Musella

Billy Powell is a newspaper columnist and author of four books. This is Powell’s fourth in a continuing series of historical articles about Crawford County towns. “The Georgia Post” previously published his feature stories on the towns of Gaillard (10 Dec 2009), Rollo and Allon (7 Jan 2010), and Zenith and Lee Pope (28 Jan 2010).

Musella first appeared on the Georgia map in 1895. The evidence points to the Atlanta and Florida (A&F) Railroad naming the community Musella to identify it as a flag stop. The A&F began laying 105 miles of track from Atlanta to Fort Valley in 1880. The railroad wanted to bring the track from Culloden to Knoxville, which was the most direct and economical route, but Crawford County rebelled. Crawford Countians didn’t want the railroad passing through their county seat, so, the A&F laid the tracks to Musella instead. From Musella, tracks were laid to Roberta, then southward to Gaillard before passing through the Sand Pit area of Rollo and Allon. From Allon, the track was routed to Zenith and Lee Pope before reaching Fort Valley. The A&F rail line became fully operational through Crawford County in 1888.

When Musella became a flag stop, the railroad offered better opportunities for farmers to market their products, so many of the residents of nearby Ceres, Georgia, (named after Roman goddess of agriculture; settlement also called Hopewell) migrated to Musella. Since cotton could be shipped by rail, the cotton gin at Ceres was disassembled and moved approximately two miles to Musella. Soon, a general store and post office sprang up there, and Musella quickly became a hub of economic activity in northern Crawford County.

Crawford County history books state that Musella was named after two family members whose given names were “Mose” and “Ella.” A combination of their given names produces the word “Mosella.” and not “Musella.”

Getting the names of towns wrong is not without precedent. Fort Valley is a prime example. It was actually named “Fox” Valley. Hunters dubbed the settlement “Fox” Valley” due to an abundance of foxes in the region. When application was made for a post office in Fox Valley, postal officials in Washington D.C. misread the town’s name. Flourishes in the handwriting on the application made the letter ‘x’ look like ‘rt,’ so the town became known as Fort Valley. Likewise for Musella. The evidence is compelling that poor penmanship (the ‘o’ being misread for a “u”) resulted in the town being named “Musella” instead of the intended “Mosella.”

The family surname of Mose and Ella was neither preserved by Crawford County pioneers nor recorded by historians. Was their last name of little historical importance? Or, was their last name suppressed for a reason?

To determine if there actually were two people named Mose and Ella in Crawford County history, a comprehensive genealogical search was conducted. This research effort encompassed all six districts of Crawford County. The database used was Crawford County census records, dating from 1860 to 1920. At the end of this exhaustive effort, only two family members were identified. They were Moses and Ella Cotton, who were husband and wife. They lived in district 6 (Militia District 630), which encompassed both Musella and Ceres (two miles northeast of Musella). Moses C. Cotton (1875-1940) was listed as a farmer. The maiden name of his wife, Ella Cotton (1876-1940), was not listed. Moses’ father was Solomon Cotton (1857-1878), his mother was Harriet Gibson (1860-1920), and his grandfather was John Cotton (1816-1895). Moses and Ella Cotton had eight children: Clara-born 1897, Solomon-1900, Mamie-1901, Clarence-1904, Moses Jr.-1906, Jordon-1908, Roxy-1910, and Rosy-1913.

The graves of Moses and Ella Cotton, although unidentified, are believed to be in the Cotton section of the Bethel Church Cemetery. Many older graves there have cemented slabs, but are unmarked. This cemetery is located in western Crawford County on U.S. Highway 80, approximately one mile east of Hickory Grove.

Moses C. Cotton is listed in the census as a mulatto. A mulatto is a person of mixed white and African-American ancestry. Both Moses’ father and grandfather were slaves. After the Civil War, a freed slave usually assumed the surname of his/her plantation owner. In the 1860 census, there were two plantation owners in Hickory Grove (7 miles down Hopewell Road from Musella) whose surnames are relevant: Eli Cotton, who owned 21 slaves, and Taylor Gibson, with 110 slaves. In summary, the preponderance of evidence points to Musella being named after two Crawford Countians, Moses and Ella Cotton; however, this cannot be proven.

One of Georgia’s premier peach growers is Dickey Farms located in the heart of Musella.

It boasts of the oldest, most continuously operating peach packinghouse in the state of Georgia. Built in 1936, the packinghouse was constructed using lumber hewn from the land of Robert Lee Dickey (1870-1969), affectionally known as “Mr. Bob.” In the early days of Dickey Farms, mules were used to plow the orchards and to transport peaches to the packinghouse. Being a forward-thinker and innovator, "Mr. Bob" Dickey installed Georgia's very first brushing machine to remove peach fuzz. He also introduced a hydro-cooling system that placed peaches in 35-degree water to remove field dust and slow the ripening process, making them suitable to reach northern markets by refrigerated railroad cars. Peaches are now shipped by refrigerated trucks. Today, his grandson, Robert L. Dickey II and his great-grandson, Robert L. Dickey III, run the business and continue the tradition started by “Mr. Bob” of providing the highest quality peach. Dickey’s also features an on-line gift shop where peach and pecan delicacies and other assorted fruit products can be ordered. Their website is www.gapeaches.com and phone is 1-800-PEACH-GA.

The parents of Robert Lee Dickey were James Willis Dickey (1839-1924) and Louisa Melvina Respress (1839-1893), who were married in 1867. James Willis Dickey grew up in Upson County and served in the 17^th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, during the Civil War. He later moved to Crawford County where he served as postmaster at Hickory Grove. In 1898, Hickory Grove had two cotton gins, one gristmill, and one flourmill. James Willis and Louisa Respress Dickey produced four sons: John Respress-born 1868, Robert Lee- 1870, William T.-1874, and Lemuel N.-1878. The house where Robert Lee “Mr. Bob” Dickey was born still stands in Hickory Grove. As a young man, he worked at Milton J. Moore’s general store in Ceres and married the boss’ daughter, Homie Inez Moore.

In 1897, Robert Lee Dickey planted 3,000 peach trees, all Elberta variety, on 30 acres of land. Dickey acquired more land and added several more varieties of peaches. In 1936, he built Dickey’s peach packinghouse at Musella. He served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives (1907-8, 1917-18, 1919-20) and one term in the Georgia Senate (1912-14). He was a 50-year mason and lived to be 98-years old. Robert Lee and Homie Dickey had two children, Emilee (Harris) -born 1897 and Wilmer Moore Dickey-1900. Wilmer Moore Dickey married Gladys Neel, daughter of Joseph N. Neel and Blanche Hall Neel of Macon. He operated an auto supply company in Macon, but returned to Musella during the Depression to join his father’s business. Wilmer had two sons, Robert Lee Dickey II-born 1928, and Wilmer Moore Dickey Jr.-1933. Wilmer Moore Jr. is a retired banker. Robert Lee II married Jane Rembert Mobley in 1948. Robert Lee “Bob” Dickey II and his son, Robert Lee Dickey III, currently manage Dickey Farms.

Robert Lee Dickey started the general store at Musella in 1900, and sold it to Cary F. Hays Jr. (1913-2007) in 1934. The store, with 110 years of continuous operation, is the oldest store of its kind in Georgia, and possibly the nation. The father of Cary F. Hays Jr., Cary F. Hays Sr. (1882-1966), also was involved in the general mercantile business. He opened a general store in downtown Byron in 1913 and operated the business for over 50 years. His store was located directly across the railroad track from Vinson’s Pharmacy (now the Byron Welcome Center). Cary F. Hays Sr. served as Byron’s City Clerk for 36 years.

The cotton gin at Musella, built in 1913, started processing cotton in 1914. It closed in 1995. It is one of the oldest cotton gin structures in the nation still standing. In 1978, Cary F. “Buddy” Hays III purchased from his father, Cary F. Hays Jr., both the general store and the cotton gin. The warehouse next to the old gin was converted to a tractor and farm equipment business. It is named Musella Sales and Service and operated by Buddy Hays. Buddy also operates a wrecker service. Buddy was a helicopter pilot who flew combat missions during major campaigns of the Vietnam War. His son, Cary F. Hayes IV, a postal mail carrier, now owns the general store and assists his dad in the tractor business. The Hays family owns 1200 acres of farmland in Crawford County.

Union Methodist Church began in 1875 on the Culloden circuit. In 1903, the church moved to Musella. A new sanctuary was built and the church was renamed the Musella Methodist Church. The church closed in 1998. The building was moved to Roberta and renovated as a community center.

The 126-year-old Musella Baptist Church began in 1884 in Ceres, Georgia. Its first pastor was Rev. J. A. Jackson. In 1908, the church moved to Musella, where a new building was constructed. The church still has an active ministry.

Entering Musella from the south is like stepping back 100 years into Crawford County history. From the vantage point of the old 341 Highway, gaze first at Dickey’s packinghouse and the old cotton gin on your right, soaking up every detail that bespeaks of times past when Musella was a bustling hub of activity. Then rotate your eyes to the left to reflect on the past glory of Hays General Store and the eternal hope of a risen Lord symbolized by the Musella Baptist Church. Walk over to Dickey’s packinghouse and grab a rocking chair to enjoy the best peach ice cream your palate has ever tasted. Then stride across the street to Hays General Store and purchase a moon pie and a Coca-Cola while browsing its stocked shelves and soaking up the antiquity of this 110-year old establishment. Lastly, meander over to the old cotton gin and imagine horse-drawn wagons lined up with fluffy white cotton, freshly picked from the fields, ready to be ginned. Not only is downtown Musella an eye-pleasing panorama that defies description, but a peaceful and tranquil scene that sooths the soul. It is a place where you can forget the cares of this world, a place best described as a “Slice of Heaven.”

Special recognition is due Crawford County historian Sidney Goodrich and genealogist Dwayne Powell, my brother, for their exceptional research that made this story possible.

In front of 110-year-old Hays General Store
L-R : Cary F.Hays IV holding Sissy Hays, Lisa Hays,
Pat Hays, Cary F. (Buddy) Hays III holding Cary F. "Tank" Hays V.

Robert Lee "Bob" Dickey II and son,
Robert Lee "Robert" Dickey III, manage Dickey Farms

Robert L. "Mr. Bob" Dickey Sr.,
hat in hand, loads peaches on plane in 1946.

Cary F. Hays Jr. owned general store
and cotton gin

Hays General Store

Dickey's Packinghouse

Hays Cotton Gin

Musella Baptist Church