Sangamon County ILGenWeb © 2000
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PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS
By Joseph Wallace, M. A.
of the Springfield Bar
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL
1904



JOHN J. MITTS - John J. Mitts, devoting his attention to farming and stock-raising on section 9, Ball township, has been a resident of Sangamon county since Christmas day of 1862. He was born in Grant county, Kentucky, October 17, 1841. His paternal grandfather, Jacob Mitts, was a native of Germany and settled in Kentucky at a pioneer epoch in the history of that state. His son, John Mitts, father of our subject, was there born and reared, and after arriving at years of maturity he married Ann Webster, whose birth occurred in Grant county, Kentucky, and who was a daughter of Cornelius Webster, a native of Virginia and of Irish ancestry. In the winter of 1830 John Mitts became a resident of Sangamon county, Illinois, where he spent one year, but the deep snow, which was one of the memorable events in the early history of the state, caused him to return to Kentucky, where he resided for a number of years. In the winter of 1854 he removed to Clark county, Missouri, where his last days were passed.

John J. Mitts was a youth of about fourteen when he accompanied his father to Missouri, and there he was reared on the home farm, remaining in that state until 1862, when he came to Sangamon county, Illinois. Here he worked by the month for three years and then returned to Clark county, Missouri, where he resided for four years. During that period he purchased land and engaged in farming. He had married in Sangamon county in 1865, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah Harmon, who was born in Ball township and was reared there, her father, David Harmon, having been one of the first settlers of the county, the year of his arrival being 1829. In 1869 Mr. Mitts returned to Sangamon county and located on the farm where he now resides, on section 9, Ball township. He has since built a nice residence and good barn, has set out an orchard and planted shade trees, in fact has added to his place many modern equipments and accessories, and is now successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising. Energy and enterprise are numbered among his salient characteristics, and whatever he undertakes he carries forward to successful completion.

Mr. and Mrs. Mitts are the parents of two children: Nora Louisa, who is the wife of Edward Corn, of Chatham, and has a son, John Grant; and Lola, the wife of John Richardson, a resident farmer of Ball township.

Politicallv Mr. Mitts is a Democrat where national issues are concerned, having continuously supported that party since casting his first presidential ballot for General McClellan in 1864. He has served on the school board, but otherwise has consented to hold no public office, as he has preferred to give his time and energies to his farming pursuits. He and his wife are members of the Sugar Creek Baptist church at Salem.



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