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JOHN PIERCE BELL, one of the representative citizens of Antis Township, Blair
County, Pa., residing on his excellent farm of 187 acres, was born September
6, 1835, in a log house which stood on a farm in Antis Township, which is now
owned by Edward Bell. His parents were David and Margaret Pierce (McKnight)
Bell. The Bell family was one of the earliest to settle in Blair County.
     John Pierce Bell attended school at Elizabeth Furnace and later at
Lewisburg, residing at the latter place from 1854 until 1857. From then until
1860 he was connected with a banking house at Huntingdon, Pa., and
subsequently spent a year near Denver, Colo., at what was then called
California Gulch. After his return to Blair County he was married and he and
his wife lived in the brick house on the old home place until 1866, when they
came to his present farm, which is a part of the old McKnight place. The
farmhouse and barn now standing were built by John Crissman. Mr. Bell has
engaged in general farming and stock raising, threshing and sawing and has
made many improvements, these adding to the value of his own property very
materially.
     Mr. Bell was married May 16, 1861, to Miss Agnes Greenland, who was born
in Huntingdon County, Pa., and died September 25, 1887. Her burial was in the
Logan Valley Cemetery. She was a daughter of Joshua and Betsey (Wright)
Greenland, old settlers in the lower part of Huntingdon County. To the above
marriage the following children were born: David Vinton, who was born June
15, 1863, resides at Rock Springs, Colo., being superintendent there of the
water department for the Union Pacific Railroad, is married and has seven
children - Agnes, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Edna, Orrin, David, Vinton and Carl;
James Martin, who was born October 11, 1865, resides on the home farm,
married Blanche Burns and they have three daughters - Agnes, Beatrice and
Ida; Walter Greenland, who was born February 17, 1868, lives at Jerome,
Idaho, married Ella Kanan, of Indiana County, Pa., and has three children -
Joseph P., Marion and Agnes; Edward Pierce, who was born May 11, 1870, died
May 25, 1870; Lillian, who was born May 21, 1871, is the wife of Dr. E. J.
Marfing, a dentist located at Jenkinstown, Montgomery County, and they have
three children - Dorothy, Raymond and Austin; Annie, who was born March 13,
1874, is a school teacher in Rawlins, Wyoming; J. Wilson, who was born March
7, 1877, resides at Snake River, Idaho, and by his first marriage had a son,
Milton, and by a second marriage, a daughter, Mabel; Allison Dean, who was
born December 14, 1879, resides on the homestead, married Mary Shawley, of
Spruce Creek and has three children - Arthur Floyd, born May 2 1, 1903;
Murray Weldon, born February 15, 1906, and Lewis Edwin, born December 5,
1908; Simpson Africa, who was born May 15, 1882, resides in Idaho; and Edgar
Pierce, who was born August 5, 1884, lives at home.
     Mr. Bell cast his first presidential vote for General John C. Fremont
and ever since has been identified politically with the Republican party. He
is a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge, F.&A.M., at Huntingdon, Pa.