The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-03-01
A PIONEER CONE TO HIS REST
Death Of John 8. Mitchell in This
City Yesterday
At the Age of Eighty-four Years--A Sur
yiyor Of the BLACK Hawk War
An Interesting
Career.

on West Jefferson street last Monday
morning, surrounded by his family.
He had been in failing health for "a
number of years, and during the past
six months, especially, he had been
steadily declining in strength, SO that
his recovery had for weeks been con-
sidered impossible. His death was
caused by general debility.
The funeral took place Wednesday
afternoon at > o'clock from the resi-
dence,
John S Mitchell was born in Penn
Van, \, w Sept. !, 1919. lie was the
second son in family Of nine sons
and two daughters born TO Lenas
| Mitchell and wife. While John ).
was still a small boy, his father who
had been IA Revolutionary soldier at 10
wears of age removed from New York
to the western limits Of Indiana
leaving his family at Fort HARRISON
while he went with the older boys TO
the Wabash river and somewhere on
the east line of NermilliOn county,
where he found water power, he pro-
ceedcd to erect a saw and grist mill.
the work on which, however, was
never completed, owing to the attacks
of Indians who drove him back to the
fort. He took up" piece of land
and farmed it two years, when, hear
ing stories of better lands in Illinois
country, he removed his family to
what is now Edgar county, settling
near the. site Of the future town of
Paris. Here he built a saw mill and a
diStillery. AS there were no market
towns nearer than 100 miles. and no
roads but old buffalo paths and In
dian trails to those that did exist.
corn in that country then, was, as
corn, Il drug on the market at cents
a bushel. but as 'spirits" it had a
value. and was tOlcrably fair circu-
lating medium in the absence OF any
other. Zenas Mitchell here built also
the first school house in that county
for the benefit of his own and two of
his neighbours children, and imported
was that John 5. Mitchell received
course of book learning he
ever received at any school,
and this was taken in in
stallmentS of three months each year
for three years. In the meantime, how
ever. he had learned to handle a saw
and jack-plane, and having finished
his Literary course he determined
to become carpenter. With thatend
| in view. he went to New Orleans,
where he became regular apprentice
and learned the carpenters trade.
During his apprenticeship he returned
to Indiana to visit his father. then
working as carpenter at Charleston.
1t was during this visit that his father
| fell from house he was building and
was instantly killed. Having settled
up his fathers affairs, John ). went
again to New Orleans, taking with
him two younger brothers, whom he
provided for and sent TO school while
there, working overhOurS to make
ends meet in his finances. Having
finished his apprenticeship he re-
turned again to Indiana and worked
on the old state house, since replaced
by the present magnificent structure
at indianapolis.
1t was while he was subsequently,
for the third time, a resident of New
Orleans that the Black Hawk war Of
1881 broke out, and as his family and
friends were in the country likely to
be affected by the war, he returned to
Indiana ria Louisville to NincenncS.
The company he hoped to enlist with
had however, been filled up, so he
bought horse and volunteered as an
extra hand" At Danyille, however,
two of the men having died on the
march. he was regularly enrolled as a
part Of Captain IOcum's Indiana vol
! unteers. From Danville they marched
to Ottawa, where they arrived just
before the massacre on Indian creek.
! Mr.. Mitchell assisted in the burial OF
the dead there, and subsequently
while out with a party OF twelve
scouting he was, with the Others, at
tackled by a party of redskins. out
numbered, the twelve scouts did not
stop to fight, but before they could
get out of reach of the Indians, Cap
tain Geo. McFaddcn was wounded
and Mr.. Mitchell took him behind
him on his horse and brought him tC
ottawa. He took part in quite mum
Der of dangerous scouting expeditions
about this time-tO Nermct'S and
Holderman's Grove and also to recover
the body Of the Missionary Paine. who
was killed between the Grove and
MarseillcS.
he TtllldIuf'l II uil' dllhS uHbli Wv
war closed, being stationed with The
troops in the old fort, which stood on
the south bank Of the Illinois. "A few
yards east Of the turn in the road as il
runs east and south from the bridge
After the war closed he went to Chi
cago to work at his trade as carpen
ter. and opened a shop on Clark street
east of the court house, for that pur
pose: but tine fever and the ague
which cursed that village in thOs,
DAYS. broke him down, however, and
: he returned again to Ottawa. working
for few years as carpenter; but
very early in the forties he be
came the owner Of a livery stable. in
which business he remained. with and
without associated partners, unit
; about twelve years ago, when he per
manently retired from business. His
location was what is now the Clifton
barns, which real estate still remain.
i'm the family
On July ., 1895, he married Mis-,
Inger Nelson, who still survives him
She bore him nine children, five OF
whom are still alive: Amanda, wifi,
of George NanDoren, now OF Seattle