REGISTER OF
OLD SETTLERS
BOOK ONE
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MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA REGISTER OF | |
Source: REGISTER OF OLD SETTLERS , BOOK One, page 421
submitted by Jo Ann Carlson, November 10, 2007
DEATH OF A PIONEER PREACHER. REV. BARTON H. CARTWRIGHT,
one of the first ministers who visited Muscatine.A dispatch from Oregon, Ogle county, Ill., announces the death of Rev. Barton H. Cartwright, at his home in that place, on the evening of 3d inst., aged 85 years. The dispatch says:
He was born near Auburn, N.Y., March 9, 1810. His father was a Baptist minister. He started for the West in March, 1833 and occupied two months working his way to what is now Burlington, Iowa. In the spring of 1834 he was appointed missionary in Iowa and organized at Flint Hills the first Protestant Episcopal Christian society in the state. Until 1863 he did duty in different parts of northern Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. He was chaplain of the 92d Illinois Volunteer Mounted Infantry throughout the rebellion, and marched with Sherman to the sea. On his return he resumed his ministry with the Rock river conference and continued in active service until 1883, when he was superannuated. He married in 1839 Miss Chloe J. Benedict. She survives him. They had eight children, six of whom are living-Mrs. Frank N. March, Judge James Cartwright, Charles B. Cartwright, Orville Cartwright, Alfred Cartwright and Ellen Cartwright.
In the account of the Methodist jubilee in Muscatine, on the 17th and 18th of October, 1889, the Daily Journal of the 18th had the following reference to the deceased:Rev. Barton H. Cartwright, of Oregon, Ill., who was assistant pastor with Rev. Brace in 1839, and therefore contemporaneous with the first pastor appointed to this church, was then introduced for an address.
Mr. C. is between 75 and 80 years of age, but quite vigorous and spry for one of his years. He has a full head of hair and a full beard, is of medium size, a little taller than the average of men, and somewhat spare. His voice is strong and but little broken by age.
His address was mainly relating to early incidents of his ministry. He said he came west in 1833, meeting and shaking hands with Blackhawk in the spring of that year in Cincinnati, the Indian Chief then going east while he was coming west. He came to Burlington in 1834, preaching the first sermon ever preached in that place, to six members, in the cabin of Dr. Ross, who had “selected” a wife in Iowa, she being at that time the only unmarried white woman in the Territory. Mr. C. said it was an early conviction of his that he could not preach in the presence of any other preacher, hence he was naturally fitted for pioneer work. He then related many interesting incidents of his experiences which we are sorry our limited space will not permit us to print. He said on his first visit to Muscatine (then Bloomington) he became acquainted with lawyer Whicher and Judge Williams, who sand so sweetly; also, the Washburn family (Zephaniah’s, we suppose.) He said his receptions at the homes of the people were warm, with a single exception, and in this case a man who charged him $1 for staying one night with him afterwards regretted it when he became a candidate for office.
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