Rollin C. Mitchell

As printed in 1912

ROLLIN C. MITCHELL.

One of the well-known citizens of Mt. Vernon, Knox county, Is Rollin C. Mitchell, who enjoys distinctive prestige among the enterprising men of this locality, having fought his way onward and upward in industrial circles, and in every relation of life his voice and influence have been on the side of right as he sees and understands the right. Like his worthy father before him, he has always been interested in every enterprise for the general welfare of the community and liberally supports every movement calculated to benefit his fellow men, and therefore enjoys the esteem of all who know him.

Mr. Mitchell was born on April 7, 1847, in Chesterville, Knox county, now a part of Morrow county, Ohio. He was the son of William and Lucy (Brown) Mitchell, the father born near Fredericktown, July 15, 1811.

William Mitchell, grandfather of the subject, came to this country from Pennsylvania about 1805, one of the earliest pioneers, he having been commissioned by the government as agent for government lands of this section of the Northwestern Territory, and here he spent the remainder of his life, dying at his home near Fredericktown, Knox county, in 1848. He is described as a brave man of strong characteristics. Thus the Mitchells have been well known in this locality for more than a century. William Mitchell, father of the subject, was reared in the pioneer forest home here and obtained a meager education in the old log school houses of his day. As a young man he learned the trade of ax maker, winning thereby the sobriquet of “the ax maker,” by which he was widely known, and it is said of him that he made a most excellent ax and that his axes filled more trees of Knox county than any other make. Most of his life was spent in this county, but the machine-made axes supplanting his business, he turned his attention to tool making and dressing, and for a number of years he sold machinery for the Cooper Company of Mt. Vernon, though he was known all his life as “the ax man.” Soon after his marriage he moved to Illinois and was a resident in the same district in which Abraham Lincoln resided, and at one

Cio time Lincoln won a lawsuit for Mr. Mitchell. The latter returned to Ohio in 1846 and located at Chesterville, where the subject was born, later moved to Centerburg, this county, where the family lived for about ten years, and in the spring of 1864 moved to Mt. Vernon, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on December 9, 1909, at the advanced age of ninety-eight years and five months, his wife having preceded him to the silent land in 1878. William Mitchell was active in the work of the Methodist Episcopal church, having been a class leader and exhorter, a devout churchman, and he was an acquaintance and on friendly terms with many of the church dignitaries of his time. He was a man of exemplary character. charitable and hospitable.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William Mitchell, three of whom died in infancy, the other five growing to maturity, namely: Naomi, deceased, was the wife of Henry A. Hyatt; Emma L., also deceased, was the wife of Captain Harrison; Stephen Lewis Y. was a captain in the Union army during the Civil war and breveted major at the close of the war; Rollin C., of this sketch; Sarah is deceased; Luella lives in Mt. Vernon.

Rollin C. Mitchell was educated in the schools of Centerburg and Mt. Vernon, and when a young man he learned the jewel-maker's trade with Levi Stone, of Mt. Vernon, for whom he worked for some time, later working in Mt. Gilead and Coshocton, being very skilled in this line of endeavor.

Mr. Mitchell was married on November 22, 1871, to Perliette O. Stauffer, daughter of Joseph and Deborah (Brown) Stauffer, her father having been a merchant in Mt. Vernon for many years, building up an excellent business, which is still continued by his son, Almon F. Stauffer. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, namely: Clifton A.

lives in Columbus, Ohio; Florence D. married Halbert M. Eggleston, of Mt. Vernon; LuNylla married John Whitford, of Mt. Vernon; Harry O. lives in Mt. Vernon; Lena A. married Vincent Welker, of Gambier, Ohio; Lucy M. married Phillip J. Brereton, of Mt. Vernon.

In March, 1872, Mr. Mitchell engaged with Mr. Stauffer, his father-in-law, as a clerk, with whom he remained for a period of twenty-three years, assisting very materially in building up a lucrative business. Then he went into business for himself, men’s and women’s furnishings, under the firm name of R. C. Mitchell, Son & Company. This continued successfully for six years, during which time he enjoyed an excellent trade with the town and surrounding country. He then traveled for two and one-half years for the Patric Furnace Company of Springfield, Ohio. During the five years following this he kept books for B. E. Salesbury. Since 1908 he has been in charge of the third ward school building.

Politically, Mr. Mitchell is a Republican and he has always been active in public matters. For four years he served as city treasurer. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are active in church work. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic order and the Knights and Ladies of Honor, his wife being a member of the latter also. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters and the Ben Hur lodge. The pleasant home of the family is located at No. 113 East Lamartine street, Mt. Vernon.

As printed in Past and present of Knox County, Ohio (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.