Alexander Bell (1801–1871) was a

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

merchant both before and after that city became a part of the United States. He was elected to the first

Los Angeles Common Council The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents an ...

, the city's governing body, on July 1, 1850, but resigned on September 26 of that year.''Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials, 1850-1938'', compiled under direction of Municipal Reference Library, City Hall, Los Angeles (March 1938, reprinted 1966). "Prepared ... as a report on Project No. SA 3123-5703-6077-8121-9900 conducted under the auspices of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

."J.M. Guinn, ''Historical and Biographical Record of Los Angeles and Vicinity'', Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company (1901)
/ref> Bell was born in

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington, Pe ...

, on January 9, 1801, and in 1823 he emigrated to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, where he lived until he came to Los Angeles in 1842. Two years later, he married Maria de las Nieves Guirado Botello.''Pioneer Register of California''
/ref> Bell took an active part in the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

ns' revolution against

Manuel Micheltorena Joseph Manuel María Joaquin Micheltorena y Llano (8 June 1804 – 7 September 1853) was a brigadier general and adjutant-general of the Mexican Army, List_of_governors_of_California_before_1850#Mexican_governors_of_California_(1837–47), gover ...

in 1844. He was also a captain in the

California Battalion The California Battalion (also called the first California Volunteer Militia and U.S. Mounted Rifles) was formed during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) in present-day California, United States. It was led by U.S. Army Brevet (military) ...

during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. In 1845, he built the Bell Block on the southeast corner of Aliso and Los Angeles streets. It was also known as the Mellus Row and was for many years a notable landmark, where

John C. Fremont John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

established his headquarters when he was governor of the territory in 1847. Bell also built a warehouse in San Pedro. Bell died in Los Angeles, on July 24, 1871.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Alexander Businesspeople from Los Angeles Los Angeles Common Council (1850–1889) members American emigrants to Mexico 1801 births 1871 deaths Businesspeople from Pennsylvania 19th-century American merchants