Denver-La Plata-Lake County CO Archives Biographies.....Mitchell, John Clark 1860 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 14, 2008, 7:08 am

Author: Wilbur Fiske Stone (1918)

JOHN CLARK MITCHELL.

    Advancing through successive promotions to a high position in banking
circles, John Clark Mitchell has since January, 1913, been president of the
Denver National Bank, in which he had previously served for a number of years as
cashier. He was born in Freeport, Illinois, February 29, 1860, his parents being
James and Catherine (Clark) Mitchell. His father was born in the year 1810 and
devoted his life to the banking business, his labors being terminated in death
in August, 1874, when he was sixty-four years of age.

    When a youth of eighteen John Clark Mitchell began following in his father's
business footsteps, securing a clerical position in the Freeport Bank, following
the completion of his public school education, which was acquired in his native
city. He spent two years in the Bank of Freeport and in 1880, attracted by the
growing opportunities of the west, made his way to Alamosa, Colorado, where he
entered the employ of the firm of Field & Hill, who were engaged in general
merchandising and freight forwarding, following the construction of the Denver &
Rio Grande Railroad. Mr. Mitchell accepted the position of bookkeeper with that
firm but was employed in that capacity for only a short time, as he felt that
banking was a more congenial field of labor for him, and he accepted a clerical
position with the Bank of San Juan at Alamosa. He remained there for but a year
and in 1881 removed to Durango, Colorado, acting as assistant cashier in the
Bank of Durango until 1883, and then accepting a position with the Carbonate
National Bank, of Leadville. He proved capable, efficient and thoroughly loyal
and these qualities won him promotion to the position of assistant cashier, in
which capacity he served from 1883 until 1885. He was then advanced to the
position of cashier and so continued until 1890. In the latter year he removed
from Leadville to Denver and for five months was cashier of the People's
National Bank, after which he was made treasurer of the firm of E. H. Rollins &
Sons, with whom he continued for six months. His knowledge of the banking
business was recognized in the offer of the cashiership of the Denver National
Bank of Denver, an offer which he accepted. He continued to act as cashier until
January, 1913, when he was elected to the presidency of the bank, and has since
remained at its head. Constructive effort on his part is combined with wise
administrative direction and executive control and the bank under his guidance
has made substantial progress. A general banking business is conducted and the
policy of the institution has ever been such as to commend it to the continued
patronage of the public. There is no phase of the banking business with which
Mr. Mitchell is not familiar and all who know aught of his career regard him as
one of the most competent and thoroughly informed bankers of the west.

    In 1886, in Leadville, Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage to Miss Clara
Matteson Goodell, who is the eighth in descent from Captain Joseph Sill and who
is a daughter of R. E. Goodell, of Leadville. They have become parents of a son
and a daughter, Clark G. and Clara S. The former married Ida Quentin, a native
of Colorado and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Quentin, early settlers of
Denver. To this marriage have been born three children, Elizabeth, Catherine and
John Clark Mitchell II, born May 8, 1917. The daughter, Clara S. Mitchell, is
the wife of Henry C. Van Schaack and they have three children, Henry C., Clara
Mitchell and Eleanore Mitchell Van Schaack.

    The Mitchell family is well known in Denver, where the family home has been
maintained for many years. Mr. Mitchell is prominent in club circles of the city
and is a past president of the Denver Club, while with the Denver Country Club
he also holds membership. He and his wife occupy an enviable social position and
their sterling worth has gained for them the goodwill and warm friendship of
those with whom they have come in contact. There have been no spectacular phases
in the business career of Mr. Mitchell, but by steady progress he has worked his
way upward since making his initial step in banking circles in Freeport when a
youth of eighteen years. From each experience he has learned the lessons therein
contained and has put these lessons to practical account in the conduct of the
interests entrusted to his care. More and more largely his responsibilities have
increased and today he is at the head of one of the strongest financial concerns
of the west, a position to which he has justly attained by reason of his
unqualified trustworthiness, his business integrity and his unabating energy.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF COLORADO

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME III

CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1918


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