David Warren Cartwright (son of David Cartwright and Abigail Warren) was born 11 Mar 1814 in Rensselaer County, N.Y., and died 06 Nov 1899 in Cartwright Mills, (New Auburn), WI. He married Elsie Mapes on 22 Jan 1834 in Scio, Allegany County, NY, daughter of Erastus Mapes and Kitty Bloss.

 Notes for David Warren Cartwright:
5-A Ancestors of Abigail (Warren) Cartwright

6. David Warren Cartwright (David*5, Bryant*4, Bryant*3, Edward*2, Edward*1) son of David and Abigail (Warren) Cartwright.

B. March 11, 1814, Rensselaer County, N.Y.
D. Nov. 6, 1899, Carwright (New Auburn) Wis.

Although preceded by five generations in the Cartwright line, none of his forebearers, with the possible exception of Edward, the immigrant from England, seemed to have been imbued with anything like the courageous and indomitable spirit of the pioneer that characterized the long and eventful life of David Warren Cartwright. He was one of the pioneer settlers of Jefferson County, Wis., later founding a town in Chippewa County, Wis. which for many years bore his name. Then in his prime, he was not content to settle down and the great westward trek of the immigrant caught his fancy and imagination and he made a long and eventful journey over the wagon trails to California, his expert services as a hunter and guide being utilized by the party he accompanied.

David Warren's father, David Cartwright, died in April, 1816, when he was an infant. The family had been living on leased land near Berlin, Rensselaer County, adjoining Stephentown. Shortly after his father's death, his mother was forced to abandon the lease. She remarrried. David Warren objected as a child to being corrected by a stepfather and ran away from home at the age of 10 years and since that time he found himself on his own resources. His schooling was little, if anything, he having received only four months at the age of 7.

When fifteen years old, he was bound to a farmer, who operated a blacksmith shop, and there he learned that trade, or attempted to do so. The farmer, he states in his autobiography, (Historical and Biographical Album of Chippewa Valley, Wis. by George Forrester, 1891-2, Pages 457-458) kept him almost constantly employed at farm labor, with little opportunity to work in the shop. After enduring this treatment for two years and being very illy clothed, he became desperate and ran away. He returned to the same man, however, a year later and was employed at wages as a farm laborer for three years, receiving, he says, the kindest of treatment.

Later he visited an uncle, Bryant Cartwright III, then living in Allegany County, N.Y. near Amity. He liked it there and decided to stay. He made a study of hunting and trapping and through these pursuits he accumulated enough to purchase some land and engage in farming himself. Then, as he puts it, there occurred a most notable event in his life - his marriage on Jan. 22, 1834 to Elsie Mapes, daughter of Erastus and Kitty (Bloss) Mapes. They resided in Allegany County at or near Scio until 1842. In 1841, he and his wife had, by industry and frugality, accumulated the sun of $500.00 in cold cash. This he loaned, but he was never able to recover it.

However, during the following winter, by his successful hunting and trappings, he earned $105.00 and with this wife and their three children, David Jonathan, Charles Stillman and Arastus Willard,* they set out for Wisconsin on the first tide of its immigration. He states that he arrived in Jefferson County, Sullivan township, in June, 1842, with only three dollars in his pocket. But his heart was stout and no fears daunted him. He at once preempted 80 acres of land and with the proceeds of the following winter's hunting and trapping he paid for this land and soon added to his domain until he had accumulated 240 acres. He was very successful and skillful as a hunter and trapper and all of the time he could spare from the cultivation of his land was spent in this way.
*Also spelled Erastus

Shortly after he came of Wisconsin, he offered his mother and stepfather, Truman Pratt, a life lease on 10 acres of land and when in 1844, they accepted it, he built a house on it for them. They spent the remainder of their days in Jefferson County and were very well cared for.

After a few years he was able to retire from the tillage of his farm, which he rented, and then moved to Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin, where he resided for fourteen years. As game became scarce in the southern part of the state, he extended his excursions into the Northern Wisconsin woods and in the Lake Superior district, acting as guides for many hunting parties. Eight years was spent in hunting and trapping in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Perhaps one of the most notable events in his career was the trip he made to California in 1852. He, in company with two other men, Holmes and Nutter, conducted a party of gold seekers across the plains and mountains, David Warren Cartwright acting as the official hunter for the party with responsibility for keeping them in fresh meat.

The story of this trip of several months with his attendant hardships, various encounters with hostile Indian tribes and of his experiences enroute is interestingly told in a book "Western Wild Animals" which was published by David Warren Cartwright in 1875. This volume also tells of his various hunting and trapping trips throughout Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as in Minnesota.

It was on one of his Northern Wisconsin hunting expeditions that David Warren Cartwright discovered in Chippewa County, Wis. the site of the village which for many years bore his name, that of Cartwright, or as it was first called, Cartwright's Mills. The name of the village was changed in 1902 to New Auburn.

He entered on 200 acres of land at that place in partnership with two of his sons, David Jonathan and Paul Willard, he built a saw mill, living in a tent while hewing the foundation timbers. He bought and sold land extensively and engaged in lumbering on a small scare before retiring from active business in 1881. In 1879, he traded his interests in Jefferson County with his son, Paul W. Cartwright, for the latter's interest at Cartwright and in 1881 moved his family to Chipeewa County.

In his early life, David Warren Cartwright, was a Democrat, but he became a Republican in 1860 and during the later years he identified himself with the Prohibition Party, as he had strong convictions on the subject of liquor. He, like many of the Cartwrights before him, was of the Seventh Day Baptist faith and he was the author of one or two bible tracts.

David Warren Cartwright was also a Freemason. He received his Masonic degrees in Palymra Lodge, No. 68, F. & A.M., being initiated Sept. 8, 1859, passed Sept. 15, 1859 and raised on Oct. 6, 1859. He was installed as Tiler of the lodge on Dec. 27, 1860 and continued membership in Palmyra Lodge until 1870, when he was dropped from the membership list with no record being given as to what became of him, whether demitted or otherwise. He states however in his biography that he was a "demitted Mason".

6-A M. Jan. 25, 1834, Elsie Mapes, daughter of Erastus and Kitty (Bloss) Mapes, at Scio, Allegany County, N.Y. She was born Nov. 25, 1817 in St. Lawrence, N.Y. and died July 31, 1892 at Cartwright (New Auburn) Wis. Their children:

1. David Jonathan Cartwright, b. Scio, N.Y. Aug. 12, 1836, d. Cartwright Mills, (New Auburn), Wis. Aug. 5, 1897. m.1st. Martha Jane Meyers (1839- 1859) in 1856; m.2nd., 1860, Jane Putman (b. Jan. 4, 1849, d. Aug. 25, 1887). M.3rd, March 1888, Martha Ann (Goddard) Tubbs, wid. Of Joseph Goddard and dau. Smith and Cordelia (Sears) Tubbs. She was b. Oct. 6, 1851, d. Feb. 23, 1931. See Item 7.

2. Charles Stillman Cartwright, b. Scio, N.Y. Sept. 1, 1838, d. Mendota, Wis. April 24, 1910, bur. Maple Grove cemetery, m. Oct. 15, 1863, Sarah Green (b. Mar. 26, 1839, d. May 14, 1914) See Item 8.

3-4. Twin Girls, b. Scio, N.Y. Feb. 2, 1841, d. Feb. 2, 1841.

5. Erastus Willard Cartwright, b. Scio, N.Y. March 17, 1842, d. Town of Sullivan, Jefferson County, Wis. July 11, 1844.

6. Paul Willard Cartwright, b. Town of Sullivan, Jefferson County, Wis. Dec. 19, 1844, d. Jan. 21, 1931, Pasedena, Cal. m. 1st. Ellen Elizabeth Ackley (b. Jan. 4, 1847, d. Sept. 13, 1897) m. 2nd. Lottie Mary Agnes Sears (b. Sept. 10, 1860) who in 1936 is resident of Pasedena, Cal. See Item 9.

7. Silas Darius Cartwright, b. Rome, Jefferson County, Wis. Mar. 21, 1847, d. New Auburn, (Cartwright) Wis. June 18, 1918 m. Sept. 2, 1865, Emma Jane Niles, dau. Carlos and Rebecca (Kenyon) Niles. See Item 10.

8. Eva DeEtta (Cartwright) Mack, b. Rome, Jefferson County, Wis. Oct. 28, 1847, d. Cartwright (New Auburn), Wis. Feb. 28, 1888. m. Aug. 25, 1879 at Milton, Wis. as 1st wife of Frank Irving Mack, son of James Irving and Martha Esther (Thurston) Mack. He was born May 2, 1853, Madison Co. N.Y. and d. Aug. 31, 1935 at Minneapolis, Minn.


More About David Warren Cartwright and Elsie Mapes:
Marriage: 22 Jan 1834, Scio, Allegany County, NY.

Children of David Warren Cartwright and Elsie Mapes are:
i. +David Johnathan Cartwright, b. 12 Aug 1836, Scio, NY, d. 05 Aug 1897, Cartwright Mills, (New Auburn), WI.
ii. +Charles Stillman Cartwright, b. 01 Sep 1838, Scio, Allegany County, NY, d. 24 Apr 1910, Mendota, WI.
iii. Twin Girls Cartwright, b. 01 Feb 1841, d. 02 Feb 1841.
iv. Erastus Willard Cartwright, b. 17 Mar 1842, Scio, NY, d. 11 Jul 1844, Sullivan, Jefferson County, WI.
v. +Paul Willard Cartwright, b. 19 Dec 1844, Sullivan, Jefferson County, WI, d. 21 Jan 1931, Pasedena, CA.
vi. +Silas Darius Cartwright, b. 21 Mar 1847, Rome, Jefferson County, WI, d. 18 Jun 1918, Cartwright Mills, (New Auburn), WI.
vii. +Eva DeEtta Cartwright, b. 28 Oct 1847, Rome, Jefferson County, WI, d. 28 Feb 1888, Cartwright Mills, (New Auburn), WI.