DR. ARMSTEAD H. MITCHELL, Bio, Granite Co., MT Indexed and contributed for use in USGenWeb Project by: Wendy Garner USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. © 1998 by Wendy Garner. This file may be freely copied for non- profit purposes. All other rights reserved. DR. ARMSTEAD H. MITCHELL Born: He was born on October 27, 1831. Place: Jefferson County, Kentucky Died: he died On December 20, 1898 of Mastoiditis. Place: Warm Springs, Powell County, Montana Occupation: Medical Doctor, surgeon, politician, miner, stamp mill owner (with his brother Paul Mitchell). Married: Dr. Mitchell married Miss May Irvine of Kentucky in 1871. Children: To this union five children were born. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Education: He attended preparatory school at the University of Virginia, studied medicine at the College of the City of New York, University of New York receiving his Masters in 1852. He was considered well educated for the time. Military: When the Mexican War broke out he left the Virginia institution and joined the American Army. His father had him sent home after a few months ending his military career. Following college graduation he went westward, lingering for a time at his father's sugar plantation on the Brazos River in Texas. He spent a year in Mexico and finally reaching San Fransico, California in the fall of 1853. There he practiced medicine, engaged in various mining enterprises, and got into politics, in 1857 being elected to the California legislature. In 1859 he was re-elected as the joint representative of Tulare and Fresno Counties. He and another man operated a cattle ranch, buying and selling large numbers of cattle throughout the mining districts. He then sold out his cattle interest moving to the Fraser River in British Columbia, scene of mining excitement, returned to California and then to Aurora, Nevada. He was one of the discoverer of a rich mine at Esmeralda, where he amassed a considerable fortune. From there he went to Austin, Nevada and on to Idaho City, Idaho. >From Idaho he went to Oregon and on to the Kootenai district of British Columbia, which at the time was a flourishing camp. Obtaining a mining claim near Salbrath's Ferry, somewhat north of Bonner's Ferry, Dr. Mitchell took from his claim $20,000.00 of gold dust in three months, after which he returned to San Francisco to spend the winter. In May, 1865, he returned to the diggings. While on a prospecting trip he fell in with a Jesuit priest and some Indians who reported some very rich placers in the Blackfoot country. He therefore accompanied them across the mountains, arriving at McClellan's Gulch in Deer Lodge County, Montana in September 1865. He soon went on to Helena, Montana where "he engaged in the practice of medicine" for a few months. The next year he located in Blackfoot City, Powell County, Montana, where he attracted wide popularity. However, the camp was fading, and in 1865 he moved to DeerLodge, which he made is home and specialized in surgery. Dr. Mitchell built a stamp mill up First Chance Gulch. The city in the area was called "Mitchell" in honor of him. The name was later changed to Garnet. Dr. Mitchell's brother Paul supervised his stamp mill. Dr. Mussigbrod, a part owner of the Mitchell Mill, took over and the mill became known as the Mussigbrod Mill. Dr. Mitchell became very involved in Montana politics. He was the representative for territorial legislation for over twelve years and was twice president of the council. Dr. Mitchell was a physician of the territorial penitentiary in Deerlodge. He became superintendent of the territorial insane asylum in 1877. While in Deerlodge he specialized in surgery and generally associated himself with other doctors who took care of much of the internal medicine. The fires was Dr. L.E. Homes, who came to Montana in 1870. He move to Helena within a few years and was succeeded by Dr. Mussigbrod. Later, when that doctor became engrossed in his work at Warm Spring, Dr. A.K. Ives handled much of the medical work. He moved to Missoula, and then followed Drs. Laurin and Douglas. Dr. Mitchell traveled widely to perform his surgical operations. His instruments were in his surgical kit, to which he added saws and butcher knives when required. One of his early operation was on the "poor arm" of "Shorty", a Bear Town miner. "Shorty" had fallen into a fire and burned his left arm to a crisp. Dr. Mitchell was called and arrived on his mule. "Shorty", with his miner friends, was waiting in Joaquim Abascal's store and saloon, where the amputation was to be performed. The operating table was three planks propped up on whisky barrels; the anaesthetic was several "long" drinks of straight whiskey; and the instruments were a common saw and butcher knife. When the operation was finished, the stump of the arm was cauterized and wrapped in an old rag. The doctor then picked up the parts of the severed arm and wrapped them to take back to Deer Lodge for "anatomical study." When these details were complete, "Shorty" ordered drinks for the whole crowd, including Madame Louise, who had charge of "the girls" and who patted the patient and cried, "Oh poor arm". The doctor and some of the miners then settled down to poker while the Madame's "girls" danced with the other miners until morning, when Dr. Mitchell mounted his mule and left. Somewhere along the road the "poor man's" arm was lost. Dr. Mitchell often mixed social affairs with his profession: "For one of such affairs, Dr. Mitchell (of DeerLodge) was associated in committee with Dr. J.P. Tiernan of Missoula. The occasion was the ST. Patrick's Day Anniversary Ball on March 17, 1871, in Masonic Hall of Missoula". Even as late as 1880, the New Northwest described his costume at a leap year dance as "made of polka- dotted handkerchiefs trimmed with Turkish toweling". This thrown over a tall figure with a flowing beard made him "an object of admiration". Although he preferred surgery, at which he was remarkably adept in spite of inadequate equipment, he was in great demand for medicine. Women and children were frequently under his care as were miners, hunters, woodsmen and cowboys. His boisterous manner did not carry into the sick room, where he was always gentle and sympathetic. In 1882, the New Northwest commented editorially: "If it is true that a good share of the benefits of medicine depend upon the degree of confidence that the patient has in the physician, Dr. Mitchell could go over this county and cure half the ailments with a pocketful of flour and a pint of "aqua pura". In spite of his wide practice, Dr. Mitchell, like many gold rush doctors, maintained extensive business interests outside his profession. He had made a fortune in mining before coming to Deer Lodge, and he continued to engage in mining throughout his life. He owned or had an interest in a number of mines, and he had a large stock ranch in the Beaverhead Valley. He was active and powerful in politics, and this aided him in expansion of is medical profession. Soon after coming to the county , he was elected to the territorial council. He served from 1869 till 1873 and again from 1877 till 1885, most of the time as president of the council. He was recorded as "an active efficient legislator, and a prompt, able and impartial presiding officer". He was nominated to represent Deer Lodge County at the abortive constitutional convention of 1884. He resigned because of provisions of eligibility. He was chairman of the Democratic central committee in 1884 and member of the Democratic committee. He was commissioner for building the penitentiary in 1869 and first superintendent and surgeon. He served in both capacities until 1871, when he age up the superintendency, but continued as chief physician and surgeon until 1882. He was county physician for eighteen years and quit in 1886, probably because of ill health. He was appointed chief surgeon for the army after the Battle of the Big Hole and took many wounded to hospitals at Deer Lodge and arm Springs, which he controlled, for treatment. Dr. Mitchell's hospitals supplied a real need and were a source of profit. He built the fires at Deer Lodge, where he cared for the county poor and his other patients. In 1877 he and Dr. C.F. Mussigbrod mad a contract with the territory for "keeping , clothing, maintaining and medicating insane of the territory," for a fee of eight dollars per week for each patient. The doctors build their hospital at Warm Springs nearby and also constructed a hotel and bathing resort, which "soon became famous because of its management and hospitality." The insane, who had been kept hospitals in Helena and Missoula, were at once transferred to Warm Springs, and others brought in made the number thirteen. This number increased rapidly and by 1900 was so large that the hotel and resort closed. In 1885, Dr. Mitchell built a hospital at Anaconda for employees of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company and others. He did not manage the hospital himself but appointed Dr. N.S. Snyder of Philipsburg to take charge. In the midst of an enormous practice and successful business, in the late 1880's he was stricken with mastoiditis. He curtailed his practice and freed himself from business and politics in order to seek treatment. He made several trips to San Francisco and New York for relief, but treatment was ineffective. He then retired to the hospital at Warm Springs, where he died on December 20, 1898. Bibliography: Cushman, Dan, 1964. Article, "Montana's Last Booming Gold Camp", Montana the Magazine of Western History. Daley, Dennis and Jim Mohler, 1973. Historical Resources Identificaiton and Location Study, Resources Development Internship Program, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, unpublished report, pages 35-36. Hammond, Helen 1990. Garnet Was Their Home, unknown publisher. Hammond, Helen 1983. Garnet-Montana's Last Gold Camp, Acme Press, Missoula, Montana. Silver State, The 1895. Article of June 19, page 2. Wolle, Muriel Sibell, 1983. Montana Pay Dirt, A Guide to the Mining Camps of the Treasure State, Sage Books, pages 226-228.