MITCHELL, William

MITCHELL

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/31/2021 at 15:13:49

William Mitchell
born May 20, 1852, Canada

William Mitchell, dealer in farming implements and pumps, located at the west end of Second Street, Ida Grove, has been engaged in business here since 1882. He carries a full line of farming implements, buggies, carriages, wagons, pumps, wind engines, scales, etc., etc., and also handles a large amount of grain annually. He is one of the most active and energetic business men of Ida Grove, and as such is entitled to some personal mention in this work. William Mitchell is a native of Whitby, Ontario, Canada, born May 20, 1852, son of William and Hellen (Matthewson) Mitchell, both natives of Scotland. They were married in Canada, moved to Iowa in 1861, and are now residents of Postville, Allamakee County, Iowa. The father is a farmer. William is the eldest of a family of five children. He was reared on a farm and remained at home until he was twenty-two. At that time he began farming on his own responsibility in Allamakee County, and remained there until 1880, when he came to Ida County. Here he purchased a farm in section 8, Logan Township, and this place—120 acres of prairie land—he at once began to improve, erecting buildings, etc. He added eighty acres to his original purchase, and three years later sold the entire tract for $25 per acre, having paid $8 per acre. Since then he has from time to time made other investments, and is now the owner of considerable valuable property. He owns two improved farms in Ida county, eighty acres in section 11, Silver Creek township, and 160 acres in Grant township. He also has a half-interest in eighty acres on section 22, Logan Township, this county, all of this land being used for agricultural purposes. Besides this he owns 160 acres in Douglas County, South Dakota. Since 1882, as above stated, he has been engaged in his present business, having succeeded Linkhart & Gordon, and in this as in other enterprise he has met with marked success. He is, indeed, a self-made man, his present accumulations being the result of his own honest industry and good management. He affiliates with the Republican Party. Mr. Mitchell was married March 10, 1874, to Miss Jennie E. Love, of Watkins, New York, daughter of William N. and Mary (Fenno) Love. They have one child, Frank L. Mrs. Mitchell is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.587