John Edson Bell was born at Brownsville, Jefferson County, N. Y., Oct. 10, 1834. He came to Minneapolis May 5, 1857, and entered the store of Amos Clark, as a clerk, on Bridge Square, corner of Hennepin avenue and First street. The next year, with Alexander Campbell of New York for a partner, he opened a general store on Bridge Square under the firm name of J. E. Bell & Co. In 1860 his brother David bought Mr. Campbell's interest, and the firm name was changed to Bell Brothers, and the business continued until 1867, at which time the business was sold to J. W. Johnson and J. A. Wolverton. For the next three years. Mr. Bell was located in New York as Eastern buyer for Auerbach, Finch & Scheffer, wholesale dry goods dealers of St Paul.
In 1870 Mr. Bell returned to Minneapolis, and with E. S. Jones organized the Hennepin County Savings Bank, of which bank he was cashier until Mr. Jones' death, in 1890, since which time he has been its president. The bank is now the oldest savings bank in the state, and during its thirty-one years of existence has never passed a dividend, and has paid to its depositors over $800,000 of interest on their deposits and are now paying $45,000 of interest annually to their depositors, who are largely the laboring people of Minneapolis. During the financial panic of 1893 a few of its depositors gave notice of withdrawal of funds, but when the limit expired not a depositor wanted to withdraw funds except as in ordinary times.
Mr. Bell has been connected with the Plymouth Congregational church most of the time since its organization and was a teacher in its Sunday school for many years.
In 1870 Mr. Bell returned to Minneapolis, and with E. S. Jones organized the Hennepin County Savings Bank, of which bank he was cashier until Mr. Jones' death, in 1890, since which time he has been its president. The bank is now the oldest savings bank in the state, and during its thirty-one years of existence has never passed a dividend, and has paid to its depositors over $800,000 of interest on their deposits and are now paying $45,000 of interest annually to their depositors, who are largely the laboring people of Minneapolis. During the financial panic of 1893 a few of its depositors gave notice of withdrawal of funds, but when the limit expired not a depositor wanted to withdraw funds except as in ordinary times.
Mr. Bell has been connected with the Plymouth Congregational church most of the time since its organization and was a teacher in its Sunday school for many years.
John Edson Bell was born at Brownsville, Jefferson County, N. Y., Oct. 10, 1834. He came to Minneapolis May 5, 1857, and entered the store of Amos Clark, as a clerk, on Bridge Square, corner of Hennepin avenue and First street. The next year, with Alexander Campbell of New York for a partner, he opened a general store on Bridge Square under the firm name of J. E. Bell & Co. In 1860 his brother David bought Mr. Campbell's interest, and the firm name was changed to Bell Brothers, and the business continued until 1867, at which time the business was sold to J. W. Johnson and J. A. Wolverton. For the next three years. Mr. Bell was located in New York as Eastern buyer for Auerbach, Finch & Scheffer, wholesale dry goods dealers of St Paul.
In 1870 Mr. Bell returned to Minneapolis, and with E. S. Jones organized the Hennepin County Savings Bank, of which bank he was cashier until Mr. Jones' death, in 1890, since which time he has been its president. The bank is now the oldest savings bank in the state, and during its thirty-one years of existence has never passed a dividend, and has paid to its depositors over $800,000 of interest on their deposits and are now paying $45,000 of interest annually to their depositors, who are largely the laboring people of Minneapolis. During the financial panic of 1893 a few of its depositors gave notice of withdrawal of funds, but when the limit expired not a depositor wanted to withdraw funds except as in ordinary times.
Mr. Bell has been connected with the Plymouth Congregational church most of the time since its organization and was a teacher in its Sunday school for many years.
In 1870 Mr. Bell returned to Minneapolis, and with E. S. Jones organized the Hennepin County Savings Bank, of which bank he was cashier until Mr. Jones' death, in 1890, since which time he has been its president. The bank is now the oldest savings bank in the state, and during its thirty-one years of existence has never passed a dividend, and has paid to its depositors over $800,000 of interest on their deposits and are now paying $45,000 of interest annually to their depositors, who are largely the laboring people of Minneapolis. During the financial panic of 1893 a few of its depositors gave notice of withdrawal of funds, but when the limit expired not a depositor wanted to withdraw funds except as in ordinary times.
Mr. Bell has been connected with the Plymouth Congregational church most of the time since its organization and was a teacher in its Sunday school for many years.
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