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| James Mitchell, farmer, sec. 10, Aetna Tp., was born Feb. 7, 1815, in the state of New York, and is a son of Zephaniah P. and Annie(Saxton) Mitchell, natives of the Empire State. He remained in his native state until the fall of 1845, when he came to Wayne Co., Mich, and spent five years as a farm labourer, coming thence to Sparta, Kent Co.; and a year later went to Nottawa, St. Joseph Co., and bought 80 acres of land, which was in his possession ten years. In the spring of 1861 he came to Mecosta County and settled in Aetna Tp., where he took 40 acres of wild land under the swamp act. He built a log house and entered upon the labor of clearing the land. In 1868 he bought 40 acres lying adjacent to his original purchase, making an aggregate of 80 acres, 60 of which are under cultivation, and on which he fixed his residence. He was married to Susan, daughter of Johnathan Western, who died in 1863, and four of their seven children survive: Nathaniel, Oliver, Asa, Madeline. In 1865 he was again married, to Kate, daughter of John and Ellen Gilluly, natives and life residents of Ireland. The family belong to the Catholic Church, and Mr. Mitchell is a democrat. |