File:History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present (14594405639).jpg

Identifier: historyoffresnoc01vand (find matches)
Title: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Vandor, Paul E., 1858-
Subjects: Fresno County (Calif.) -- History Fresno County (Calif.) -- Biography
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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wasborn October 22, 1858. John Cartwright was the son of Reddick Cartwright,who was a second cousin of Rev. Peter Cartwright, one of the pioneers andcircuit riders of Central Illinois. There are four brothers and two sistersin the family of John Cartwright: J. E.: R. N.; G. W.: J. M., who is themanufacturer of the celebrated Cartwright Pruning Shears; Mrs. F. M. Cook,of Orosi; and Mrs. ^Mamie Roach, of )\Ialaga. The story of the Cartwright Pruning Shears is an interesting one andindicates the mechanical genius that has made the name famous on two con-tinents. It was about twenty-five years ago when the orchard and vineyarddevelopment began in Fresno County. The growth of the trees and the vinessoon showed the need of pruning, and the only tools with which this couldbe done were heavy and unwieldly, weighing five or six pounds. One day thefather called to his son. who was known as Newt, Newt, let us make a prun-ing shear that will work. And they did. After talking the matter over, they
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY 1021 together selected pieces of steel and, as they were both blacksmiths, theymade their first pair of shears in their shop on the old John Cartwright homefarm, two miles west of Malaga. They tested it and found it did the workneatly and easily. They pruned their own trees and vines, and then theneighbors found it out and borrowed the tool. It was a practical success, andas a result a great demand sprang up in the neighborhood for the shears, andthe Cartwrights were kept busy making shears. Such a necessary tool couldnot long be hidden, and the business grew to large proportions. R. N. Cart-wright helped build up the business, but sold out his interest to his brother,J. M. Cartwright, several years ago. R. N. Cartwright owned a fine ranch of twenty acres adjoining the oldhome place, on which he lived for thirty years and which he improved froma weed patch to one of the most valuable tracts of land in that section. Hesold it in April, 1919, and then bought twe

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