Bentleyville Area Historical Society : January 2026

As we brace for a winter storm it's worth noting that one of our nation’s most remarkable weather forecasters was born in nearby Dunningsville in 1883.

Charles Lyman Mitchell, who was born in Somerset Township, Washington County, PA on March 25, 1883, to Isaac Lyman Mitchell (1848-1922) and Della Mitchell (1852-1936), was a highly regarded weather forecaster, known for using an “astute mix of generous doses of human judgment with objectivity in formulating his predictions,” according to the American Meteorological Society’s Forecaster’s Biography. (The link to this bio will be included at the end of this post.)

The 1900 U.S. Census listed the 17-year-old Mitchell as a resident of Precinct 3, Somerset Township, the son of a farmer, but currently “at school.” Mitchell graduated from California State College in California, PA in 1901 and joined the U.S. Weather Bureau in 1904. He married Eunice Una Lee Hindley in 1905 and they had two sons: Gilbert and Grable.

It was noted in the AMS biography that it wasn't uncommon for Mitchell to "be on call day and night if any special forecast was needed." This dedication came into play in March of 1929, when a forecast was need for the Inauguration Day of President Herbert Hoover. While his contemporaries called for a clear cool day, Mitchell "after studying the shifting winds in the layers above the surface measured at the Due West, South Carolina kite station, predicted secondary development that would give rain for the inauguration." This prediction ended up being quite newsworthy and Mitchell, a humble man, was able to put another feather in his cap.

President Herbert Hoover on a rainy inauguration day, March 4, 1929.
Source: Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Archives.

Although Mitchell spent most of his life quietly studying weather patterns in Washington, DC, he and his wife Eunice and his son Gilbert are buried in the Pigeon Creek Cemetery in Somerset Township.

Because his tenacity, dedication, and ingenuity were instrumental in creating the weather forecasting tools and practices that are used today, the Charles L. Mitchell Award is still given by the American Meteorological Society in recognition of long-term service by individuals engaged in weather forecasting activities.