California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 DR. W. F. CARTMILL. When an investigation of conditions led Dr. Cartmill to purchase property in Tulare county in 1861 , the city of Tulare, where he now resides, had not been founded and few attempts had been made to improve any portion of the country. The possibil- ities of the soil were unknown and the healthful climate unappreciated. With keen discernment he decided that success awaited the man of perseverance and energy and industry. Looking about him for a location, he soon bought a quarter section ten miles southwest of Visalia, and to this original homestead he added from year to year until his landed possessions aggregated twelve hundred acres, all under ditch. During the early years of his residence in the county he made a specialty of the cattle business, but with the advent of many settlers and the dividing up of farm lands cattle could no longer be raised with profit. For this reason he changed his ef- forts to the raising of sheep, of which he had as many as six thousand head at one time, but about 1894 he sold his flock and retired from the business. For about fifteen years he con- ducted an apiary, but in 1904 disposed of all of his bees and discontinued the work. At this writing he owns two hundred and forty acres situated six miles northwest of Tulare, a large part of which is under alfalfa, the remainder in orchard and vineyard, while the balance of his extensive property he has given over to his son. With the building of the railroad to Tulare, in 1872 Dr. Cartmill removed here and started a house in town, which was among the first resi- dences to be built, and he still makes his home in this old homestead on West Tulare street. W. F. Cartmill was born January 5, 1822, in Franklin county, Ohio, but was reared in Madi- son county, and was next to the youngest among seven children, and is the sole survivor of the family. His father, William, was born in Virginia and settled in Kentucky, where he married Isabelle Ferguson, a native of Old Virginia. After his marriage he- removed to Franklin coun- ty and later to Madison county, Ohio, and cleared a farm on Darby creek. There he continued to make his home for many years and until his life came to an end just three years before rounding out a full century. When a boy W. F. Cartmill was a pupil in a subscription school held in a log building wholly destitute of comforts. After leaving school he studied medicine under Dr. Thomas, of London, Ohio, in which city he practiced from 1846 to 1848, and then started to Cali- fornia. However, after he had traveled as far as Missouri he was persuaded to stop near Co- lumbia and there he engaged in practice two years. During the spring of 1850 Dr. Cartmill crossed the plains with horses, following the overland trail up the Platte, on to Salt Lake (where he remained one week), thence down the Humboldt river and by the Carson route. One hundred days after crossing the Missouri state line he landed in California and at once began mining at Rancheria near Volcano, Amador county, where he also practiced his profession. During 1854 he returned via Panama to Ohio and from there went to Missouri, where, near Columbia, March 27, 18S5, he married Miss Sophia Barnes, a native of that locality. Her parents. Rev. James and Elizabeth (Burkhart) Barnes, were born re- spectively in Kentucky and Missouri, and the father, after settling in Randolph county, Mo., became a pioneer farmer and Baptist preacher, also served in the Indian wars of early days. Both he and his wife died in Missouri. They were the parents of fifteen children, all but two of whom attained mature years, and four are now living, Mrs. Cartmill being tenth in order of birth and the only member of the family to settle on the Pacific coast. After their marriage Dr. and Mrs. Cartmill came to California by the Nicaragua route and settled in Amador county, where he resumed the work in which he had been interested previous- ly. From there he came to Tulare county in 1861 and now resides in the city of Tulare, where he is an honored and influential citizen. The deepest bereavement that has befallen himself and wife in their otherwise happy married life was the loss, by diphtheria, within ten days, of their three daughters, Flora, Eva and Mary, leaving a son. Wooster Beach, who was born in 1857, in Amador county, as the sole survivor of their five children. The youngest child, Sel- mon, died at the age of two years. Besides this family of three daughters and two sons Dr. and Mrs. Cartmill have reared to womanhood a girl, Amelia Jessie, who is the wife of R. F. Guerin, a dairyman, living in the vicinity of Tulare. Politically Dr. Cartmill believes in Republican principles and votes the party ticket, but has never been active in partisan affairs. By virtue of his long identification with this part of the state he has been admitted as a member of the San Joaquin Valley Pioneers Society, in which he maintains a warm interest. During all the period of his residence in the county he has supported movements for the benefit of the people and has been unwearied in his efforts to promote the common good.