Mr. Mitchell was the first state senator from Elfers, elected from the 9th district 1923-1927. He also served from 1927-1931. Prior he had been a member of the Pasco County Commission. He was born in Alabama on May 23, 1869, he traveled to Florida with Levi Eiland and his family in 1871 and at this time were are not sure how they are related. After arriving in Florida he lived with Mr. Eiland on a farm four miles west of Dade City, working on the farm in the summer and attending school for a few months in the winter. He attended the Florida Seminary of the Methodist Church at Leesburg, where he acquired sufficient knowledge to enter the Methodist Conference on trial as a preacher. After serving successfully for two years, he suffered a failure of voice which obliged him to retire from active service. However, he continued to preach occasionally to fill in vacancies, and in some instances hold special services. According to Bellwood, "he became a minister in the Methodist conference, but as best remembered, never held a pastorate, rather devoting his time to organizing and building churches and doing evangelistic work." In 1895 he married Nola Irene Cox, a native of Kentucky, and they had one daughter, Jessie Gertrude (born, 1896, in Dade City), who became the wife of Kenneth E. Hope. According to an old register of the Hudson Methodist Episcopal Church, Mitchell was appointed by the Methodist Conference as pastor in December 1898 [WPH]. His first wife having died, Mitchell married a second time in Dade City on February 23, 1901, to Ida Mioma Hay (1876-1980), daughter of Jesse Taylor Hay. They had one son, Wilford Berry Mitchell, who married Margaret Nyman. An adopted son, George Bruce Mitchell, married Mildred Chairs of Tarpon Springs. According to his obituary, "In the year 1904 he removed to the west coast of Pasco county, and settling in the woods." According to a biography, "He contributed all the lumber used in the building of the Methodist Church at Elfers (now the First Baptist Church) and also for the church at New Port Richey, and gave material assistance in the building of many other churches. Recognized as a leader, he served twelve years as County Commissioner and was chairman of the board during that time; was State Senator for six years; Mayor of Elfers; a bank director, and organizer and operator of the first citrus packing company." In 1915, Mitchell preached the funeral of Lewis Draft, age 5. It was the first funeral in New Port Richey. On Jan. 7, 1921, the Tarpon Springs Leader reported that Mitchell had "again" been elected chairman of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners. In 1923, Frank Zane Rankin purchased Mitchell's home and resided there until 1926 (Julie Obenreder in WPH). The Elfers West Pasco Record of April 27, 1922, reported that "Mr. Mitchell has been a resident of Pasco County for fifty years, seventeen years of which has been spent in the section now known as Elfers and New Port Richey." The New Port Richey Press reported on Dec. 11, 1925, that Mitchell was elected the first Mayor of Elfers "this week." According to Bellwood, a committee of leading Democrats in the state visited his office in the Elfers Bank building to ask him to run for Governor, but he declined. According to an old time resident, the first telephone in western Pasco county was installed in the early 1900s in the store of J. M. Mitchell in Sapling Woods.
Mr. Mitchell was the first state senator from Elfers, elected from the 9th district 1923-1927. He also served from 1927-1931. Prior he had been a member of the Pasco County Commission. He was born in Alabama on May 23, 1869, he traveled to Florida with Levi Eiland and his family in 1871 and at this time were are not sure how they are related. After arriving in Florida he lived with Mr. Eiland on a farm four miles west of Dade City, working on the farm in the summer and attending school for a few months in the winter. He attended the Florida Seminary of the Methodist Church at Leesburg, where he acquired sufficient knowledge to enter the Methodist Conference on trial as a preacher. After serving successfully for two years, he suffered a failure of voice which obliged him to retire from active service. However, he continued to preach occasionally to fill in vacancies, and in some instances hold special services. According to Bellwood, "he became a minister in the Methodist conference, but as best remembered, never held a pastorate, rather devoting his time to organizing and building churches and doing evangelistic work." In 1895 he married Nola Irene Cox, a native of Kentucky, and they had one daughter, Jessie Gertrude (born, 1896, in Dade City), who became the wife of Kenneth E. Hope. According to an old register of the Hudson Methodist Episcopal Church, Mitchell was appointed by the Methodist Conference as pastor in December 1898 [WPH]. His first wife having died, Mitchell married a second time in Dade City on February 23, 1901, to Ida Mioma Hay (1876-1980), daughter of Jesse Taylor Hay. They had one son, Wilford Berry Mitchell, who married Margaret Nyman. An adopted son, George Bruce Mitchell, married Mildred Chairs of Tarpon Springs. According to his obituary, "In the year 1904 he removed to the west coast of Pasco county, and settling in the woods." According to a biography, "He contributed all the lumber used in the building of the Methodist Church at Elfers (now the First Baptist Church) and also for the church at New Port Richey, and gave material assistance in the building of many other churches. Recognized as a leader, he served twelve years as County Commissioner and was chairman of the board during that time; was State Senator for six years; Mayor of Elfers; a bank director, and organizer and operator of the first citrus packing company." In 1915, Mitchell preached the funeral of Lewis Draft, age 5. It was the first funeral in New Port Richey. On Jan. 7, 1921, the Tarpon Springs Leader reported that Mitchell had "again" been elected chairman of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners. In 1923, Frank Zane Rankin purchased Mitchell's home and resided there until 1926 (Julie Obenreder in WPH). The Elfers West Pasco Record of April 27, 1922, reported that "Mr. Mitchell has been a resident of Pasco County for fifty years, seventeen years of which has been spent in the section now known as Elfers and New Port Richey." The New Port Richey Press reported on Dec. 11, 1925, that Mitchell was elected the first Mayor of Elfers "this week." According to Bellwood, a committee of leading Democrats in the state visited his office in the Elfers Bank building to ask him to run for Governor, but he declined. According to an old time resident, the first telephone in western Pasco county was installed in the early 1900s in the store of J. M. Mitchell in Sapling Woods.
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