mitchellh
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The
Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties,
State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing
Co., 1904.
HENRY MITCHELL, M. D., is well
known all over Douglas county and rightly, too, for he has done a good
work here and is to-day enjoying the competence which his labors and wisdom
have provided. He owns a beautiful home in Wilsoncreek, the same
being tastily furnished and surrounded with handsome grounds. The
doctor takes especial pride in some excellent fruit trees which he has
raised and which are first class, while Mrs. Mitchell has some of the finest
Plymouth Rock chickens to be found in this section of the country.
They are happy people and have won hosts of friends from all parts of the
country.
Henry Mitchell was born in Obion county, Tennessee,
on March 29, 1849, the son of Rev. William R. and Mehala (Thompson) Mitchell,
natives of North Carolina. The father was a minister of the Primitive
Baptist denomination. Henry was trained in the district schools of
Linn and Macon counties, Missouri, whither his father had removed, and
then completed a course in Kirksville Normal school. At the age of
twenty-three, he began the study of medicine under the tuition of Dr. S.
R. Cox, of New Boston, Missouri, and there continued steadily for six years,
taking an extended course of reading. Then he matriculated in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons in Keokuk, Iowa, graduating in the class
of 1878. He immediately returned to New Boston, Missouri, and took
up his profession. He was favored with a large practice, owing to
his skill and success, but the ordeal of attending to such an extensive
labor wore on his health and he broke down. Being assured that he
must give up his medical labors, he determined to come west and take up
the stock business. Accordingly, he made his way to Washington and
chose a place in Douglas county for the start. Ritzville, forty-five
miles away, was his nearest post office, then Coulee City was established
in 1890, and finally, in 1894, an office was located at Wilsoncreek.
The doctor had discarded his medicine case, but as the people became aware
that a skillful physician and surgeon was in their midst he had calls from
every quarter and as they came more and more, as the country settled, he
was obliged to respond to the suffering sick. However, the salubrious
and health giving climate had wiped out his sickness and given him a stock
of vitality sufficient to again take up the practice, and so Dr. Mitchell
could not say no. Accordingly, he was obliged to relax his grasp
of the stock business and is now entirely engaged in the medical work.
His success is what has won for him a marked favor among the people and
Dr. Mitchell has the confidence and esteem of all who know him. His
long and careful study coupled with an adaptiblity for this line of investigation
and the doctor's care to keep abreast of the progressing science of medicine,
together with his conscientiousness in handling every case to the best
advantage combine to give the success which is so envied.
Dr. Mitchell has two brothers and two sisters,
John F., Thomas C., Mrs. Nancy A. Todd, and Mrs. Mary E. Barbee.
His marriage occurred in Linn county, Missouri, in 1879, March 18, when
Miss Julia M. Stone became his bride. Her parents, Granville H. and
Mary E. (Bailey) Stone, were natives of Virginia and Missouri, respectively.
She was born in Linn county, Missouri, on January 27, 1861. Four
children have been born to them, but all died in infancy. They adopted
one son, Joseph Hensley Mitchell, who is now living in Leavenworth, Washington.
The doctor is a member of the M. W. A., the Foresters and the Royal Neighbors.
He is medical examiner for all the old line insurance companies which do
business in his section and is also examiner for the fraternal societies
to which he belongs.
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