Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of JOHNSTON EWING BELL. This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 171-173 JOHNSTON EWING BELL. Among those more prominent in commercial life in Lewisburg, mention should be made of J. E. Bell, who did a general business here from 1845 to 1898. He was a man of integrity, highly regarded for his honesty and greatly beloved because of his sterling character. J. E. Bell was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, December 16, 1816. He was a son of Joseph and Mary Nelson Bell, who lived near Goshen. In 1831 he came to Lewisburg in pursuit of an education, attending school in the old academy and boarding with his sister, Mrs. Dickinson, who lived about two miles north of town. His business career was commenced in Mulboro, Virginia, where he kept store. In 1845, he came to Lewisburg and, in company with William H. Montgomery, opened a store where the Lewisburg Drug Store is now, under the name of Bell & Montgomery. In 1858, Mr. Bell erected the store now owned and occupied by his son, E. L. Bell, and continued the business very successfully until death claimed its reward in 1898. John Withrow and Thomas Sydenstricker were members of the firm at one time, and they were succeeded by Bell & Bright. Mr. Bell himself carried on the business fifty-three years. Mr. Bell's record in church life was also a remarkable one. From the time of his marriage in i8~, he was connected with the Presbyterian church of Lewisburg. He was elected deacon first and was treasurer for many years. Following came his election as elder. It was said that Mr. Bell, who loved his family dearly, loved the prosperity of Zion more, if that was possible, and that he often paid the pastor money due on his salary when the treasury was empty. He was superintendent of the Sabbath school very many years, a position that has now been held by E. L. Bell during the past twenty-five years. He was teacher of a Bible class at Ft. Spring a long time. E. L. Bell has given attention to the needs of missionary work in the county jail with marked success during the past three years. Attention to strangers, while visiting Lewisburg, by the elder Bell during his long life of church work never slackened, and that work, too, was attended with some marked results. During the Civil war J. E. Bell was agent of Greenbrier county for the supply of cotton cloth and salt to the Confederate soldiers' families. He long held the title of captain of the Home Guards. In 1844, J. E. Bell married Miss Frances Arbuckle, from which union one son, Frank J. Bell, now living in Richlands, was born. He is a prosperous farmer and also a well known church official. Mr. Bell's second wife was Miss Sarah A. Wayt, daughter of John Wayt, of Augusta county, Virginia. She died in 1869, when E. L. Bell was only four years old. Their children were: (I) Allie, who died in 1884; (2) Janie, who died when nine years old; (3) Mattie, now the wife of John 0. Handley; (4) Edwin L., who was born November 30, 1864. His third wife was Mrs. Lucy Guy, of Staunton, Va. No issue. She died in 1899. E. L. Bell has followed mercantile pursuits all his life. He took charge of the store after his father's death, since which time he has successfully carried on the business, and to the credit of the business communitv. Like it was with his father, so has it been in his case also, first the church, then business as its accessory, and in both relations the man has been duly honored with success in life's work. On December 26, 1895, Edwin L. Bell married Elizabeth Massie, of Albemarle county, Virginia. She was a daughter of Prof. Rodes Massie, secretary to General Lee and professor at one time in the Washington and Lee University, Virginia. To this union were born four children: (1) Edwin Massie, now a student at Washington and Lee University, with intentions of entering missionary work in some foreign field of labor after graduation; (2) Margaret Wayt: (3) Elizabeth Rodes; (4) Johnston Ewing.