Denver-Pueblo-Huerfano County CO Archives Biographies.....Bartels, Gustave C. 1858 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 21, 2008, 7:43 pm Author: Wilbur Fiske Stone (1918) GUSTAVE C. BARTELS. Gustave C. Bartels, an active representative of the Denver bar, has since 1880 been a member of what is one of the oldest and most successful law firms of the city —that of Bartels & Blood. Mr. Bartels was born in Bellevue, Nebraska, January 22, 1858, his parents being Louis F. and Caroline H. (Dieterichs) Bartels. His father was a prominent figure in the early history of Denver, becoming one of Colorado's pioneer settlers. He was born in the university city of Goettingen, Germany, in 182fi and when nineteen years of age crossed the Atlantic to America, first settling in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1851 he made a trip across the plains to New Mexico and took up his abode in Albuquerque, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. He soon acquired a knowledge of the Spanish language and traveled extensively throughout the western country. In 1856 he returned to St. Louis, Missouri, was there married and soon afterward established his home in Bellevue, Nebraska, where he engaged in business until 1S61. In that year he again crossed the plains but this time with Denver as his destination and, taking up his abode in this city, continued to make it his home until his demise. Here he soon built up a large and profitable mercantile business. In 1870 he and his brothers opened mercantile and forwarding houses in Pueblo, also at West Las Animas, Walsenburg and San Antonio in southern Colorado. He was likewise largely interested in stock raising and in 1869, with other prominent men of Denver, he organized the Colorado Savings & Loan Association, of which he was president up to the time of his death. He was also the secretary of the Denver Gas Company and became one of its founders. He readily discerned the opportunities of any business situation and utilized chances which others passed heedlessly by. He was always an enterprising and progressive business man and a public-spirited citizen, prominent in local affairs and seeking ever the welfare and upbuilding of the community in which he lived. As a supporter of the republican party he was elected to represent his district, comprising Arapahoe and Douglas counties, in the fifth legislative assembly of the territory of Colorado. His death occurred in Denver, July 27, 1874, while he was still in the prime of life and in the midst of a career of great usefulness. His eldest son, Gustave C. Bartels, acquired his early education in the schools of Denver and later he became a student in the Washington University at St. Louis, Missouri, where he pursued a four years' course. In 1877 he matriculated in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and devoted two years to the study of law, winning his professional degree with the class of 1879. He then returned to Denver and in 1880 entered into partnership with J. H. Blood under the firm style of Bartels & Blood. This firm has since remained in existence, covering a period of thirty-eight years, and is one of the strong and able law firms of Denver, notable success having attended their efforts. Mr. Bartels has made a specialty of corporation law and was corporation counsel of Denver in 1895, under the administration of Mayor Lee. The same year he was chosen president of the Denver Bar Association and he has ever remained one of its honored members. On the 30th of April, 1883, in Denver, Mr. Bartels was united in marriage to Miss Emma R. Godfrey, a daughter of Dr. N. P. Godfrey. They have one son, Earl G., who was born in Denver in 1884 and married Martha G. Wood. Mr. Bartels is a republican in politics and in 1900 was the nominee of his party for the supreme court bench, being the unanimous choice at the party convention. Fraternally he is a Mason and his appreciation of the social amenities of life is indicated in his membership in the Denver, the University and the Denver Country Clubs. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF COLORADO ILLUSTRATED VOLUME III CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1918 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/denver/bios/bartels77nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cofiles/ File size: 4.6 Kb