The birthplace of this subject of this review was the town of Jackson, Mahoning Co., Ohio, and on the 17^th day of November 1881, he passed the milestone that marked the fifty-first year of his age. In 1851, while in attendance at a seminary in Jackson, his parents, John C. and Margaret (McCorkle) Cartwright, the former a native of Virginia and the latter born in Philadelphia, moved into Indiana and located in Wells County. Early in the subsequent year, John A. followed his parents into this State, and in the winter of 1852, engaged for the first time in the occupation of teaching school. The term was for three months and he received for his service the sum of $15 and his board, the latter furnished by the patrons of the school. Limited heretofore to the school district, with a season at the seminary, he now entered the State University at Bloomington, Ind., and was graduated from there in the class of 1855. His current college expenses were met with money obtained from teaching school from time to time during the continuance of the course. After graduation, he was invited to take control of and for four years was Principal of a then flourishing institute at Sugar Grove, Tippecanoe County. In the intervals between school years, he read an entire course of law, in the office of Ward & Taylor, of La Fayette, never, however, engaging in the practice. In 1859, he moved to Carroll County, and in Delphi continued in his favorite vacation, having control of the public schools for three years.

Mr. Cartwright mainly occupied the succeeding fifteen years from 1863 to 1878, in the capacity of a public servant. His first official position was that of County Examiner, in which he served two years from 1863 to 1865. From 1867 to 1868, he was Mayor of the city of Delphi. At the expiration of the mayoralty, he was chosen a School Trustee of Delphi, a position which, two years later, he resigned, to make the race as a candidate of the Democratic party for the Auditorship of Carroll County. Successful, in 1870, in the latter race and efficiently and courteously discharging his duties as auditor for four years, he was re-elected to the same office in 1874. It is due to Mr. Cartwright to say that while in all his political contests, he has had the strongest partisan opposition, yet never has a word been uttered against his fitness of ability no the slightest breath of suspicion raised against his integrity of trustworthiness. His record as an officer has been satisfactory to both parties.

Though occupied in public service, he has also found time to devote to mercantile pursuits. From 1867 to the present date he has more or less actively engaged in the lime business, a portion of the time with his brother, and since 1873, associated with the Delphi Lime Company, the last three years acting as its Secretary and Treasurer. Since 1878, also, he has been a partner with his brother in the retail grocery trade. He has the reputation of being a shrewd, yet careful business man, with a good capacity for detail, and the fact that he holds the responsible position in the Delphi Lime Company referred to above sufficiently attests the confidence reposed in him by his mercantile associates.

On the 25^th day of December 1860, Mr. Cartwright was married to Miss Susannah Hyatt, at Sugar Grove, Tippecanoe County. The result of this is five children – Jessie B., John H., George O., Mary A. and Josephine L. The eldest daughter, Miss Jessie, is a recent graduate of the Delphi High School. Mrs. Cartwright is a member of the Methodist Church, a woman with the fondest attachment for home life, and an agreeable and dignified lady in society.

In politics, Mr. Cartwright is an active member of the Democratic party, on of the leaders of the party in Carroll County, and the present Chairman of the County Central Committee. For years he has attended as a delegate its State conventions.

He is also a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity.