In January 1965, John Mitchum opened Mitchum Jewelers. He graduated from watchmaking and jewelry repair school at Bradley University in 1961. When Mitchum Jewelers first opened it was located on the Ozark Square, at that time, the hub of the retail community. In 1970, John moved to a bigger store that provided the room needed for the prospering business. As time went on, and word of mouth spread, John's business expanded to the point where he had to move again. In 1987, John moved his store to a third location. Once again, the store took on a whole new look and kept up with the times.