The year was 1822. The place was Belpre Twp, Washington County, Ohio. The occasion was the birth of a new daughter named Sarah Ann born to the parents of William and Nancy Stifle Cornwell. The Cornwell's had recently came to Belpre Twp from Prince William County, Virginia.

On Dec 19, 1840, Sarah Ann Cornwell married John Washington Mitchell in Rome Twp, Athens County, Ohio. The parents of John have not been conclusively established but it is likely the family of the groom lived in Rome Twp. So it is possible they were married at his parents home. Sarah's parents lived less than 15 miles away across the county line in Belpre Twp of Washington County.

The Mitchell's had only one surviving child, a daughter named Amanda. Amanda was born Dec 17, 1841, in Rome Twp, Athens County, Ohio. Karen Woods of Oblong says "Amanda had one sister who died as an infant and she is buried by John and Sarah Mitchell in Wilkin Cemetery." She had to of been born after they arrived in Crawford County.

On Oct 24, 1842, John W. Mitchell purchased 43 acres of land bordering the Hock hocking river in section 32 of Rome Twp, Athens County, and 60 acres of land in section 31 of the same township from Joseph Jr and Rebecah Mitchell. They paid $1000 for the two tracts of 1-and.
John purchased 1/3 interest in the well known Kincade saw mill on the Hock hocking river on Nov 23, 1847. The following is from a land deed showing the purchase of the saw mill. John and Allen Kincade for $500 paid by John W. Mitchell in section 32 of the Ohio Company Purchase "all the interest of one third part of saw mill and site now built and standing on the North bank of the Big Hocking river in said section and also the privilege of one third part of the water belonging to said premises", "also one third part of said mill yard."

John W. Mitchell was a logger. When he purchased 1/3 interest in the Kincade mill in RomeTwp, he purchased land surrounding the mill and apparently logged it of 1yr before selling it. The history of Hocking Valley, Ohio, published in 1883 says the following about the Kincade Mill. "Two miles above Savannah are the Kincade Mills, built in 1842 by John and Alien Kincade, and rebuilt by John Kincade on an enlarged plan and in a more substantial manner in 1868, and was rebuilt again in 1880 by D.B. Stewart."