James Bell

As printed in 1902

JAMES BELL.

There are capitalists who take up farming and there are farmers who by good management and close attention to financial interests develop into capitalists, and of the latter class is James Bell, land owner and money loaned at Martinsburg, Clay township, Knox county, Ohio.

James Bell was born in the township in which he now lives September 20, 1839, the fifth child in order of birth of Meeker and Rachel (Crane) Bell, who had three sons and three daughters, and it is a noteworthy fact that he was their youngest son. A biographical sketch of his brother, Isaac Bell, now deceased, appears elsewhere in these pages. The young man was a member of his father's household until he attained his majority, meantime obtaining a fair education in the public schools of his day and locality. He then took up the battle of life independently, engaging in stock-raising, farming and in the wool trade. For three years he lived in Jackson township, Knox county. In 1868 he located in Clay township, adjoining his father's old homestead, where he remained until 1886, when he bought the house and eight acres of land in Martinsburg where he now resides. He still has the care and supervision of over four hundred acres in Clay township, but the farming is carried on by tenants. He devotes himself principally to general farming, but gives considerable attention to stock-raising and formerly gave considerable attention to the settlement of states. Politically he is a Democrat, and as such has been elected to many important township offices. He has lived the most of his life of sixty-two years in Knox county, where he is well known and highly esteemed by all classes of citizens.

May 6, 1865, Mr. Bell married Sarah Paul, who was born in Clay township, a daughter of James and Sarah (Bane) Paul, who were pioneers from Pennsylvania in Knox county, where they located in the woods and took up the labor of improving the home farm. Mrs. Bell, who is the sixth in order of birth of the seven children of her parents, was educated in the public schools of Martinsburg and Fredericktown, and for some time before her marriage was a successful teacher. They have one daughter, Otta S., who is a member of her parents' household.

As printed in The Biographical record of Knox County, Ohio : to which is added an elaborate compendium of national biography (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.