"Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon." Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling, publisher, 1884. pg. 488. HON. MITCHELL WILKINS Was born in Orange county, North Carolina, September 28, 1818. When an infant he had the misfortune to lose his parents; he was therefore placed under the care of a maternal uncle, who took him to the Ohio river, and with whom he remained until he was taken charge of by an elder brother with whom he stayed until he attained the age of 15 years. Mr. Wilkins now commenced the world on his own account. After working during one season in Chicago, he moved to Orange county, Indiana, and subsequently made several trips to New Orleans. In the spring of 1842 he proceeded to what was then known as the Platte Purchase in Missouri, there remaining until 1847. He erected the first warehouse in St. Jo, and the first dwelling house in the place after the sale of town lots. In this year Mr. Wilkins, accompanied by his wife and father-in-law, started to cross the plains to Oregon with an ox team, arriving in the Willamette valley, October 25, 1847, and after viewing the country, in November staked out the claim on which he now resides, but it was not until the spring of 1848 that he erected a cabin and broke ten acres of ground. In the memorable year of 1849 Mr. Wilkins went to the mines of California, but after staking out a claim at Trinity in September, returned to Oregon in November of the same year. In 1862 he was elected to the legislature, where he always stood as an independent in politics and displayed an unswerving fidelity toward the right. He was a member of the Northwestern Shipping, Storage and Commission Company, and served as its president from the organization to its close. He has also been president of the cinnabar Mining Company in 1879-80, a position he held until the association wound up its business, and was amalgamated with another corporation. Mr. Wilkins married, December 25, 1844, Permelia Ann, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Allen, the latter of whom died in 1845, and has a family consisting of Francis Marion, Angeline, Jasper, Amos, Eliza J., Henrietta, May Rose (deceased). FRANCIS M. WILKINS -- Is the eldest son of the above, Hon. M. Wilkins and Permelia Ann Allen, his wife, and was born in Clackamas county, Oregon, August 10, 1848, and since which year he has been residing in Lane county. He is now a resident of Eugene City, is married to Emma Goltra and has three children. JASPER WILKINS -- Is the second son of the above, Hon. M. Wilkins and Permelia Ann Allen, his wife, and was born in Lane county, November 2, 1850, since when he has been a resident of the district. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in May 2005 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.