More Information:
About Jesse M Mitchell:
Home in 1880: Precinct 4, 7 and 10, Hernando, Florida Levi Eiland 59 , Al, Al, Al, farmer L. A.
Eiland 55 , wife, Al, Al, Al, housekeeper William Eiland 15 , Son, Al, Al, Al, attending school Jessee
Mitchell 10 , no relationship, attending school
I have no proof that Jesse Mitchell was the son
of Jesse & Elizabeth (Eiland) Mitchell. Facts: Parents Jesse & Elizabeth moved from Alabama to
Louisiana and Levi Eiland moved from Alabama to Florida between the 1870 and 1880 census reports. Jesse
was living with Levi Eiland on the 1880 census and the relationship was listed as other - at school. Elizabeth
Eiland was a cousin of Levi Daniel Eiland. On Dec. 14, 1909, the Elfers post office was established.
The first postmaster was Levi D. Eiland, whose wife ran the post office and chose the name for it. Her
mother?s maiden name was Elfers.
REV. JESSE M. MITCHELL (1869-1935) was the first state senator
from Elfers, elected from the 9th district in 1923 to 1927. He also served from 1927 to 1931 (Ash).
Before then, he had been a member of the Pasco County Commission. He was born in Alabama on May 23,
1869, the son of Levi Eiland Mitchell. He was brought to Florida in 1871, and grew up 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 ot 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 Feb.
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 settled in the woods, naming the spot Elfers." 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 yers 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. Mitchell died in Tampa on Jan. 12, 1935, and was buried
in Mount Zion Cemetery, three miles west of Dade City.
Name: Jessie Mitchell Death date: 12
Jan 1935 Death place: Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida Gender: Male Race or color (on document):
White Race or color (expanded): White Age at death: 65y 7m 19d Estimated birth year: Birth
date: 23 May 1869 Birthplace: Dothan, Ala Marital status: Married Spouse's name: Ida Miona
Hay Mother's Titles & Terms - Prefix(standardized): Occupation: Minister M.E. Church Residence:
Elfers, Fla Burial place: Tarpan Springs Burial date: 12 Jan 1935 Collection: Florida Deaths,
1877-1939
About Ida Mioma Hay:
IDA MIOMA HAY MITCHELL (1876-1980) was the second wife of Rev. Jesse M. Mitchell. She was born on Oct.
20, 1876, and died on Aug. 18, 1980. According to West Pasco's Heritage she was born at Seven Springs.
She was a daughter of Jesse Taylor Hay and the granddaughter of Capt. Samuel Stevenson.
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