Thomas Mitchell (Iowa politician)

Thomas Mitchell (March 3, 1816 – July 15, 1894) was an American politician and farmer. A Republican and Anti-Monopolist, he represented the 19th district in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1858 to 1860 and the 28th district in the Iowa Senate from 1874 to 1878. He is the founder of Mitchellville, Iowa and is considered the first white settler of Polk County, Iowa.

Early life
Mitchell was born on March 3, 1816, in Claremont, New Hampshire to William and Dorothy (née Blake) Mitchell. His father died when he was 16, putting strain on the family. He became a farm laborer while receiving a limited education in country schools. In 1836, he began working at a paper mill, and in 1837 began traveling to sell books and paper from the company he worked for.

Career
Mitchell moved to St. Charles, Missouri in 1839, and briefly worked on a farm there. In 1840 he moved to Iowa and began working at Keosauqua, soon relocating to Fairfield. In 1844, he moved to Polk County and built a log cabin near Camp Creek to service travelers, which was the first house built in the county outside of Fort Des Moines. He also began cultivating crops and raised an orchard. He is often regarded as the first white settler of Polk County. In 1846, he claimed 1,080 acres of land in what is now Beaver Township.

The same year, he was elected the first sheriff of Polk County. In 1848, he ran for the 6th district of the Iowa House of Representatives, but was defeated in the general election by Manly Gifford. In 1857, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives from the 19th district, which constituted Polk County, and was a member of the Claims Committee. In 1859, he was elected to the board of supervisors of Polk County, serving as a commissioner for six years.

In 1867 he founded the town of Mitchellville, and explicitly forbade saloons in the town. In 1873 he was elected to the Iowa Senate from the 28th district, which constituted Polk County as well, and was appointed to the Claims, Compensation of Public Officers, Congressional Districts, Normal Schools, Printing, Public Buildings, Reform School, Agricultural College, Appropriations, and Penitentiary committees. He helped to establish the ‘Girls’ Industrial School’ at Mitchellville, and served on its board of trustees. He was an abolitionist throughout his life, being a friend of John Brown, and maintained a station on the Underground Railroad.

Personal life
Mitchell married twice, first to Almira Swift of Thetford, Vermont on August 14, 1841, then to Anna Caroline Mattern on June 17, 1861, after Swift's death in 1860. He had five children with his first wife and three children with his second. He was often called “Uncle Tommy” by those who knew him. He died on July 15, 1894, at his residence in Mitchellville, at the age of 78. He was a Universalist by faith. Thomas Mitchell County Park in Polk County bears his name.