Thomas O. Mitchell

	This biography appears on pages 1020-1021 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	THOMAS 0. MITCHELL of the well-known firm of Mitchell & Thompson, 
dealers in grain, flour, hay, live stock, etc., Whitewood, South Dakota, 
was born in Adamsville, Ohio, on the 15th day of December, 1852. He 
spent his early years in his native state, enjoyed the advantages of a 
common-school education and until twenty-one years of age remained with 
his parents, assisting in the cultivation of the home farm. On attaining 
his majority he went to McLean county, Illinois, where he followed 
agricultural pursuits from 1873 to 1877, and in the spring of the latter 
year went to Grand Island, Nebraska, thence to Sidney, South Dakota, 
from which place he afterwards came with a train of freighters to the 
Black Hills. The summer following his arrival Mr. Mitchell devoted to 
prospecting on Battle and Rapid creeks, and in the fall returned to 
Nebraska and accepted a clerkship in his brother's general store at 
Alda, continuing in the latter capacity until the spring of 1881, when 
he again came to Dakota and engaged in business at Deadwood. He began 
his career in that city, buying and shipping grain, and in due time 
built up a profitable trade, but in 1891 sold out there and established 
himself in the grain and hay business at Whitewood, which place has been 
the scene of his operations ever since. In 1892 Mr. Mitchell associated 
himself with T. W. Thompson, the firm thus constituted erected the same 
year the elevator at Whitewood, and from that time to the present they 
have conducted a large and lucrative grain business, also buy and ship 
live stock on a very extensive scale, being one of the most successful 
firms of the kind in the western part of the state. In 1894 these 
gentlemen built a gristmill at Whitewood, which has since been operated 
in connection with the grain and live-stock business, the enterprise 
proving as remunerative as the other interests, there being a constantly 
growing demand for the high-grade flour made by the firm. In addition to 
the lines of business referred to, Messrs. Mitchell and Thompson pay 
considerable attention to the raising of blooded cattle, principally 
Herefords, pasturing a large number of these and other fine animals on 
their extensive ranch lands in the vicinity of Whitewood and elsewhere 
in Lawrence county. 

	Mr. Mitchell is decidedly a self-made man and his present high 
standing in commercial and industrial circles has been reached without 
aid from the outside sources or the prestige of influential friends. His 
business qualifications are of a superior order, his integrity and honor 
have always been unquestioned and his fair dealings and upright conduct 
have borne legitimate fruitage in the success which has made his name 
popular among the representative men of the city and county honored by 
his citizenship. Mr. Mitchell is a Democrat in politics and one of the 
active and influential party workers in his part of the country, having 
served as chairman of the town board for a number of years, besides 
filling other positions of honor and trust. 

	Mr. Mitchell was married on March 6, 1894, to Miss Angie Robinson, 
a native of Iowa, but who was brought to South Dakota when a child, and 
has spent nearly all of her life in this state; two children have 
resulted from this union, a son, Oron, and a daughter by the name of 
Alice.