James F. Mitchell was born November, 1856, in Green County, Indiana, being the eldest son of James H. Mitchell, of Muskogee, Indian Territory, formerly a stock-raiser and agriculturist, who recently retired from business, owning to ill health. His mother was Miss M. G. Crabtree, whose family were from Ohio, and who moved to Indiana when quite young, and married Mr. Mitchell in 1836. James F. attended district school until the age of seventeen, moving West with his parents, he then followed school teaching until he was twenty-two years of age, after which he attended normal school at Fort Scott, where he completed his education July 1, 1881, at the age of twenty-five years. Mr. Mitchell commenced teaching in the public schools of Kansas soon afterwards, and was appointed deputy registrar of deeds of Butler County, under the administration of Dr. J. McGuinness. Since that time he has had charge of the Bloomfield Academy, a graded school in Bloomfield, Arkansas, on the Indian Territory line. In 1889, he moved with his parents to Muskogee, Indian Territory, and in September 1891, was given charge of the public school in Eufaula, Creek Nation, which appointment he now holds. The subject of this sketch is a young man of excellent education, full of energy and thoroughly devoted to his mission. His mother, now fifty-five years of age, is corresponding secretary of the W. C. U. Association of the Indian Territory, and missionary supervisor of jails.
