The Bell Family

S. F. Bell in Biographical Record of Richland County, Ohio

The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.

S. FINN BELL.

S. Finn Bell, president of the board of public service in Mansfield and a veteran of the Civil War, is today as loyal to the welfare of his home locality and his country as when he followed the stars and stripes on southern battle- fields. He was born in Washington township,, near Lexington, Richland county, Ohio, January 31, 1847. His grandfather, Robert Bell, and his great-grandfather, who also bore the name of Robert Bell, came to Richland county from Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1821, and located on what is now the old homestead farm. It was upon that farm that Robert Bell, the father, and S. Finn Bell, the subject of this review, were likewise born. There Robert Bell, the father, continued to engage in farming throughout his entire life and made the old homestead his place of residence until his death in 1898. He married Sarah Pollock, who was a native of Madison township, Richland county, her parents being also pioneers of this part of the state, her father dying here at the venerable age of ninety-two years. Mrs. Bell passed away in 1855, when her son S. F. Bell was but eight years of age. He was the second in a family of three children, all of whom are yet living, his elder brother being Robert P. Bell, of Milton, Iowa, while the younger brother is J. Franklin Bell. He also has one half-brother, Thomas M., who was cor- poral in Company M, Eighth Ohio Regiment, in the Spanish- American war, and who lives in Mansfield, being a guard at the reformatory.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for S. F. Bell in his boyhood and youth. He attended the public schools in the winter months and through the summer seasons worked in the fields, remaining upon the home farm until he enlisted as a member of Company F, Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, when but fifteen years of age. He served with that command for three months and then became a member of Company E, Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served throughout the war, being mustered out with the rank of corporal on the 26th of July, 1865. He participated in the battle of Thompson Hill, Ray- mond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Baker’s Creek and the entire siege of Vicks- burg, in which he was under fire for forty-five days. He was wounded at that place and also at Baker’s Creek. He afterward engaged in the battle

of Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta and went on the celebrated march from Atlanta to the sea, under Sherman, while later he took part in the battle at Savannah, Georgia. After the capture of that place the command to which Mr. Bell was attached proceeded by boat to Buford, South Carolina, and from that point took up the line of march through the Carolinas on to Richmond and thence to Washington, where he participated in the grand review, which was the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western continent. From the capital city the troops went to Louisville, Kentucky, and thence were ordered to Columbus, Ohio, where they were honorably discharged. Thus Mr. Bell had done valiant service for his country for three years and with the most creditable military record returned to his home, although he was then only about eighteen years of age.

Locating in Mansfield Mr. Bell spent twenty-eight years as a traveling salesman, continuing in that line of business until he was elected a member of the board of public service in 1895. That he discharged his duties to the satisfaction of his constituents and the general public is indicated by the fact that he was reelected in 1907, and on the 1st of January, 1908, was chosen president of the board, in which position he still continues.

Mr. Bell was married at Bryan, Ohio, to Miss Jennie Keegan, a daughter of John Keegan, of Cleveland, and they have two sons: Harry F., thirty years of age, who is an attorney here; and Frank W., who is a traveling sales- man for the National Biscuit Company, of Chicago. Mr. Bell owns some real estate in the city and county, including his home at No. 272 Marion avenue, and a farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres five miles south of Mansfield. The supervision of the latter is a matter of interest to him and brings him recreation from the cares of office.

In politics he has been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and has been an earnest worker in the local ranks of the party. He belongs to the McLaughlin Post, No. 131, G. A. R.; to the Elks Lodge, No. 56 ; and to the United Commercial Travelers, No. 13, of which he is a past senior councilor. He also belongs to the Congregational church. He is a typical American in that he is never too busy to be cordial and never too cordial to be busy.

Source: Biographical Record of Richland County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.