Bell Family
Hal and his wife Catherine were both born into slavery. Henry
bought his freedom for $1200. Catherine and her family were
set
free by their master. With the fear they would be taken back
into
slavery again, they escaped the south with their young children and
came to Iowa in June of 1856.
Hal Bell
Hal arrived in Iowa
City in 1856. He and his wife, Catherine, and his young
family
are shown on the 1860 U.S. Federal Census. Catherine's mother, listed
as Sina Gwin, age 60, was also living in their household. His
children were listed as Josephine, age 13, Lizzy, age 11, Cassius, age
9, Selina, age 6 and their baby boy, Henry.
According to
the 1860 census record, Hal was born about 1830 in South Carolina.
He was working as a teamster. History recounts that he worked
for
a Coralville saw mill for Samuel J Kirkwood. Kirkwood, who in
1860 became Governor of Iowa, took genuine interest in the
Bell
family. He spent countless hours visiting with them to learn
of
their slavery experience and journey.
Hal was not listed with his family in the 1870 U.S. Federal census so
it suggests he passed away between 1860 and 1870.
The following story helps commemorate Hal and his family's experience
during their first years in Iowa City:
LATE
MRS. BELL HELPED GOVERNOR
SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE EARLY FRIENDS OF S. J. KIRKWOOD
The
death of Mrs. Catherine Bell on May 4 in this city recalls an instance
of historical significance which is not generally known. In the winter
of 1856 Mrs. Bell, her husband and family, came to this state, fearing
that they might both be again forced into slavery from which they had
purchased their freedom. Mrs. Bell’s husband, Henry Bell, then procured
work in the mill at Coralville in the employee of Samuel J. Kirkwood,
later the great war governor of Iowa. Mr. Kirkwood formed a strong
attachment for Mr. and Mrs. Bell and often talked with them concerning
the slavery conditions in Georgia from which place they had come. From
them Kirkwood learned many facts which gave him a deep understanding of
the then burning questions of the day and which were of great
assistance to him in his work as head of this commonwealth.
(Source: Iowa City Citizen, 23 May
1910, Mon pg. 1)
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Catherine Bell
Catherine
(Katherine) Gwin was born 11 November
1830 in North Carolina. Her journey to freedom is outlined in
the article below.
Receives Letter From Family
The
venerable and kind hearted Mrs. Katherine Bell of 30 West College St.,
is in receipt of a sad letter from her niece, Mary Eliza Bowers, of
Elizabeth Town, Tenn., announcing to her the death of her mother, Mrs.
Bell’s sister, whose maiden name was Lodemia Gwin. She was born
according to the old family record in Mrs. Bell’s possession, in 1822.
There were eleven children, Mrs. Bell the youngest, born Nov 11, 1830.
If Lodemia had lived until July of this year she would have been
eighty-seven years old and her sister Katherine, Mrs. Bell, is now past
seventy-eight years old. The eleven children were all born in slavery
in North Carolina, and were the property of Captain Gwin, a soldier in
the war of 1812, and at his death they were all owned by Lady Gwin, who
at her death, gave all of the eleven their freedom. Mrs. Bell always
speaks of Slave Mother with a great deal of kindness, and says when her
lovely white “missus” was stricken with death she called all her
colored children round her, took them by the hand, kissed them and
said, “you are now free.” The scene was pathetic.
Mrs. Katherine
Bell married the late Henry Bell who purchased his freedom for $1200
and came with his family to this county June 7, 1856, and died here,
mourned by everyone who knew him and his family, especially the “War
Governor Kirkwood, who spent much leisure time in his company and
employed him in trusty work. The Bells and the Gwins were great friends
of the Gordons of Dalton, Ga., where they lived, and at the suggestion
of Judge Gordon, father of the late General and Senator Gordon, they
left Georgia with railroad speed at dead of night before the impending
crisis to come north to escape being forced back into slavery.
Their lives now in print would read like a romance and should not be
lost to history.
Mrs.
Katherine Bell is now laboring under a partial stroke of palsy but is
cheerful and resigned at her home on West College Street, waiting,
waiting to join her husband gone before.
A
Friend of the Family
(Source: Iowa City Citizen (Iowa
City, Iowa) 12 Apr 1909, Mon pg. 6)
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Mrs. Catherine Bell is now convalescent after an illness of several
weeks, her daughter Mrs. Josephine Kelley came up from Davenport last
week to assist in caring for her inasmuch as her other daughter Miss
Elizabeth who lives with her is subject to rheumatic illness. (Source:
The
Bystander, Des Moines, Iowa 13 Apr 1906, Fr pg. 1)
Obituary
for Catherine Bell
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Josephine Bell
Josephine,
shown as a widower, was living in Rock Island, IL during the 1900 U.S.
Federal census. Along with her were her daughters, Bessie
&
Blanche Kelley, ages 17 and 13, and a one year old grandson, George
Kelley. She was living with her daughter and husband, Bessie &
Charlie Davis, in 1920, at their home in Rock Island, Illinois.
Her older sister, Elizabeth Bell, age 69, was also living
there.
Mrs. J. Green Is Called by Death
Mrs.
Josephine Bell Green Kelly, colored, died yesterday at Watertown
hospital. She was born in Dalton, Ga., in 1847 and moved to Iowa City
in 1858., where she lived until her marriage to George Kelly in 1867,
when she moved to Rock Island. Her husband preceded her in death in
1898.
Surviving is one daughter, Mrs. Bessie Davie of Rock
Island, and one son, William Kelly of Kansas City. The funeral will be
held Monday afternoon from Wayman chapel, Rock Island. Burial will be
in Chippiannock cemetery.
(Source: The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa) 20 Jun 1925,
Sat pg. 20)
Charles Bell
Charles, who often went by "Charlie", was born in Iowa City in
November of 1864. In the early 1890's, he realized he could earn good
money as a boxer. He participated in that sport
until at
least the year 1903. He sought out prize fights in various
locations, primarily in Davenport and Des Moines and hoped the
purse money would be worth his time. Charles was known as
""Pug" - the
young man with the brawny right arm and the muscles like whipcords, who
has defeated everybody within a radius of seventy-five miles,
in
the roped arena."
His name was in print often, as he
participated in glove contests. In 1892, he and Charley Clay,
also from Iowa City, were
planning to spar at an upcoming contest.
Because of it's unsavory reputation prize fighting was scrutinized in
Iowa. In some cases, the sport was deemed illegal, particularly when
betting was involved. Often times, the boxers, in order to avoid
breaking the law, would claim they were simply engaged in a scientific
sparring match for points, with no intention of engaging in a prize
fight. In August 1903
Charles, who often was called the colored pugilist of Iowa City, went
to Waterloo to fight but was arrested instead. The Mayor who
had
arranged for the fight, insisted the event was for the purpose of
earning points, but County Attorney was not buying it. The boxers were
originally charged with "prize fighting" but it was changed
before the trial to "participating in an affray". The
Waterloo
Courier provided a written account of the event:
The
ten round boxing contest that was to have been pulled off at the Turner
hall Wednesday evening was called off on account of interference by the
county officials. Charlie Bell of Iowa City and Bob Jones of Waterloo
were announced as candidates for the honor of the greatest number of
points in a ten round bout.
The hall was crowded with people and
much dissatisfaction was announced with the interference of the officer
for the county. It was not the intention of the men who were mixed up
in the deal to pull off a prize fight and it was not a fight for the
finish but simply a scientific bout for points. Ten ounce gloves
were used and the rounds were cut down to two minutes to make
it easier. But
one round had been pulled off and both men were in good condition when
the officers made their appearance headed by Deputy Sheriff Pierce and
the two men were arrested. Five deputies aided in the arrest. No
objection was made by the men to the arrest being made they immediately
went with the officers to a justice office where they gave bonds in the
sum of $200 or appearance at the trial this morning.
In speaking of
the matter Mayor Martin stated that no city ordinance had been
violated. That he had stationed two men at the hall to watch for
anything of the kind but that it was simply a sparring match which
might take place in the Y.M.C.A gymnasium or any other place without
comment or interference from the authorities. He was prepared for
trouble and would have had the men arrested if anything went different
than it should. County Attorney S. T. Mears was the man who was the
cause of the arrest
having instructed the sheriff to stop the bout. (Source:
Waterloo Courier)
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Source: Iowa City Press Citizen,
(Iowa City, Iowa) 18 Dec 1891, pg. 4
Click here to enlarge image of article |
In
boxing, you win some and you lose some. In 1897, the
attendance
was light when Charlie fought on a barge in the river below Davenport.
The mill between him and Bob Long, of Maquoketa, resulted in
a
knockout for Bell in the seventh round. In December of 1899, one of the
Des Moines newspapers noted: "Stelle knocked out Tom Cox and
has
fought a draw with Charlie Bell, the Iowa City Negro, who was here this
fall talking fight, but who was unable to produce enough of the coin of
the realm to back his assertions." In April 1900, The Muscatine Journal
reported that Link Roberts, of Minneapolis, will challenge Charlie
Bell, of Iowa City, for a 10 round boxing contest, to be held
in
or near this city.
Through his boxing years, Charles made a name
for himself and was often called upon to give boxing lessons and train
other men who aspired to fistic honors. In February
1899, he
was hired by the Wellman Athletic club to train its members who aspired
to be boxers. In December 1899 Des Moines local sporting news reported
that Charlie Bell, the Iowa City pugilist was in the city to establish
himself at the Stafford's training quarters until an upcoming contest
was pulled off. It's uncertain if he was there for his own training or
to train others. In November 1908 it was reported that Charles Bell, a
colored gentleman
from Iowa City, gave boxing lessons in Muscatine's Woodman hall to a
class of eight.
Charlie was also known as a good horseman.
He trained and raced pacer horses. He was known for
transforming the most unruly bronco's into harness racers.
Charlie
had continual brushes with the law, that usually cost him fines, bail
bonds and an overnight stay in the city bastille. But in 1904, a
conviction of highway robbery sent him to the Fort Madison prison for
three years. In 1908, Iowa's Governor Cummins issued a full pardon to
him.
I believe Charlie may have married in Muscatine about 1910 and fathered
one son, but I was not able to confirm it so have not included it here.
Charles died at an Iowa City hospital on March 18,
1919.
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Elizabeth "Lizzie"
Bell
Elizabeth was born 3 Jan 1849 in Georgia and traveled with her parents
to Iowa City in 1856. "Lizzie" never married and resided with
her
mother most of her life. In December 1919, she moved into the
Rock Island, IL home of her niece, Bessie Davie. Her sister,
Josephine, and Bessie's mother, also lived there at that time.
Lizzie passed away five months later in Rock Island,
on
April 21, 1920. She was buried in the Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City, Iowa.
Miss
Elizabeth Bell, 71 years old, died at the home of her niece, Mrs.
Bessie Davie, Fourteenth street, late Wednesday afternoon. Her death
was due to a complication of diseases made serious by her advanced age.
Miss
Bell was born in Dalton, Georgia, Jan 3, 1849, removing to Iowa City,
Iowa in 1856. The greater part of her life was spent at that
place, the deceased making her residence here since late last December.
She is survived by her niece, Mrs. Davie.The remains will be sent to
Iowa City for burial there Saturday.
(Source: The
Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, Illinois) 22 Apr 1920, Thu pg. 9)
Jenny Bell
Cassius Bell
Jesse Bell
Henry Bell
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