James Smith Bell

James Smith Bell, son of David Newton Bell and Eliza Anne Martin Bell, was born February 20, 1848, in Harrison , Tennessee . He moved to Chattanooga when a young man. He received his education in the public schools of Hamilton and Bradley counties. Later he attended Ewing and Jefferson College of Knox county, and Maryville College, Maryville , Tennessee . He completed his education at Eastman National Business Col­lege of Poughkeepskie, New York. He began his business career in partner­ship with Mr. Samuel Williams. They were cattle dealers.

In 1881 he was elected School Commissioner for Chattanooga and for fifteen years served as President and Treasurer of The Hamilton County Industrial School, later known as Bonny Oaks School . All of these services were rendered without compensation. He also served several terms as Dis­trict School Commissioner in the County, and in 1897 was County Com­missioner to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

At one time, during his young manhood, he was a deputy in the County Court Clerk's office. He had from time to time interested himself in various lines of business enterprises, and was one of the oldest bank directors in point of service that Chattanooga has known. His father, David N. Bell, was owner of original stock in The First National Bank. In 1882 James S. Bell became a director in that institution and held this place up to the time of his death, which occurred May 4, 1930. He was a director of the old Fourth National Bank, and director and vice president of the Bank of Commerce and Savings Company for a short time. At one time he was a director, later vice president, then president of the Richmond Hosiery Mills, and of the Chattanooga Knitting Mills and a director of the Rockwood Hosiery Mills. At one time he was also director and vice president of the Chattanooga Coffin and Casket Company.

He married Ann Williams, daughter of Samuel Williams and his second wife, Keturah Taylor Williams. The marriage took place January 5, 1873, in Chattanooga , the ceremony being performed by Dr. Thomas Hooke McCallie of the First Presbyterian Church of which Church Mr. Bell became a member later. Mr. and Mrs. Bell had four sons and three daughters, (1) James Edgar who makes his home in Purcell, Oklahoma, he married Alta Wilson and has Joe Edgar, James Smith, Clara May and Wilson Bell; (2) David Newton who is unmarried; (3) Charles Alonzo who makes his home in Shawnee, Oklahoma, he married Gail Miller of Purcell, and has George Miller and Charles Alonzo, Jr.; (4) Allie Rose, married Thomas S. Myers of Chattanooga and has William Thomas Myers; (5) Ralph Williams who makes his home in Colorado Springs, Col., he married Shelley Nixon of Chattanooga and has Anne Elizabeth, Margery Nixon and James Timmons; (6) Ethel Ann who married Isaac B. Merriam, Jr., of Chattanooga and has Martha Dews Merriam; and (7) Marie, who married William A. Quinn of Henderson , Kentucky , and has James Bell Quinn and William A. Quinn III.
The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga Tennessee, Volume 1 by Zella Armstrong, 1931.