Goodspeed Publishing Co.’s 1889 History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, Missouri includes profiles of prominent citizens, several of them Jerico residents. The History‘s forward said the subjects of the profiles had read them for accuracy
Morris W. Mitchell, a retired farmer of Jerico Springs, Mo., is a native of Blount County, Tenn., born July 1, 1821, his parents being Jesse Mitchell and Providence Norwood.
The father was born in Virginia March 8, 1796, and in early boyhood became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and afterward became an ordained minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church South in Polk County, Mo., where he arrived June 11, 1836. He was among the early settlers of the county and died in 1854, having charge of the Stockton circuit at the time of his death, His father, Morris Mitchell, was also a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church South and came to Polk County, Mo., in 1835, where he and wife spent their declining years. Providence Norwood Mitchell was born in Tennessee in 1800 and died in Polk County Mo., about 1884 having been a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South for many years. Their union resulted in the birth of fourteen children eight of whom are now living.
Morris W. Mitchell is the second of the family and after residing with his parents until twenty seven years of age, in 1846 he enlisted in Company H Willick’s Battery to serve in the Mexican War. After his return to Polk County, Mo., the 28th of September, 1848, he married Miss Mary Jane Lindley, who was born in Kentucky July 5, 1831. Her parents, John and Mary Lindley, came to Missouri two years after her birth and here the father was shot in 1863 while sowing wheat.
Mr. Mitchell and wife are the parents of four children, James L., Mary E., wife of F. A. Brasher, W.F. and Laura L., wife of Dr. J P. Brasher. In 1850, Mr. Mitchell started for the gold fields of California with an ox team and reached his journey’s end at the end of four months and ten days. After being engaged in mining in that State for two years he returned to his family in Missouri and here he has ever since made his home. He owns 600 acres of land near Jerico Springs, but since 1884 has given up farm work.
He is an influential citizen well to do, and is a stockholder in the Jerico Bank. He is a Democrat in politics and has held the following offices: County sheriff, ex officio collector of the county, county assessor two years and census taker one year. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since i860 and since ten years of age has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Methodist Episcopal Church South, of which his wife is also a member. During the Civil War, he was captain of a company in the Confederate army for three years.
Jerico Springs on parade 