September 7, 2012 Coats Museum News
The Depression continued to cause problems for the small town of Coats in the summer of 1932. The town board had sought ways and means to meet the financial expenses of the town. They voted to reduce the 32 streetlights to 14. The five lights on Main Street were 100CP; the seven on the highway and the ones at Jessie Parrish’s and at the Baptist Church were all 60CP. Mayor Bill Roycroft and Commissioners Joel Ennis, W.M. Keen, T.O. Beasley, and C.J. Turlington made those light decisions at the July 5, 1932 Coats Town Board meeting. Do you think those on “the highway” were on the McKinley Street?
The Harnett County schools were also in a financial crisis. Five of the ten long-term schools had not paid their staff in full for their services in 1931-32. Anderson Creek, Benhaven, Coats, Angier, and Erwin had paid their salaries in full and still had balances to their credit (Harnett County News June2, 1932). Does that surprise you?
Charlie McKay of Dunn, Route 3, was named committeeman to replace Neill Massey who had become incapacitated to serve the Turlington Grove Colored School. At that same school board meeting it was ordered that school trucks needing painting during the summer be taken to the Coats Motor Company and J.T. Pollard at Coats and that each of these paint half of those painted. These companies were to put two coats of paint on the entire truck, do proper lettering and striping. They were paid $12.00 per truck for their services (Harnett County News June 9, 1932). Were the trucks gold and black? Were they all metal?
I do know that the prices in 1932 were almost identical to the prices in 1903. Tracts of land of 100 to 500 acres sold in the range of $4.00 to $10.00 per acre. Carpenters made $1.00 to $1.50 per day. Unskilled labor made 75 cents per day. Excellent quality of brick could be had for $3.50 to $6.00 per thousand when purchased in large quantities. Long-leaf pine lumber sold for $7 to $12 per thousand feet (Harnett County News June 16, 1932).
The cost of building a road with 2 inches of crushed stone and asphalt cost $5,000.00 per mile. If stone was worked into the asphalt, a long-lasting surfaced road was possible. Roads were no longer to have a high ridge in the center nor to have deep ditches on the sides. The new roads had a one-inch higher center than the edges which prevented washing that caused the “washboard” effect in soft roads (Harnett County News August 4, 1932).
Did everyone have automobiles in 1932? I don’t think so for the Hoover cart was the vehicle of the times. The depression chariot was built using the car’s axle, rear wheels, and at least one spring. The cart would have a bench type seat for two to be drawn by a mule. A Hoover cart that had balloon automobile tires rode easier that the steel rimmed buggy. The cost to operate the cart was minimal after it was built. The farmer raised feed for the mule which he had to have to work his farm. This was cheaper than gas. There were so many Hoover carts that some towns had parades honoring the vehicle. One such town was Coats’s neighbor, Benson, North Carolina. The parade was on Saturday, October 1st at 2:00 o’clock. Not less than 500 Hoover carts were expected to be in the parade and were expected to enter the various contests. The Fire Department sponsored a water carnival; as part of the event. Three prizes were awarded for the best –looking Hoover cart. Three prizes were awarded for the most comical and unique outfit. Three prizes were awarded for the prettiest girl driving outfit. Three prizes were given for carts entering from the most distant points from Benson. Three prizes were given for carts carrying the greatest number of people. Every prize was valuable and in cash or merchandise. D.W. Parrish at Parrish Motor Company registered the entries (Harnett County News September22, 1932). Are there pictures of that parade in the Benson Museum? Was this before they started having a Mule Day festival in Benson?
Five white schools opened on September 12 while the colored schools opened October 31st. The other five white schools opened on October 10th. Oakdale was not to open later than October 31st. Coats, an eight-month school, would open on October 10th with seventeen teachers. Are you curious as to which schools opened on September the 12t? They were Benhaven with 12 teachers, Angier with twenty-two teachers, Lafayette with thirteen teachers, Lillington with eighteen teachers and Boone Trail with twenty-two teachers. Mary Stewart was a six-month school and opened on October 24th (Harnett County News August 25, 1932).
The paper reported “Timely Ag Tips” and used John Sorrell’s techniques as an example to follow. Mr. Sorrell had several acres of alfalfa of which he had cut three times. Additional cuttings would have occurred had there not been drought conditions in that area. The writer said Mr. Sorrell had built up the fertility by turning under the residue of soybeans and corn stalks from the 1931 crop. He would make 50 percent more cotton than last year because of his farming techniques (Harnett County News September 22, 1932).
The School Board named the drivers for the 1932-33 school year. Local committees and the superintendent selected the truck drivers and they were approved by the Board of Education. At Coats there were four buses (trucks) Jack Gregory drove #8; Charles Dixon , #22; Willie Sorrell,#71; and #16 was undecided at press time of the September 13, 1932 issue of the Harnett County News.
Happy Christmas Holidays for the people in Coats—maybe not! A.O. Cobb was to assist G.G. Coats in keeping order in the town on December 24-26th. No firecrackers were to be thrown in front of any door or at any pedestrian’s feet according to the December 22, 1932 minutes of the Coats Town Board. Wonder what they did with someone if they did break the rule. Did they take them to jail in Lillington? Did Coats have a jail?
I do know that there was likely talk about another major issue affecting people all over North Carolina. Read next week’s column to learn about a bill being drawn in the state legislature.
Thanks goes to Ann Jones for her memorial gift to the Coats Museum Endowment to honor M.T. Strickland and Laura Betts. A memorial donation to the endowment was also given to honor Curtis Williams and May Marshbanks. A big thank you goes to Edward Turlington for his sponsorship of a large exhibit in the new expansion.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COATS MUSEUM NEWS APPEARED IN THE DAILY RECORD IN SEPTEMBER 7, 2012.
The Depression continued to cause problems for the small town of Coats in the summer of 1932. The town board had sought ways and means to meet the financial expenses of the town. They voted to reduce the 32 streetlights to 14. The five lights on Main Street were 100CP; the seven on the highway and the ones at Jessie Parrish’s and at the Baptist Church were all 60CP. Mayor Bill Roycroft and Commissioners Joel Ennis, W.M. Keen, T.O. Beasley, and C.J. Turlington made those light decisions at the July 5, 1932 Coats Town Board meeting. Do you think those on “the highway” were on the McKinley Street?
The Harnett County schools were also in a financial crisis. Five of the ten long-term schools had not paid their staff in full for their services in 1931-32. Anderson Creek, Benhaven, Coats, Angier, and Erwin had paid their salaries in full and still had balances to their credit (Harnett County News June2, 1932). Does that surprise you?
Charlie McKay of Dunn, Route 3, was named committeeman to replace Neill Massey who had become incapacitated to serve the Turlington Grove Colored School. At that same school board meeting it was ordered that school trucks needing painting during the summer be taken to the Coats Motor Company and J.T. Pollard at Coats and that each of these paint half of those painted. These companies were to put two coats of paint on the entire truck, do proper lettering and striping. They were paid $12.00 per truck for their services (Harnett County News June 9, 1932). Were the trucks gold and black? Were they all metal?
I do know that the prices in 1932 were almost identical to the prices in 1903. Tracts of land of 100 to 500 acres sold in the range of $4.00 to $10.00 per acre. Carpenters made $1.00 to $1.50 per day. Unskilled labor made 75 cents per day. Excellent quality of brick could be had for $3.50 to $6.00 per thousand when purchased in large quantities. Long-leaf pine lumber sold for $7 to $12 per thousand feet (Harnett County News June 16, 1932).
The cost of building a road with 2 inches of crushed stone and asphalt cost $5,000.00 per mile. If stone was worked into the asphalt, a long-lasting surfaced road was possible. Roads were no longer to have a high ridge in the center nor to have deep ditches on the sides. The new roads had a one-inch higher center than the edges which prevented washing that caused the “washboard” effect in soft roads (Harnett County News August 4, 1932).
Did everyone have automobiles in 1932? I don’t think so for the Hoover cart was the vehicle of the times. The depression chariot was built using the car’s axle, rear wheels, and at least one spring. The cart would have a bench type seat for two to be drawn by a mule. A Hoover cart that had balloon automobile tires rode easier that the steel rimmed buggy. The cost to operate the cart was minimal after it was built. The farmer raised feed for the mule which he had to have to work his farm. This was cheaper than gas. There were so many Hoover carts that some towns had parades honoring the vehicle. One such town was Coats’s neighbor, Benson, North Carolina. The parade was on Saturday, October 1st at 2:00 o’clock. Not less than 500 Hoover carts were expected to be in the parade and were expected to enter the various contests. The Fire Department sponsored a water carnival; as part of the event. Three prizes were awarded for the best –looking Hoover cart. Three prizes were awarded for the most comical and unique outfit. Three prizes were awarded for the prettiest girl driving outfit. Three prizes were given for carts entering from the most distant points from Benson. Three prizes were given for carts carrying the greatest number of people. Every prize was valuable and in cash or merchandise. D.W. Parrish at Parrish Motor Company registered the entries (Harnett County News September22, 1932). Are there pictures of that parade in the Benson Museum? Was this before they started having a Mule Day festival in Benson?
Five white schools opened on September 12 while the colored schools opened October 31st. The other five white schools opened on October 10th. Oakdale was not to open later than October 31st. Coats, an eight-month school, would open on October 10th with seventeen teachers. Are you curious as to which schools opened on September the 12t? They were Benhaven with 12 teachers, Angier with twenty-two teachers, Lafayette with thirteen teachers, Lillington with eighteen teachers and Boone Trail with twenty-two teachers. Mary Stewart was a six-month school and opened on October 24th (Harnett County News August 25, 1932).
The paper reported “Timely Ag Tips” and used John Sorrell’s techniques as an example to follow. Mr. Sorrell had several acres of alfalfa of which he had cut three times. Additional cuttings would have occurred had there not been drought conditions in that area. The writer said Mr. Sorrell had built up the fertility by turning under the residue of soybeans and corn stalks from the 1931 crop. He would make 50 percent more cotton than last year because of his farming techniques (Harnett County News September 22, 1932).
The School Board named the drivers for the 1932-33 school year. Local committees and the superintendent selected the truck drivers and they were approved by the Board of Education. At Coats there were four buses (trucks) Jack Gregory drove #8; Charles Dixon , #22; Willie Sorrell,#71; and #16 was undecided at press time of the September 13, 1932 issue of the Harnett County News.
Happy Christmas Holidays for the people in Coats—maybe not! A.O. Cobb was to assist G.G. Coats in keeping order in the town on December 24-26th. No firecrackers were to be thrown in front of any door or at any pedestrian’s feet according to the December 22, 1932 minutes of the Coats Town Board. Wonder what they did with someone if they did break the rule. Did they take them to jail in Lillington? Did Coats have a jail?
I do know that there was likely talk about another major issue affecting people all over North Carolina. Read next week’s column to learn about a bill being drawn in the state legislature.
Thanks goes to Ann Jones for her memorial gift to the Coats Museum Endowment to honor M.T. Strickland and Laura Betts. A memorial donation to the endowment was also given to honor Curtis Williams and May Marshbanks. A big thank you goes to Edward Turlington for his sponsorship of a large exhibit in the new expansion.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COATS MUSEUM NEWS APPEARED IN THE DAILY RECORD IN SEPTEMBER 7, 2012.