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ELIAS CLINE BELL, a prominent Odd Fellow, and master machinist of the 
Hollidaysburg Iron and Nail Company of Hollidaysburg, is a son of Capt. 
Robert and Anna (Cline) Bell, and was born in Allegheny city, Allegheny 
county, Pennsylvania, January 5, 1842.  His paternal grandfather, John 
Bell, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in North Ireland in 
1750.  He came to Pennsylvania, and settled near the boundary line of 
Huntingdon county.  In 1804, he crossed the mountains on horseback, with 
his wife and son, Robert (father), then only four years of age, and 
settled at Shenango Flats, Lawrence county, where he died in 1814.  His 
son, Capt. Robert Bell (father), was born on the right bank of the 
Juniata river, in the first year of the present century, and learned the 
trade of blacksmith, which he afterward followed for some years in 
Pittsburg, where he was commissioned by Governor Porter as captain in 
the Pennsylvania militia.  He served as a councilman of Allegheny city, 
being elected from the Third ward, and afterward was elected for a term 
of five years as an alderman from the same ward.  He was a republican in 
politics, and a member and trustee of the United Presbyterian church, 
and died in 1884, at the advanced age of eighty-four years.  He married 
Anna Cline, who died in 1888, aged eighty-four years.  To Mr. and Mrs. 
Bell was born a family of seven children, of whom were: Mary, Henrietta, 
John, Elias Cline, Lucinda, and Maggie, all of whom died except Mary and 
the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Bell's parents, whose name was Cline, 
were of French and German descent respectively, and while on their way 
from New Jersey to western Pennsylvania caught small pox, from which 
they both died, and left two sons and one daughter - Mrs. Bell - who 
were taken and reared by a family who lived near to where the parents 
died, in Clinton township, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. E.C. Bell was 
reared in Allegheny, and received his education in the public schools of 
that city. Leaving school he learned the trade of roll turner, which he 
followed until July, 1862, when he enlisted in Co. K., 123d Pennsylvania 
infantry.  He was in the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam and 
Chancellorsville, and participated in the famous charge of Humphreys 
against the old stone wall at Fredericksburg.  He was honorably 
discharged from the Union service in May, 1863, and in 1866 became an 
employee of the Hollidaysburg Iron and Nail Company.  After working in 
the various departments of their rolling mill for fifteen years, he was 
appointed, in 1880, to his present position of master mechanic. On 
February 19, 1867, Mr. Bell married Sarah Jane McCleary, a 
grand-daughter of Adam Holliday, the founder of Hollidaysburg (see 
historical sketch in this volume).  To their union have been born ten 
children: Robert (deceased); John, now dead; James G., now serving his 
apprenticeship as a machinist; Carrie A.; Mary (deceased); Harry, now 
dead; Lucy,; Elias C., jr.; Nellie; George, and Sarah J. Mrs. Bell is 
remarkably young looking for her years, and is a very pleasant and 
intelligent woman.  She was born April 23, 1849, at Levansville, 
Somerset county, and is a daughter of David and Caroline (Holliday) 
McCleary.  Her grandfather, Andrew McCleary, was a Scotch-Irishman, who 
came from the north of Ireland and settled in Clarion, and afterward at 
Yellow Creek, Bedford county, where he died.  His son, David McCleary, 
was born at Yellow Creek in 1821, and learned the trade of saddler, 
which he followed at Somerset and then at Hollidaysburg, where he died 
in February, 1864.  He was a democrat, and a member of the Lutheran 
church, and had ten children: George and Martha (twins), Rose, Mrs. 
Sarah Jane Bell, Anthony, Wilkes, Andrew, Johnson, and Mary and Anna 
(twins).  Mrs. Bell's grandmother, Hannah (Lane) McCleary, was of 
Scotch-Irish descent, and was a near relative of James Buchanan, being 
cousin to Harriet Lane, the niece of the president. Elias C. Bell is a 
republican in politics, and a member and steward of the Methodist 
Episcopal church.  He is a member of the Artisan Order of Mutual 
Protection; Col. G. Murray Post, No. 61, Grand Army of the Republic; and 
Apallachian Encampment, No. 62, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of 
which he has been a member for twenty-six years.  Mr. Bell has passed 
the chairs in his lodge and encampment, and served for two successive 
terms as district deputy grand master of his county district.  He owns 
fine property at Hollidaysburg, and a beautiful residence and one 
hundred and fifty acres of the best farming land in the county, one mile 
from Hollidaysburg. Transcribed and submitted to the Blair County, PA, 
USGenWeb archives by Judy Banja <jbanja@comcast.net>