H. C. Cardwell

Cardwell was born in Vermont but moved to Steuben County, New York, in his early years. In January, 1841 he left home on a whaling voyage. After visiting many ports of the Pacific, he arrived in California in 1844, and for some time was a resident of Los Angeles.{{cite news|last1=Greeley|first1=Horace |title=Horace Greeley on the Plains|volume=17 |work=Sacramento Daily Union|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=2593|date=July 20, 1859}}

Cardwell married Maria Susana Wolfskill, daughter of Los Angeles rancher and agronomist William Wolfskill in 1853.{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Iris Higbie|title=William Wolfskill 1798–1866: Frontier Trapper to California Ranchero|date=1965|publisher=The Arthur H. Clark Company|location=Glendale, Calif.|page=109}} He constructed a new house on land adjoining the Wolfskill property in 1858.{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Iris Higbie|title=William Wolfskill 1798-1866: Frontier Trapper to California Ranchero|date=1965 |publisher=The Arthur H. Clark Company|location=Glendale, Calif.|page=110}} {{tsp|H.|C.}} and Susana had four children: a daughter, Ellen, who died July 21, 1854, at the age of 1;{{cite news|title=Died|volume=5|agency=Daily Alta Californian|issue=215|date=5 Aug 1854}} William, born January 28, 1855,{{cite book|last1=United States of America|first1=Bureau of the Census|title=Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900|date=1900|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |location=Washington, D.C.|edition=T623, 1854 rolls}} Charles, born February 17, 1857; and Leonora, born in September 1859—two months after Cardwell's death.{{cite book|last1=United States of America|first1=Bureau of the Census|title=Ninth Census of the United States, 1860|date=1860|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |location=Washington, D.C.|edition=M653, 1438 rolls}} Charles died in February 1859.{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Iris Higbie|title=William Wolfskill 1798-1866: Frontier Trapper to California Ranchero|date=1965|publisher=The Arthur H. Clark Company|location=Glendale, Calif.|page=110}}

Cardwell was approximately 40 years of age when he died on July 4, 1859.{{cite news|last1=Greeley|first1=Horace|title=Horace Greeley on the Plains|work=Sacramento Daily Union|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|volume=17 |issue=2593|date=July 20, 1859}} According to his obituary, "In 1850, he was thrown from a horse, and received injuries from which he never recovered."{{cite news|title=Obituary|work=Southern Vineyard|volume=2 |issue=33|date=12 Jul 1859}} The U.S. Census Mortality Schedule ending June 1860 listed his cause of death as consumption, indicating that he had suffered from the disease for a period of one year.{{cite book|last1=United States of America|first1=Bureau of the Census|title=Ninth Nonpopulation Census Schedules for California, 1850–1880|location=The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley|edition=microfilm, 4 rolls}} "His sufferings for a number of years have been great, but he has always displayed a most unconquerable spirit of energy and perseverence {{sic}}."{{cite news|title=Obituary|work=Southern Vineyard|volume=2 |issue=33|date=12 Jul 1859}}

During the Mexican–American War, Cardwell was one of the hundreds of volunteers who joined John Fremont's California Battalion, serving under Captain Bell.{{cite news|last1=Greeley|first1=Horace|title=Horace Greeley on the Plains|volume=17|work=Sacramento Daily Union|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=2593|date=July 20, 1859}}{{cite news|title=Says Graves of Heroic Dead Are Desecrated|volume=28|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=2|work=The Los Angeles Herald|date=3 Oct 1900}} Cardwell participated in the Battle of Rio San Gabriel at the Rancho Paso de Bartolo and the Battle of La Mesa in January 1847.{{cite journal|last1=Barrows|first1=Henry D.|title=Captain Alexander Bell and the "Bell Block"|journal=Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California, Los Angeles|date=1895|volume=3|issue=3|pages=11–18|jstor=41167614|doi=10.2307/41167614|doi-access=}}

Following the Mexican–American War, the Gold Rush of 1849 took Cardwell to Sacramento, where he was a partner in the business of Cardwell, Brown & Co. on J Street, between 2nd and 3rd Streets.{{cite news|title=Dissolution|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|volume=1 |issue=29|work=Placer Times|date=24 Nov 1849}} There is evidence that he had a minor acting career, as well.{{cite news|title=Amusements|volume=1|work=Sacramento Transcript|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=47|date=25 June 1850}}{{cite journal|last1=Hume|first1=Charles|title=The Eagle: First of the Gold Rush Theaters|journal=Golden Notes|date=Aug 1973|volume=19|issue=3|pages=1–26}} His business acumen, together with his military service, led to his election to the very first California State Assembly, headquartered in San Jose, California, in late 1849.{{cite web|title=California State Assembly Journals 1849-1850 Session|url=http://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/content/california-state-assembly-journals-1849-50-session|website=California State Assembly, Office of the Chief Clerk|publisher=State of California|accessdate=25 Mar 2015}}{{cite news|title=First Legislature of California|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|volume=1 |issue=32|work=Placer Times|date=15 Dec 1849}} He introduced a joint resolution in relation to the pay of judges of the Supreme Court of California.{{cite news|title=Legislative Proceedings|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|volume=1 |issue=46|work=Daily Alta Californian}}

After his term in the assembly, Cardwell moved to Los Angeles and worked as a clerk at William Wolfskill's ranch.{{cite book|title=1852 California State Census|publisher=State of California|location=California State Library|page=M/F 144, 6 rolls}} He later served the city as Zanjero of Los Angeles in 1854–1855.{{cite news|title=Report of the Treasurer of the City of Los Angeles for the Fiscal Year Ending May 7, 1855|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|publisher=Los Angeles Star|date=2 Jun 1855}} His good name was used to endorse political candidates and professionals.{{cite news|title=Communication to the Presidential Electors: The Appointment of a Messenger|volume=7|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=324|publisher=Daily Alta Californian|date=30 Nov 1856}}{{cite news|title=H. P. Swain, Dentist |volume=8 |issue=32|work=Los Angeles Star|date=18 Dec 1858}}

Cardwell made several important contributions to early California agriculture. As an employee and later son-in-law of William Wolfskill, Cardwell helped cultivate and farm vast ranchos in the Los Angeles area. He grew oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, apples and olives.{{cite news|title=Garden Report|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|work=Daily Alta Californian|date=16 Apr 1857}} As early as 1853, Cardwell was shipping thousands of pounds of produce via the Port of San Pedro.{{cite news|title=William Waldo|volume=3|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|issue=15|publisher=Los Angeles Star|date=20 Aug 1853}} He successfully planted chestnut trees and was somewhat of a legend for his "mammoth" 21.5 pound sweet potatoes.{{cite journal|title=The Way They Talk in Southern California|journal=California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences|date=28 Aug 1857|volume=8|issue=7|page=1}}{{cite news|title=Thanks|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|work=Los Angeles Star|date=12 Jan 1856}} He is credited with introducing "heretofore unknown" seedling strawberries to southern California in January 1856.{{cite book|last1=Newmark, Maurice H. and Newmark|first1=Marco R.|title=Sixty Years in Southern California, 1853–1913: Containing the Reminiscences of Harris Newmark|date=1916 |publisher=Knickerbocker Press|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/sixtyyearsinsout00newmrich/page/125 125]|url=https://archive.org/details/sixtyyearsinsout00newmrich|accessdate=26 Mar 2015}}{{cite news|title=Hovey's Seedling Strawberries|agency=California Digital Newspaper Collection|volume=6 |issue=4|work=Los Angeles Star|date=7 June 1856}} He had a reputation for experimenting with and improving crops in southern California.

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Category:1859 deaths

Category:Year of birth uncertain