Edward Cardwell History of Montana, 1894 US Genweb Montana Archives Edward Cardwell of Cold Springs, Jefferson County was born in 1832 in the village of Glenavey county of Antrim Ireland, being the eighth born of a family of ten. His father, Edward Cardwell was a farmer in moderate circumstances; his father was a non- commissioned officer in the English army, together with five brothers, two of whom were killed at the Battle of Waterloo. The subject of this sketch attended school while in Ireland and after the death of his parents emigrated to America, then being sixteen years; went to Canada, where he experienced all the vicissitudes of fortune without friends or money, returned in the spring to Rochester New York and there learned the trade of carriage painting, which business he followed for some years through the state of New York and in Canada. In the meantime he attended high school at Rochester and when short of funds was compelled to work at his trade. When in possession of one thousand dollars, he went west in the spring of 1857, to Leavenworth Kansas. At that time Kansas was in a state of turmoil, owing to the feeling that existed between the Free Soilers and the border ruffians as they were called. Leavenworth at that time was the outpost of civilization as all west of the river only the Indians and buffalo were to be found. He secured employment at his trade in the Quartermaster's Department at Leavenworth, where he remained for three years, going to Colorado in the spring of 1860, being attracted by the discovery of gold. From there he followed the throng to Pike's Peak and after prospecting for a while he became superintendent for P.D. Casey a prosperous miner and quite a noted character in those days. He was attracted still farther west by the Alder Gulch gold discoveries arriving in that camp November7, 1863, where he met many of the men he had become acquainted with in Colorado. He entered into partnership with John Caplice and Peter Ronan and mined at Central City, Virginia City and at Bummer Dan's Bar, passing through the exciting times where the road agent made life uncertain. He witness the hanging of Ives, Boonhelm, Gallagher and many other lawless men by the friends of law and good society generally known as the Vigilantes. After the hanging of those murderous wretches, Mr. Cardwell ventured to return to the States and succeeded in getting out without being molested by the highwaymen. The trip was a hard one as it took six weeks to reach Salt Lake. The party left their wagons at Port Neuf canon and have never seen them since. After a visit to the States, he returned to Montana and again engaged in mining, stock raising and farming in Jefferson County, his present home, which occupation his has since followed. Senator Cardwell is well known, throughout the State both in public and private having served his country in the Council, in the Ninth Assembly and as a member of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Territorial Assemblies. He is a bachelor. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format forprofit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express writtenpermission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.