Start your family tree. We'll start searching. It's FREE. - Enter a few simple facts about recent generations of your family. We'll use what you enter to try and find more about your family in the world's largest online collection of historical records and family trees.

Mitchell County History and Information

VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Mitchell was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in 1854) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for either John Mitchel, an Irish patriot, or John Mitchell, an early surveyor. The County Seat is Osage.

Counties adjacent to Mitchell County are Mower County, Minnesota (north), Howard County (east), Floyd County (south), Cerro Gordo County (southwest), Worth County (west). Cities and Towns Include Carpenter, McIntire, Mitchell, Orchard, Osage, St. Ansgar, Stacyville.

Mitchell County was originally part of Fayette County until it was established in 1851 at a winter session of the Iowa legislature. The county was named either after John Mitchell, an Irish patriot and refugee of 1948, or after an early surveyor.

The first settlers of the county were Leonard Cutler and his son. They passed through Mitchell County in the fall of 1851 and returned the following spring to make a land claim. The first families to settle were the families of L. S. Hart and Orrin, his son, who came in the summer of 1852.

The county originated in 1854 and county officers were first elected August 7, 1854. Each newly-elected officer opened his county office in his own cabin until a building could be provided.

Perhaps the most interesting history of the county involves the battle of the county seats. The first county seat was located in Mitchell because it was centrally located in the county, a very important asset at this time. The people of Osage objected to Mitchell and called for an election. In this election Osage won, but the people of Mitchell contested the election. It was rumored that votes for Osage were bought and paid for with merchandise. The two towns now resorted to every trick known to politicians to gain the county seat.

In 1858 Osage agreed to build a courthouse and jail, and give them to the county. At the same time Mitchell built a courthouse and agreed to give it to the county, but it never did.

Later Osage and Charles City joined forces, since Charles City also wanted to be a county seat, of Floyd County. To better locate both cities centrally in their respective counties, Floyd County gave Mitchell County a three-mile strip of territory on the north end of Floyd County.

This controversy was taken to the courts and arguments were thrown back and forth between the two towns. Finally the matter was called up to trial in a adjoining county. The people of Mitchell were not given notice of this and thus failed to appear for the trial. The judge ruled in favor of the town of Osage. Then, in the middle of the night the county records were moved to Osage, before a contest could be filed. They have been there ever since.

The courthouse that Osage built in 1858 is still in use today. Except for a $100,000 addition in 1976, the red brick building is unchanged and has become one of the oldest courthouses in the state.

Originally, the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors was a body of 17; one from each township. In 1875, the Board was reduced to five members. In 1926, the county was redistricted, and the number of Board numbers changed to three. The first Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, Oran Faville, came from Mitchell County. See also County History for more details.

The Mitchell County Official Government Website
Search the Iowa USGenWeb Archives
Mitchell County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
Search Historical Newspapers from Iowa (1814 - 1900) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Records at the Mitchell County Courthouse

Mitchell County Vital Records

Mitchell County Census Records

Mitchell County Maps & Atlases

Mitchell County Military Records

Mitchell County Tax Records

Mitchell County Genealogical Addresses

Mitchell County Church & Cemeteries

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Mitchell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Mitchell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Mitchell County ] [ Iowa ] [ Main Page ]
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Iowa Family Group Sheets
Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
Mitchell County USGenweb Archives
Mitchell County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

At the session of the Iowa State Legislature in the Winter of 1850-1, this county was formed and bounded, and named Mitchell, in honor of that noble Irish patriot, John Mitchell. Its territory is divided into fifteen townships, viz; Burr Oak, Cedar, Douglass, Jenkins, Liberty, Lincoln, Mitchell, Newburg, Osage, Otranto, Rock, Stacyville, St. Ansgar, Wayne,
and Union. This county contains an area of 504 square miles. It is one of the northern tier of counties of Iowa, and fourth in number from the Mississippi River. It is bounded on the north by the State of Minnesota, east by Howard, south by Floyd, and west by Cerro Gordo and Worth Counties.

In the Fall of 1851, Leonard Cutler and his son J. B. passed through Mitchell County prospecting, and were the first to observe its beauty with an idea to a commencement of a permanent settlement. In the Spring of 1852 the first land claims were made, the claimants being David B. Cutler and William Ramsdell. They commenced the settlement by the erection of the first cabin, which was of logs, on what is now known as "Doran's Farm," about one mile north from Osage. But the first family in the county was that of L. S. Hart, senior, who with his son Orrin came here in the Summer of 1852, and stuck a stake about two miles below what is now Osage, at what was then known as Spring Grove. L. S. Hart, junior, came on in the year 1853 and settled on the place where he now resides. This is where the first family lived. Their first house was covered with new mown grass, but soon after a log cabin was erected.

In the year 1852, Reverend C. L. Clausen, a Norwegian minister, arrived with some of his countrymen from Wisconsin and made claims where St. Ansgar now stands, on the Red Cedar River; they then returned to Wisconsin, but came back and became actual and permanent settlers on their claims June 23, 1853. In April, 1853, Lorenzo Merry settled on the Cedar, at
a point since known as "Merry's Ford", and also came that year a number of settlers to make permanent homes in the Hart Settlement, and others were added to Clausen's Settlement. In September, 1853, Josiah Cummings and his son Wm. E. commenced the settlement at Mitchell. He was followed in the Spring of '54 by C. C. Prime, John Adams and A. T. Cady, and in August of the same year by Doctor D. G. Frisbie, who was for many years a prominent citizen of the county. Thus began the early settlement of the county, started by a pioneer
band that has opened up one of the richest agricultural counties of Iowa.

Prior to 1854, this county had been added to Chickasaw for county purposes, but in this year it was organized by the election of the following officers; A. H. Moore, County Judge; Amos Cummings, Clerk; B. C. Whittaker, Treasurer and Recorder; L. S. Hart, Jr., Sheriff, Rev. C. L. Clausen, School Fund Commissioner.

COUNTY SEAT - Three commissioners were appointed from Howard, Bremer and Floyd Counties respectively by the Iowa Legislature in January, 1855, to locate the seat of justice for the county; and on the first day of March, 1855, the same was located at Mitchell. An election between Mitchell and Osage, in April, 1856, was ordered by the county court, and resulted in favor of Osage. Mitchell contested the election, however, on the ground that the court had illegally granted the election, the remonstrance outnumbering the petition, and gained a decision in the District Court. Osage appealed to the Supreme Court, but pending the decision a second commission was appointed by the Legislature in 1857, to settle the matter. It consisted of one member each from Chickasaw, Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties-met first in May and again in June, 1857, when it located the county seat at Osage. Another election on the question was held in April, 1860, and resulted in favor of Mitchell by 69 majority. A third and last vote was taken in April, 1861, which, as counted by the board of supervisors, despite an injunction forbidding the canvass from the district judge, resulted in a majority of 19 in favor of Osage. Mitchell then retained the records by an injunction suit, which carried the case a second time to the courts, where it was not finally settled until the Fall of 1870, when a decision was made in favor of Osage. Thereupon the records were removed
thither and it has since peaceably enjoyed the possession of the seat of justice of Mitchell County.

The court house is of red brick, well finished and furnished. It was erected in the Fall of 1858, at a cost of $25,000. The county jail was built in 1859. It is constructed of plank spiked together, making a wall twelve inches in thickness, the inside lined with sheet iron, and a brick wall around the outside. The foundation is of stone and cement, not less than two feet in thickness in any part under the whole surface of the jail. Cost of jail, $13,500.

OSAGE - This thriving town is the seat of justice for Mitchell County; is beautifully situated on a graceful rise of prairie a little over a mile from the Red Cedar River, and the space between the town and the river is covered with a dense belt of forest which protects it on the west and southwest. It is afforded railroad communication by the Illinois Central Railroad. The town is well laid out, the streets following the cardinal points of the compass. Main Street follows a section line running east and west, while Seventh Street, which crosses Main at right angles, runs north and south on another section line. Main Street is one hundred feet wide, and the other streets four rods wide. The principal business street is Main, at the foot of which stands the Illinois Central Railroad depot. The business blocks are nearly all very fine, and would do credit to a much larger
and older town than Osage. They are constructed principally of brick, nicely arranged, well filled with goods, and everything shows an excellent business, well conducted. Many fine shade trees are being cultivated in the town, and ornamental shrubbery is being neatly arranged on many of the fine lawns, to decorate the palatial homes of the successful business men here.

There seems to be a spirit of energy prevalent in Osage, engendered by the knowledge of its fine location, its natural beauty, its great educational, religious and business advantages, backed by the unsurpassed fertility of the farming districts about it, and the independent and liberal condition of its citizens.

Osage was incorporated as a town by an election held in April, 1871, at which the following were the officers chosen; Mayor, W. I. Belding; Recorder, N. L. Rood; Trustees, Cyrus Foreman, W. H. Bishop, D. B. Cotton, G. W. Furgason and Charles Sweney. M. Loomis was appointed Marshal, and Cyrus Foreman, Treasurer.

The town was first laid out in 1853, when Doctor A. H. Moore and B. C. Whitaker, platted the new city and named it "Cora," which plat was never recorded. In 1854, Messrs. Downs, Gibbs and Boardman, purchased the interest of Moore & Whitaker, and changed the name of the town to "Osage" (O-Sage), in honor of Orrin Sage, of Ware, Massachusetts. Afterwards additions were made, and in February, 1856, Doctor S. B. Chase for himself, and agent for other interested parties, had the present Town of Osage surveyed, platted and recorded. In July of this year the United States Land Office was moved to Osage from Decorah, which brought hundreds of strangers to the place, and millions of dollars were handled or in possession of strangers or residents during the continuance of the land office here, till the lands were sold and the records removed to Des Moines in September, 1859.

In May, 1857, four townships of land in the county were brought into market, and during the sale it was estimated that Osage contained 2,500 people, four-fifths of whom were strangers, and $1,000,000 in gold.

The early settlers of Osage, the men who nursed it through the early stages of its business life, and gave it the credit, character and enterprise it is possessed of, are many of them now here reaping the reward of well-spent lives by the result of the enterprise in starting a town that has grown to a flourishing young city.

MITCHELL - The Village of Mitchell, properly speaking, is divided into three distinct villages, Mitchell, West Mitchell, and Mitchell Station, where the railroad passes between the former two. West Mitchell is situated on the east bank of the Red Cedar River, which affords it one of the finest water privileges in Northern Iowa. The first settlement of this place was begun in 1853, and among the early settlers may be mentioned Messrs. Prime, Abbott, J.F. English, and Stacy. In the early settlement the Villages of Mitchell and West Mitchell grew up almost as rivals, when some years after the Cedar Falls and Minnesota Railway was constructed, it chose to run directly between the two towns, and thus the third town, or station, sprang up. This drew the business from the eastern town, and its business men followed and transferred their trade and wares to the station, while the West Mitchell people continue to carry on business successfully where they originally started.

RICEVILLE - The settlement of Riceville was begun in the year 1855, by three brothers, Dennis, Franklin C., and Gilbert H. Rice, and for them it was named. During the year 1855, nothing but a mere hut had been erected, but in the Fall of 1856, among other things newly begun, a steam saw mill was built and put in operation by these brothers, and continued until destroyed by fire in the Spring of 1858. The same season they improved a water-power, and completed for the same a grist mill which is in operation at the present day, which,
since 1866 has been owned by Nelson Pierce. This mill was the second built in Mitchell County. The town is well situated and steadily improving.

The first school taught here was in the Winter 1859-60, by Miss Emma Seeley. The first religious service was held in the Spring of 1856, by Reverend A. Loomis. The first church society organized was the Baptist in 1858. Its nearest railroad point is Le Roy, Minnesota, ten miles distant.

Mitchell County Courthouse

From 1855 to 1857 there was a dispute between Osage and Mitchell as to which town should be the county seat. A commission of delegates from other counties eventually decided on Osage. Construction of a courthouse began, but another election for the county seat was soon held and construction was delayed. It was not until the fall of 1870 when the final decision from the courts was made in favor of Osage.

The courthouse had been completed in 1858. This red brick building has a silver-topped cupola. The original cost of $25,000 was well worth it since this building still serves as the courthouse for Mitchell County.

Mitchell County History and Information

Records at the Mitchell County Courthouse

See Also Iowa Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Mitchell County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Iowa

Mitchell County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Iowa

Mitchell County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Mitchell County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Iowa

Mitchell County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Mitchell County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Iowa Genealogical Addresses

Mitchell County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Iowa

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits