William Henry Mitchell

William Henry Mitchell (November 13, 1834 – March 14, 1919) was a pioneer of the Washington Territory and Olympia who made big contributions to the city's industrial and business development. He was a member of the Washington State Legislature and the Pioneer's Association of the State of Washington, an Olympian Town Trustee and a joint councilman for Thurston and Lewis counties.

Mitchell was one of the Great American Plains emigrants, among the first to cross the Naches Pass, a member of Washington Territorial Volunteers, and a ranger during the Yakima War. After the war, he served as sheriff and deputy sheriff of Olympia.

During his long career in Olympia, Mitchell owned a grocery store and developed the bakery and butcher businesses, working in the field for over eleven years. He entered the lumber business, investing $20,000 ($531,000 in 2020 dollars) into a sawmill in Tumwater, Washington owning a mill in Olympia. He was engaged in the lumber business for fourteen years. Under Mitchell's management, the railroad line between Olympia and Tenino was built, connecting the city to the Northern Pacific Railway.

In later years, Mitchell returned to his family business: the manufacture of the Mitchell wagons, which were famous around the U.S. Mitchell participated in the merger of several companies into the family business; after the merge he became the president of the Mitchell, Lewis & Starver Company. Under his direction, branch firms in Portland and Seattle were opened. After his retirement from the business Mitchell designed, built, and managed the Mitchell Hotel in Olympia. Provided by Wikipedia