Born in Madison County, New York, on April 17, 1824. He was married to Harriet Newell Fiske in 1845. They first settled in Wisconsin, then coming to Iowa with teams in 1854. Mr. Cadwell was by nature a farmer. and interested himself in all enterprises related to agriculture. He was a director of the State Agricultural Society from 1861 to 1882 and was one of the organizers of the Harrison County Agricultural Society. Few men had wider acquaintance with public men than had Mr. Cadwell from 1860 to 1890. He represented Harrison county in the 14th General Assembly. He was not a politician, but rather a public man who had the interests of his class at heart. In his religious faith Mr. Cadwell held to that of the Reorganized Church of the Latter-Day Saints.