Cedar county has reason to be proud of the record of many of her native sons and that of Captain J. E. Bartley has been characterized by qualities that are well worthy of commendation. As a soldier of the Spanish-American war, as chief executive of the city and as a business man he has written his name largely on the history of Tipton. A native of this county, Captain Bartley was born in Red Oak township, October 21, 1866, his parents being George and Mary (Brown) Bartley, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Iowa. The mother died in 1877 when about thirty-one years of age, and the father passed away in 1904 at the age of fifty-six years. He was a soldier in the Civil war and although only about seventeen years of age at the time of enlistment, he became a member of Company E of the Ninetieth New York Volunteer Infantry in April, 1865, and served for about nine months. In the fall of that year he removed to Iowa and was married in this state. He took up the occupation of farming, which he followed until 1877, when his wife died. He then removed to northwestern Iowa, spending the greater part of his life there.
At his mother’s death Captain J. E. Bartley went to live with the maternal grandparents, John and Mary (Cook) Brown, who were natives of New York. Removing westward, they settled first in Davenport and later came to this county, where their remaining days were passed. In the family of George and Mary (Brown) Bartley there were five children, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest. The others are: Charles, who is living in Stanwood, Iowa; William, a resident of Laurens, Iowa; E. C. of Wilton, North Dakota; and George, who died in Tipton in 1890 at the age of seventeen years.
After going to live with his maternal grandparents, Captain J. E. Bartley continued his education in the public schools. In 1882 a removal was made to a farm north of Tipton and later the Brown home was established in Tipton. Captain Bartley was graduated from the high school in the class of 1888 and for a half-year was a student in Ames Agricultural College. Both previous and subsequent to that time he engaged in teaching school, continuing to follow that profession in the country schools and villages until 1895. He then took up the occupation of farming, to which he devoted his energies until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, when he enlisted for service, his wife managing the farm during his absence. The spirit of patriotism sprang up within him and believing in the righteousness of the American cause, he joined the volunteers for active service at the front when war was inaugurated with Spain. He had previously had considerable experience as a member of the National Guard. On the 2d of May, 1887, he had enlisted as a member of Company B of the First Iowa Regiment and in 1896 was elected second lieutenant of Company F of that regiment and it was with that rank that he was mustered in to the United States service as a member of the Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the command being stationed at Jacksonville, Florida, from the 14th of June until the 25th of October, 1898. They were then transferred to Savannah, Georgia, where they remained until the 23d of December, when they embarked for Havana, Cuba, and were on the island until the 5th of April, 1899. Then they returned to Savannah and were mustered out on the 13th of May of that year. In November, 1898, Captain Bartley had been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant following the return of the volunteer troops and his resumption of active connection with the state military organization. He was made captain of Company F of the Fifty-Third Regiment of the Iowa National Guard on the 2d of May, 1900. He has since held that rank and has a well drilled and well trained organization of which he has every reason to be proud while the men of the company declare unswerving allegiance to their captain.
After the war Captain Bartley came to Tipton and in the fall of 1899 was elected county treasurer. He received an endorsement of his first term by reelection at the close of the two years, thus filling the office for four years. On his retirement from that position he turned his attention to the general fire insurance and real-estate business in connection with L. S. Maxson and C. A. Lee, under the firm style of Bartley, Maxson & Lee. This relation was maintained until the 1st of January, 1909, when Mr. Lee withdrew and the partnership has since been that of Bartley & Maxson. In this connection a liberal clientage has been secured, the firm representing some of the oldest and most reliable fire insurance companies, while in the real-estate field they have handled considerable valuable property and negotiated many important realty transfers.
Captain Bartley’s connection with business and military interests, however, does not comprise the extent of his activities for he has long been recognized as a leader of the republican party in this county and one whose efforts in public office has been of distinct value to his fellow citizens. In March, 1906, he was elected Mayor of Tipton and was reelected for a second term, retiring from the office on the 4th of April, 1910. He has also been a member of the board of education, serving at the present time for the second term. It will thus be seen that in every office to which he has been called he has been reelected for a second term. While no man in a political position is free from criticism, his course on the whole has awakened uniform admiration and commendation even from those opposed to him politically.
On the 16th of August, 1892, Captain Bartley was married to Miss Edith Cope, who was born in Iowa township, Cedar county, September 25, 1871, a daughter of Charles and Janette (Guild) Cope. The mother is now deceased but the father resides in Muscatine county, Iowa, having come to this state from his native state of Ohio. Unto Captain and Mrs. Bartley have been born six children: Charles, Mary, Robert, Ruth, John and Frances.
Captain Bartley is a member of the Knights of Pythias and in the different organizations with which he has been connected, political, military and fraternal, he is always popular for his fellow members recognize him as a man who is generally just in his opinions and straightforward in his actions. He has given good service in the various positions to which he has been called and has been prompted in all his acts by a sense of fidelity to duty that is worthy of emulation.
