Bio: Mitchell, Freedom (1851 - 1912)
Contact: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org.

Surnames: Mitchell, Lombard, McIntosh, Gennings, Burce, Allington, Shaw, Farr, Dougherty, Mortin, Eaton, Parker, Dyer, Jordan, Dean, Lawrence, Backus, Lemont, Russell, Hall, Hakes, Loper, Murtaugh, Scott, Robinson 

----Source: History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin (1914) pages 793-796 

Squire Freedom Mitchell, deceased, was the son of Samuel and Adeline (Lombard) Mitchell, of Dansville, New York. Here he was born on November 4, 1851, reared and educated in the public schools. His father was both a farmer and lumberman and thus they worked together until the Fall of 1871, when they came to Eau Claire. Young Mitchell's first employment here was with the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company, with whom he remained one year, and then took a position with the Northwestern Lumber Company, at Porter's Mills, remaining with this company for twenty-five years, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the saw mill business from operating a slab saw to superintending the mill in which he was employed. In the meantime, on July 15, 1874, he was married to Miss Laura Ann Shaw McIntosh, and in November, 1878, moved on the farm which is the present home of the family. Two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, Dr. R. E. Mitchell, a prominent physician of Eau Claire, and Russell A. Mitchell, of Minneapolis, who, with their mother, survive him. Two other children, one of whom died some years ago, received the benefit of a home with his family. 

In 1900 Mr. Mitchell engaged as superintending foreman with the Fred B. Dubach Lumber Company, of Dubach, La., acting as superintendent of saw mills for four years; he later served in the same capacity for the Arpin Lumber Company, of Atlanta, Wisconsin, for one year, and still later served in the same capacity for the Arkansas Lumber Company, at Warren, Ark., remaining there for about three years, after which he was foreman for the Rainy River Lumber Company, at Rainy River, Ont. In July, 1909, he went to Bismark, Okla., and there he was engaged with the Choctaw Lumber Company, with whom he remained until December, 1912. After coming home for his annual vacation, while gathering holly for the Christmas decorations, he fell from a tree, receiving the fatal injuries which resulted in his death on February 20, 1913, and in the demise of one as noble in character as he, not only his family, but his entire acquaintance were bereft of a most highly esteemed and faithful friend. 

Mr. Mitchell was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in the Knights of Pythias Order he was deputy vice chancelor, in the state of Louisiana, he was also an Odd Fellow in that state, a member of the Royal Arcanum and of the Order of Hoo Hoo. 

Mrs. Mitchell, the daughter of Benjamin Gennings and Lydia (Burce) Mcintosh, was born at Farmington, Maine, September 29, 1853, and came with her parents to Eau Claire, in 1864, and ten years later was married to Mr. Mitchell. 

Roy Earnest Mitchell, M. D., whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work, was born March 17, 1876, at Porter's Mills, and Russell Allegne was born May 15, 1878, also at Porter's Mills, is now a well-to-do contractor in Minneapolis. He was married at Stanley, Wis., September 29, 1903, to Miss Ethel Allington, of that place. They have four children: Frederick Russell, born August 6, 1907; Delos Raymond, born January 17, 1909, Robert Allington, born December 6, 1910, and Laura Elizabeth, born May 15, 1914. 

Mrs. Laura Ann Shaw Mitchell is a lady of refinement and culture and a thorough business woman. When she was married, their farm consisted of but forty acres, to which has been added, as the result of her ambition and superior business management, the adjoining property until now the farm consists of 280 acres in Brunswick township and is one of the good homes of the county. The farm has been in her entire charge since her marriage, while her husband was elsewhere employed, as above stated, but spending her winters, however, with Mr. Mitchell. 

John Mcintosh, great grandfather of Mrs. Mitchell, was born August 30, 1746, at Inverness, Scotland, and died in June, 1836, at Durham, Maine. He served as a soldier in the British army and was brought over to the colonies before the Revolutionary War, but by some means unknown, escaped from the British service. He married and settled in Harpswell, then in the Massachusetts colony, but later moved to Durham, Elaine. His first wife was Susan Farr, by whom he had the following children: Jane, married Mr. Dougherty; Hannah, married Amasa Mortin; Margaret, married Mr. Eaton; Mercy, married Peter Parker; Asenath, married Thomas Mitchell; Harmony, became the wife of Mr. Dyer; Alexander, married Hannah Jordan, and William, married Nancy and Sophronia Gennings. The second wife of Mr. Mcintosh was Sallie Mitchell (nee) Dyer, and they became the parents of two children: Sallie, who married Hiram Jennings, died September 25, 1890, and John, who married Louisa Dean. 

William Mcintosh, the son of John and Susan (Parr) Mcintosh, and grandfather of Mrs. Mitchell, was born June 15, 1796, at Durham, Maine, and died June 7, 1879, at Farmington, Maine. He was twice married; his first wife was Nancy Gennings, who was born June 13, 1801, at Ravenna, Ohio, and died January 31, 1836. Her parents were Benjamin and Mary (Lawrence) Gennings; the latter born September 3, 1763, died November 25, 1860. To this union three children were born, as follows: Benjamin Gennings, father of Mrs. Mitchell; William Drew, born April 5, 1827, at Durham, Maine, married Keziah Backus; and had one child, Minnie H. He died at Newton, Massachusetts, December 26, 1903, and John Alexander, born January 2, 1831, at Durham, Maine, and died December 26, 1860. He married Harriet Lemont, and one child, Frederick L., was born. Mr. Mcintosh's second wife was Sophronia Gennings, a sister of his first wife, and she died in 1870. They had one child, Nancy Emmaline, born April 13, 1839, and died September 15, 1888. She married twice, first to Dave Mitchell and second to Porter Russell and had one child by adoption. Mary Russell. 

Benjamin Gennings Mcintosh, father of Mrs. Mitchell and son of William and Nancy (Gennings) McIntosh, was born December 25, 1823, at Durham, Maine, and died May 20, 1913. at Eau Claire, Wis., whither he came in 1864, and settled on a farm in Brunswick township, there following general farming for many years. He then moved to Mondovi, in Buffalo county, and there he was also engaged in farming until 1900, when he retired and returned to Eau Claire, and later to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mitchell, in Brunswick township, and at the time of his death was in his eighty-ninth year. He was a member of the Unitarian Church and in politics a staunch, dyed-in-the-wool Republican, he was a delegate to the party when it was formed in the state of Maine, and during his long and useful life never missed an opportunity to vote. He retained all his faculties until the last and could see to read without glasses, and at the time of his decease was the oldest Odd Fellow in the state of Wisconsin, having been a member of that order for nearly sixty-five years. 

On November 11, 1852, he married at Willing, N.Y., Lydia Margaret Burce, who was born June 24, 1828, at West Mills, Maine, and died at Eau Claire, Wis., May 2, 1870. She was the mother of the following children: Laura Ann Shaw, who married Squire Freedom Mitchell; Nancy Maria, born January 25, 1858, and died August 14, 1904. She married July 15, 1876, at Eau Claire, Frank Hall, and two children were born, Earl Lester, born May 26, 1877, and Neal Chester, born May 24, 1881; John William, born August 11, 1860. At Mondovi, Wis., June 20, 1891, he married Emma Jane Hakes, who was born November 8, 1870. They had one child, Forest Roy, born November 15, 1901; Charles Morris, born August 28, 1862, died at Eau Claire, August 26, 1864; Charles Shaw, who was born December 8, 1867, married Violet Loper, at Edson, Wis., April 1, 1889. They are the parents of two children, Benjamin S., born December 30, 1899, and Florence I., born July 11, 1912. 

Benjamin Gennings Mcintosh was married for the second time, November 13, 1873, to Mrs. Attie J. Murtaugh (nee) Scott, a resident of Arkansaw, Wis., but living at the time in Eau Claire county. They became the parents of the following children: Mary Matella, who was born August 15, 1875, died May 5, 1888; Martha Marilla, a twin sister, born August 15, 1875, married September 27, 1905, George L. Robinson. To this union four children were born: Kenneth on September 7, 1906; Lyle and Layn, twins, born November 29, 1907, and Thomas, born October 24, 1909.