Parrish, and J.H. McLamb had been elected to serve in 1922. Mayor Matthews was instructed to place an order for such stationery as was needed to conduct town business. Mayor Matthews was also to purchase a badge for the Chief of Police according to the minutes of the June 14,1922 Coats Town Meeting.
Since Commissioner J.F. Parrish was the Chief of Police, does that mean that there were other policemen? We do know who Parrish was to visit to collect taxes. The following names were on his list to collect taxes due. It is assumed that the following individuals owned property in Coats and the fees or taxes were to be paid for the year 1919: J.L. Barnes ($.50), Mrs. Elendee Byrd ($.40). J.C. Carlise ($.66), Lovit Ennis ($.25), J.A. Gainey ($1.00), J. Allison Langdon ($.20),Margaret Messer ($1.24), Denton Matthews ($.20), J.J. Norris ($2.70), Mrs. J.T. Pollard ($7.13), and J.M. Langdon ($.17).
Parrish also collected from the colored property owners in Coats. The following are the owners he visited: Colon McKay ($1.15), Herbert Manbel ($1.00), Jno. Lewis Massey ($1.06), Elmon Stewart ($1.00), John D. McLean ($.10), Isabella McDonald ($.12), Julia Stewart ($.42), and John D. Shaw ($.20) (Coats Town Meeting Minutes, July1, 1922).
Parrish was to collect a total of $19.50 of which he could keep 5 percent. If he collected it all, how much would he have received for visiting those 19 property owners? It is also interesting to note that just because a name was given on his list, it does not mean that the individual lived in the town of Coats, only owned property there.
Read next week as we continue our journey into 1922 in the Grove area. You might be surprised at the names given to Parrish to collect back taxes for 1920.
The volunteers at the museum had a group by appointment from Lake Gaston and Raleigh last Tuesday. Jack Cobb, who graduated from Coats High School in 1959, brought some friends down to the General Lee Museum, Ernies, the Coats Museum and Smith Farms Ice Cream. Would you believe how surprised Jack was when he realized that the museum was the house that he had lived in when he was a young boy?
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News was published in the Daily Record in September 4, 2011.