The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 514

JOHN R. BELL.

John R. Bell is still engaged in farming although he has now passed the
seventy-third milestone on life's journey. He was born in Scotland, January 28,
1846, a son of Irving and Jean (Robson) Bell, who spent their entire lives in
Scotland, where the father devoted his attention to the occupation of farming.

John R. Bell acquired a public school education and remained in his native
country until 1864, when, at the age of eighteen years, he went to Australia.
Later he removed to New Zealand and in both countries followed farming. The year
1884 witnessed his arrival in the Yakima valley, when the work of progress and
improvement had scarcely been begun in this section of the state. He cast in
his lot with the pioneer settlers of the district and was engaged in farming on
the Cowiche. At a subsequent date he took up his abode on a ranch of the Moxee
Company, residing thereon for two years, but was ambitious to engage in business
independently and in 1891 invested his earnings in twenty acres of land on the
Moxee and has since occupied this place, covering a period of more than
twenty-seven years. For a considerable time he was engaged in cattle raising but
afterward devoted his attention more largely to the production of hay, grain
and other crops. He has also at different periods rented land but is now
concentrating his efforts and attention upon the cultivation and further
improvement of his twenty acre tract.

On the 23d of October, 1874, Mr. Bell was united in marriage to Miss Jennie
Cochran, a native of Scotland and a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Patterson)
Cochran. Mr. and Mrs. Bell have become parents of eight children: twins who died
at birth; Irving, now deceased; Lily, the wife of Thomas Evans, a resident of
Alaska; John, living in Yakima; William, who is a ranchman living on the Yakima
reservation and is married and has one child; George, who died in 1915 at the
age of twenty-seven years; and one who died in infancy.

Mr. and Bell are members of the Presbyterian church and are most loyal to its
teachings, doing everything in their power to promote the growth of the church
and extend its influence. His political endorsement is given to the republican
party, which he has supported since becoming a naturalized American citizen. He
has lived in the Yakima valley for more than a third of a century and there is
no one more familiar with the story of its improvement and development as the
years have passed on. His memory goes back to the time when this was a great
wild and unsettled region without railroads or improvements and very few of the
now flourishing towns and cities of the valley had then sprung into existence.
He rejoices in what has been accomplished and through his own farm work has
contributed to the agricultural development of the region. He has ever been
thoroughly reliable as well as enterprising in his business and throughout his
entire life he has displayed substantial qualities which have gained him a high
place in public regard both as a man and as a citizen.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.