The Reed family travels to Roswell, 1905
For several years, Richard (also known as Eugene) Adams shared his family history with me. The Reed side of his family made the journey from the Mount Bethel community of Cobb County to Roswell in 1905. His uncle, Nolan Reed, wrote down his memories of the move. Nolan Reed’s sister, Eula Reed, was Richard Adams mother. This story begins however, with Nolan and Eula’s parents, Posey Reed and Feriba Mitchell Reed.
Posey Reed, born in 1866, was one of the eight children of James W. Reed and Nancy Emily Powers. In 1887, Posey married Feriba Mitchell and they had eight children, six girls and two boys. Posey was a tenant farmer in the Mount Bethel community of Cobb County and the family had already moved a few times. The life of a tenant farmer was extremely hard. Feriba sometimes picked cotton while her youngest baby lay on a pallet nearby. Posey and Feriba Mitchell wanted a better life for their children, so they began working towards earning enough to buy a home in the town of Roswell.
Posey was able to earn wages by working on the construction of Morgan Falls Dam for a year and a half. The responsibility of finishing up the corn and cotton crops fell on the shoulders of his wife and two oldest daughters. More money was raised by the women in the family by preparing and selling lunches to workers at the dam. Finally, with the money that was earned and an agreement to pay the rest over a few years, the Roswell home was purchased and a move was planned.
Much of their journey was along present-day Roswell Road. The move was only about five or six miles, but the roads were narrow and rough with big hills and deep ruts from wagons. Nolan Reed wrote, “Moving day came and all our belongings loaded on our two mule wagon, the cow had to be walked by Papa so Mama drove the mules and wagon.”
When they reached the covered bridge over the Chattahoochee River that led to Roswell, the mules refused to go any further. Posey had fallen behind with the cow and his two oldest daughters. Feriba tried to get the mules to enter the bridge, but it was not until Posey caught up and used “gentle encouragement and a bit of oats” that the mules budged. The two daughters held the bridle and got the mules through the bridge only to be met by a treacherous steep hill ahead.
The family finally reached their new home on Oak Street in Roswell, between Ellis Street and Forest Street. Unfortunately, the previous owners had not left due to a family illness. Temporary residence was set up at their cousin Austin and Lemma Martin’s Roswell home.
The new home on Oak Street was much bigger than their past tenant houses and needed furniture. There was enough money left to buy a few things, such as an $18 organ ordered from Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and a sofa and rug.
The children who were old enough were signed up for school, but the two oldest girls, Charlotte and Eula, went to work at the Oxbo Pants Factory down on Big Creek. The family had heard that conditions and pay at the Pants Factory were far better than at the cotton mill. They worked from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm for five and half days a week and earned a wage from $3.00 to $5.00 per week.
Everyone had chores to do each day and the day began at 5:00 am with father Posey rapping on his headboard and announcing, “Time to get up.” Charlotte was in charge of cooking breakfast and making five lunches. Her sister Eula built the fires in the fireplace and milked the cow. Half of their acreage was used for a vegetable garden and many things were canned or dried to help get through the winter.
Bedtime was 8:00 pm every night for the whole family. On Saturday nights, the older girls might be allowed to stay up until 10:00 if they had a date.
Posey and Feriba Reed sacrificed and struggled to reach their goal of a better life for their children. The complete story of the Reed family is on file at the Roswell Historical Society Research Library and Archives, located at 950 Forrest Street in Roswell.