Adam Cartwright Biography

Strongest Lean-To in the West!

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A Ponderosa Pine
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Adam Cartwright Biography

Post by A Ponderosa Pine »

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Adam Cartwright was born to Benjamin and Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright around 1830 in Boston, Massachusetts. His grandfather was a ship's captain under whom Ben had served. Adam never got to know his mother, as she died shortly after giving birth to him.

Ben had a dream of going west to help settle the new frontier, so he left Boston with Adam when Adam was still a baby. Adam spent his childhood traveling with his father. When Adam was around five years old, his father met and married Inger Borgstrom, and they presented Adam with a baby brother named Eric, whom Adam nicknamed Hoss. Tragedy struck the family soon afterwards, when Inger was killed by Indians on the Plains, and Adam lost another mother, the first one he had known.

After spending some time in California, Ben finally settled down with Adam and Hoss in Nevada, on a ranch they called The Ponderosa. When Adam was a pre-teen, Ben married Marie DeMarigny after meeting her in New Orleans. Ben and Marie gave Adam another brother, Joe, but when Joe was five years old Marie was killed when a horse threw her, and Adam lost a third mother.

The intellect of the family, Adam attended a university back East, focusing particularly on the study of architecture. Returning to the ranch after college, Adam became Ben's right-hand man, helping to keep the books, transacting business affairs and making sure the ranch was run properly. He was idealistic, and many times had ideas that were ahead of their time.

Adam did not always fit the sterotype of the average cowboy. He had a love of books, poetry, music and the arts. He played the guitar and had a fine baritone voice. He was sometimes brooding and cynical, appearing aloof, even with his family.

But Adam had a fierce love for his father and brothers, and often demonstrated that both mentally and physically. Although he was loath to show his emotions, they ran deep. He was loyal and sensitive, standing up for the underdog even after being let down a number of times by people he put his faith in. He believed in the law, and would risk his own life time after time to make sure that it was upheld.

A handsome man, standing 6', 1", weighing around 200 lbs. with dark hair and features and eyes that sometimes appeared brown, sometimes hazel, he had many ladies who were eager to marry him, but he did not give his heart easily. And when he did, it usually ended with him suffering emotional pain.

He was an excellent shot, and enjoyed a good fist-fight every once in awhile as much as his brothers did. He had a quick wit, which was usually aimed at Joe or Hoss or both. He also had a wonderlust, a desire to see and learn about the rest of the world, and this eventually took him away from the Ponderosa to places unknown.

A Ponderosa Pine :pine

:pine Pining for Adam
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