Placer
County
Biographies
ALEXANDER G. BELL
There is but one chief ruler of a
country be he king, emperor
or president, and therefore the number who attain eminence in such a direction
is small. Comparatively few achieve high
rank in military circles, but the business field is limitless and a man may win
a commanding position in the industrial, agricultural or commercial circles if
he but follow the course for which he is suited, and
guides his unremitting efforts by sound judgment. This Mr. Bell has done and today he is ranked
among the successful and leading fruit-growers of Placer County.
Born in New York City, on the 9th
of December, 1837, he has exemplified in his life many of the sterling
characteristics of his Scotch ancestry.
His parents, James and Jannet (Gibson) Bell,
were both natives of Scotland and were married in that country, where was born
unto them a son, James. With their
little child they immigrated to the United States in 1832 and after a short
time spent in New York City removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where for some
years the father engaged in business as a mason, contractor and builder. He took a contract for the construction of a
large aqueduct and successfully executed the work. He departed this life in the sixty-sixth
year of his age, while his wife attained the age of seventy-nine years. They were consistent members of the
Presbyterian Church and in that faith they reared their family, which number
three sons and a daughter, the latter now Mrs. Anna Bell Pearcy,
of Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Two of
the sons are residents of Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
Alexander G. Bell, the fourth member
of the family, is indebted to the public-school system for his early
educational privileges, while his business training was received in the Iron
City Commercial College, in which he was graduated in 1854. In 1856 he came to California, crossing the
Isthmus of Panama in October and later arriving in San Francisco, whence he
made his way to Placer County. On the
middle fork of the American River he engaged in mining and became actively
interested in mining and prospecting at Dutch Bar Hill. He and two companions took out two pounds of
gold each day for five weeks. He
afterward engaged in mining in El Dorado County at the Spanish Dry Diggins, also at Greenwood, and he is now the owner of
mining property at the last named place.
During the construction of the
Central Pacific Railroad Mr. Bell took a contract for furnishing wood to the
company at various places along this line.
In that enterprise he met with prosperity. He became a pioneer in the ice business on
the summit; also at Cuba, where he organized the Peoples Ice Company. This company shipped ice all over the state
and Mr. Bell became the manager of the office at San Francisco, of which he had
charge for ten years. On the expiration
of that period he assisted in consolidating the company with the Union Ice
Company, and he is still a stockholder in the latter, managing its office at
Colfax. He is now also the manager for a
large fruit-growing company, which has eight hundred and forty acres of fruit
land and is extensively engaged in the raising of Bartlett pears and table and
wine grapes, and also has a winery in which the fruit is converted into wine
which brings the highest market prices, owing to the excellence of the
quality. He has forty acres planted to
choice table grapes, one hundred acres in wine grapes and a very extensive
orchard of Bartlett pears. He is well
versed on the subject of horticulture, especially concerning the best methods
of cultivating the fruits mentioned and his opinions are received as authority
in this section of the country. Mr. Bell
is also prominently engaged in mining interests and is president and manager of
the Gold Nugget Mining Company. He has a
good residence in Colfax and makes his headquarters in that town.
Mr. Bell was happily married, in
May, 1877, to Miss Amelia Winkleman, a native of
Greenwood Valley, El Dorado County, and a daughter of Jacob Winkleman
who was of Swiss lineage and became one of California pioneers of 1849. Mrs. Bell has considerable artistic talent,
especially in oil painting, and has taken a number of prizes for her work. Many pictures of great merit adorn the walls
of their pleasant home, which in its attractive furnishings indicates the
cultured and refined taste of the inmates.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bell have been born two children, Carl Gibson, a
mining engineer, and Jannet, who is now in
college. Mr. Bell is an active member of
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and in politics is a Republican. He has done his full share in the development
of the resources of the state and in his life has exemplified the true western
spirit of enterprise and progress. His
indefatigable energy and resolute purpose have enabled him to work his way
steadily upward and today he stands among the most prominent businessmen and
respected citizens of Placer County.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 772-773. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.