HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 545
W. W. HARTLEY
Hartley Hardware, Mountain View
SURNAMES: MOORMAN, McLEAN, BACON,
An excellent example of the results if ab active, well-directed life
will be found in W. W. Hartley, who at the age of seventy-three is
still active and heads the Hartley Hardware Company at Mountain View.
Throughout his useful life he has been active in promoting measures for
the general good of the community, and his natural gift of leadership
places him among the leading business men of his locality.
Born in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, he first saw the light
of day near Frederiction, situated on the beautiful St. Johns River,
August 18, 1849. His father was Edward W. Hartley and was a farmer of
New Brunswick. The ancestors on both sides were either from England or
were of English descent. Mr. Hartley's early boyhood was passed in his
native province up to twenty-one years of age, and he received a
sufficient education to be duly licensed as a teacher, and he taught
school for several terms. Upon his removal to the United States, he was
first employed by the Borden's Milk Condensing Company at Elgin, Ill.,
but this line of work was not to his liking; his next move was to
Brainerd, Minn., arriving during the year of 1870, just at the time the
Northern Pacific Railway was in course of construction. His ability and
leadership was instantly recognized and he was elected county auditor;
and in addition to this was appointed clerk of the court; and at the
same time was probate judge, register of deeds, coroner, deputy
treasurer of the county, deputy sheriff, and justice of the peace;
later he served one term as police judge. It was largely through the
efforts of Mr. Hartley that Senator W. D. Washburn received his first
nomination for Congress. Mr. Hartley went to the convention at
Minneapolis as the delegate from five counties, Crow, Wing, Cass,
Wadena, Itasca and Aitken, and casting his vote for Washburn gave him
the majority over his opponent. Senator Washburn never forgot the
efforts of Mr. Hartley in his behalf, and through his influence Mr.
Hartley was appointed postmaster at Brainerd by President Hays and
served through his administration and that of Presidents Garfield,
Arthur, and a part of Cleveland's adminis-
tration up to 1889. He was also interested in the hotel business and a
book and stationery store, and was for some time the proprietor of the
Villard Hotel at Brainerd, Minn. In 1889 he removed to Tacoma, Wash.,
and was in business there for eight years, and in 1897 came to
California and engaged in mining in El Dorado County, Cal., and also in
the state of Oregon, where he continued for two years.
During 1910 he removed to Mountain View and purchased the hardware
store, which has engaged his attention ever since. His son, Charles F.,
is associated with him in the business, and by strict attention to
business they have built up a fine patronage and the quality of their
goods is beyond question.
They marriage of Mr. Hartley, July 22, 1874, occurred in Michigan and
united him with Miss Mary E. Moorman, the daughter of Francis Moorman
of Belding, Mich., and they became the parents of five children; Clara
E. is now Mrs. T. D. McLean, a hardware factory representative of
Seattle, Wash.; Alfred W. is chief engineer in charge of the Hammond
Lumber Company at San Pedro, Cal.; Hattie M. is the wife of M. J.
Bacon, of the comptometer company at Seattle, Wash., where they reside;
James E. is a marine engineer with the Hammond Lumber Company Charles
F. is the partner of his father in the hardware store at Mountain View.
There are nine grandchildren. In 1915 a family residence was built at
333 Franklin Street, Mountain View. Mr. Hartley is a stalwart old line
Republican and his activities in politics have borne good fruits. Mr.
Hartley and his entire family have the respect and esteem of the
community. Mrs. Hartley departed this life on March 27, 1922, and rests
in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, San Francisco beside her father.
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 545
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORIC BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY