page_title: Cobbs and Mitchell Building
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Cobbs and Mitchell Building / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: William W Mitchell, Cadillac MI
context_page_description: The Cobbs and Mitchell Building is an office building located at 100 East Chapin Street in Cadillac, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980. and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
context_section_description: George A. Mitchell, the youngest son of Congressman William Mitchell, arrived in the Cadillac area in 1869, exploring the proposed route of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. Mitchell was particularly interested in the area near Clam Lake (now Lake Cadillac).  In 1871, he returned to the area and platted a village on the shore of the lake, and by January 1872 the village had 300 inhabitants.  Mitchell was able to induce many influential businessmen and lumbermen to settle in his new community, including his nephew William W. Mitchell; John R. Yale, who opened the Pioneer Sawmill in June 1871; and Jonathon W. Cobbs.
  Cobbs was born in Westville, Ohio in 1828, the son of Joseph and Tacy Cobbs.  He learned his father's trade of woodworking, then moved to Butlerville, Indiana to operate a sawmill.  There in 1855 he married Nancy J. Preble; the couple had three daughters: Tacy, Fauna, and Isabelle, and adopted a son, Frank. Cobbs eventually owned three sawmills in Indiana, but decided that the Cadillac area held more promise; he moved there in 1874 and purchased the Pioneer Sawmill from John R. Yale. In 1877, he took on William W. Mitchell as a partner.
  William W. Mitchell was born in 1854 in Hillsdale, Michigan, the third son of Charles T. Mitchell. He went to school at Hillsdale College, and in 1873 followed his uncle George to Cadillac.  There he married Ella Yost; the couple had two children, Charles T. and Marie.  He worked for his uncle for a few years, and in 1877 entered into a partnership with Jonathon W. Cobbs, marking the beginning of the firm of Cobbs & Mitchell. Cobbs & Mitchell was among the largest lumbering firms in Michigan, supplying hardwood flooring and other products to consumers.  At its high point, Cobbs & Mitchell used 100,000 feet of raw lumber daily.
  Jonathon W. Cobbs remained active in the business until approximately 1895, when he fell ill and turned over his duties to his son Frank. Jonathon W. Cobbs died in 1898. William W. Mitchell continued on as president of the firm; he also formed Mitchell Brothers with his brother, Austin W. Mitchell, to make flooring.
caption: William W Mitchell
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