Mitchell High School - Gold and Blue Yearbook (Mitchell, IN)

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SPV' WifcAef 3 jiraf Ciluncfrecl yearn On September 29,1855 Mitchell was laid out by John Sheeks and G. W. Cochran. The settlement was named in the honor of General O. M. Mitchell, a commander in the Union Army, who surveyed and plotted the town. At that time, he was chief engineer in the location and construction of the Ohio and Mississippi Railwayg now called the Baltimore and Ohio. Three other towns in Marion township had long decayed. They were Redding, Woodville, and Juliet, leaving Mitchell to grow and prosper at the junction of two railroads, which at that time were constructed of just flat iI0l1 strips. Those railroads, the Louisville, New Albany, and Chicago running north and south and the Ohio and Mississippi running east and west, are known today as the Monon and B. gl O. , respectively, and are still main factors in the progress of Mitchell. G. W. Dodson is claimed to be the first settler of the IOWH PFOPSF. followed by Albert Johnson, Marion Brady, Amzi Munson, Silas Moore and John Fitzpatrick. ln 1860 the town boasted a total population of 612. Today an estimated 4000 people live in Mitchell. The town was incorporated December 23, 1864, and in 1907, was made a city following an election held on August 25 of that ycar. William L. Brown was elected first mayorg Harry V. Shepherd, treasurerg Clyde Burton, clerk, Councilmen--Thomas W. Welsh, William H. Dings, John L. Holmes, John B. Sims, and John A. Dalton. Mitchell had the distinct honor of being the first town in Indiana to adopt the graded school system. The first graded school was housed in a frame building located at that time on the corner of Ninth and Warren streets in 1869. Today there are two modern grade schools, Emerson and Riley, and a high school which rate high in the field of education. At one time Mitchell boasted a fine college, Southern Indiana Normal, built in 1880 and destroyed by fire in 1900. A major addition to the intellectual progress of the city was the completion of a Carnegie Library, February 12, 1917. The press had its beginning in 1865 with the establishment of the Mitchell Republican by J. M. Griffin. Lasting only 6 months, the Republican was re- placed by the Mitchell Commercial under Woodward and Rumrill. The Mit- chell Times appeared in 1876 with J. T. Biggs as its publisher. The Mitchell Tribune had its originluly 27, 1899, under W. T. Moore and T. J. Tanksley. The oldest industry of Mitchell is the Lehigh Portland Cement Company, which was started in 1901. In addition to the cement mill, Mitchell now boasts a Reliance Garment Factory, established in the early twenties, and the Carpenter Body plant that has grown in stride with the establishment of consolidated schools which depend upon bus U8rlSp0rI3Ii0H. In recent years the following new establishments have located in and near Mitchell: Yerke's Clarinet Factory, Eversole's Walnut Shop, and Robert Brass Company. Each employs many local persons and in addition provides jobs for a good number of persons from neighboring communities. A group of fine church buildings, including Presbyterian, Nazarene, Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Catholic, Church of Christ, Colored Baptist, Colored Methodist, Lehigh Chapel, Pilgrim Holiness, and Church of God, have grown from a feeble beginning in 1859 when the first Sabbath School was organized. This first group met in the Colored Baptist church building, built in 1855 and still standing. Thus, in one hundred years, Mitchell has grown from a small community to a small progressive city. 10

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jane Wa Mewa , 5 Y xx '52 W 'fu , e Jeniorri are prone! of our ufure. Yearbook staff member Lbauicl jfanigan Yearbook editor ar, . mm, Class secretary