John Mitchell was a neighbor of the "Ridge Community" in Kennebunk. The nature of his relationship to that community is not fully known.
Salem, Peter Salem (family of 4), Chance (family of 6), Thomas (family of 2) and Peter York (family of 4) are listed in the 1800 census as residing with or neighbors of John Mitchell. These 17 were residents of the "Ridge community." Mitchell may have previously enslaved some of these people (per an "educated guess" by Kennebunk Town Historian Kathy Ostrander Roberts), but a record of that has not yet been located.
"Cooper" John Mitchell lived on what is now High St. in Kennebunk."A short distance below Mitchell's, on the south side of the road and perhaps an eighth of a mile therefrom, commences a slight elevation of land which continues for a distance of one-fourth of a mile or more. This has been known for many years as 'N... Ridge.' It derives its name from the fact that between the years 1790 and 1800, about a dozen blacks, who had been held as slaves by citizens of Wells, were emancipated, erected huts and became permanent residents of this ridge, which had probably been granted to them by the town of Wells. Here were Tom and Phiilis(1), Sharper(2), and Hannah Simon, Primas and the younger Phillis, Salem and Peg, Cato, Dinah and others." - Remich, p. 108
"After the blacks were 'emancipated' at the turn of the century, the remaining few lived at a section of Harrisicket Road in Kennebunk at a place called Negro Hill. There were three or four houses located there in front of the house of Nathaniel Bragdon." - Shelley, p. 154
"Before the close of the last century, the few slaves that remained, having been emancipated, were gathered together on Negro Hill in front of the house of Nathaniel Bragdon. Here were three or four houses." - Bourne, p. 409
"Capt. Samuel Jefferds erected a house on what was termed 'Sandy Hill' about the middle of the eighteenth century ... Samuel sold his house on 'Sandy Hill' to 'Cooper Mitchell,' by whom it was removed to the Sanford road." - Remich, p. 104
"John Mitchell, [was] known as 'Cooper Mitchell,' because of his vocation, and to distinguish him from other Mitchells in town with the same christian name. He bought a tract of land near the northern terminus of the Harriseeket road, and put up a house ... and a shop ... This house was made up of that of Capt. Samuel Jefferds, hauled from Sandy Hill, and an addition by its new owner." - Remich, p. 107 footnote
Bibliography:
History of Kennebunk from its Earliest Settlement to 1890 - by Daniel Remich (1911)
My Name is Wells - by Hope M. Shelley (2002)
The History of Wells and Kennebunk from the Earliest Settlement to the Year 1820 - by Edward Bourne (1875)
1800 US Census for Wells
