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Frank Bell House
Texas City in Galveston County, Texas
Frank Bell, Sr. was a son of Norval and Catherine Bell from Alabama. Flavilla "Flavey" Bell was a daughter of Chisholm Trail and Butler Ranch Black Cowboy Calvin Bell from Mississippi and his German born wife, Katie. Frank and Flavey were married in 1887. Oral tradition tells that the house was built shortly after their wedding out of lumber salvaged from houses destroyed during the three hurricanes in 1886 that ravaged Galveston County.
Frank originally built the house on his mother and stepfather's land in the William Bell Subdivision where Lincoln School was later constructed on Carver Street. William Bell, born in Texas, was William Britton's son who was raised by his grandparents, Kneeland and Sylvia Britton. After Frank's father Norval died, his mother Catherine married William Bell who had no relation to the Norval or Calvin Bell families. Flavey was born on the old Butler Ranch in north Galveston County, Texas. Her father was Calvin Bell, a Black Cowboy who drove cattle up the Chisolm Trail with the Butler Brothers after the Civil War. The Butler family moved to north Galveston County, Texas from Louisiana in 1854. The house Frank built his bride is unique in Galveston County. It was built in the Creole Cottage style like the original Butler Ranch house. It is the oldest surviving structure in the 1867 Settlement Historic District, and the last known circa 1800s Creole Cottage Style house surviving in Galveston County.
The young couple survived the 1900 Storm in this house at its original site. In 1904, when the young couple purchased their own property, the house was rolled the short distance across the prairie on cypress logs to the land where it stands today at 117 South Bell Drive. The Frank Bell, Sr. family survived many more major hurricanes in the small house at its present site, starting with the 1915 Storm and continuing through the century to hurricanes Carla and Alicia.
Frank Bell, Sr. began working cattle soon after his family moved to the Settlement in the mid-1870s. During the mid-1880s to the early 1890s he worked for Stringfellow Orchards in the neighboring community of Hitchcock. During the mid-1890s, Frank went back to ranch work. He was known as a skilled "bronc buster" and worked for several Galveston County ranches. Frank Bell, Sr. invested his earnings in several parcels of land in the Settlement until he was thrown from a horse and critically injured. Frank Bell, Sr. never fully recovered from his injuries and his two oldest sons, Fred and Frank Jr., had to leave school and find jobs to help support the family. Frank Sr. and Flavilla Bell had seven children: three boys, Fred, Frank Jr. and Isaac Bell, and four daughters, Katy, Louise, Ruth and Elnora.
Louise Bell married James Robinson. Louise Bell Robinson and her family stayed in the house and took care of her parents, Frank Sr. and Flavilla "Flavey" Bell, until they passed away in the early 1930s. Louise Bell Robinson and her family lived in the house through the next four generations. The Frank Bell, Sr. family donated the historic Frank Sr. and Flavilla Bell house to Texas City.
Frank Bell House
Texas City in Galveston County, Texas
Frank Bell, Sr. was a son of Norval and Catherine Bell from Alabama. Flavilla "Flavey" Bell was a daughter of Chisholm Trail and Butler Ranch Black Cowboy Calvin Bell from Mississippi and his German born wife, Katie. Frank and Flavey were married in 1887. Oral tradition tells that the house was built shortly after their wedding out of lumber salvaged from houses destroyed during the three hurricanes in 1886 that ravaged Galveston County.
Frank originally built the house on his mother and stepfather's land in the William Bell Subdivision where Lincoln School was later constructed on Carver Street. William Bell, born in Texas, was William Britton's son who was raised by his grandparents, Kneeland and Sylvia Britton. After Frank's father Norval died, his mother Catherine married William Bell who had no relation to the Norval or Calvin Bell families. Flavey was born on the old Butler Ranch in north Galveston County, Texas. Her father was Calvin Bell, a Black Cowboy who drove cattle up the Chisolm Trail with the Butler Brothers after the Civil War. The Butler family moved to north Galveston County, Texas from Louisiana in 1854. The house Frank built his bride is unique in Galveston County. It was built in the Creole Cottage style like the original Butler Ranch house. It is the oldest surviving structure in the 1867 Settlement Historic District, and the last known circa 1800s Creole Cottage Style house surviving in Galveston County.
The young couple survived the 1900 Storm in this house at its original site. In 1904, when the young couple purchased their own property, the house was rolled the short distance across the prairie on cypress logs to the land where it stands today at 117 South Bell Drive. The Frank Bell, Sr. family survived many more major hurricanes in the small house at its present site, starting with the 1915 Storm and continuing through the century to hurricanes Carla and Alicia.
Frank Bell, Sr. began working cattle soon after his family moved to the Settlement in the mid-1870s. During the mid-1880s to the early 1890s he worked for Stringfellow Orchards in the neighboring community of Hitchcock. During the mid-1890s, Frank went back to ranch work. He was known as a skilled "bronc buster" and worked for several Galveston County ranches. Frank Bell, Sr. invested his earnings in several parcels of land in the Settlement until he was thrown from a horse and critically injured. Frank Bell, Sr. never fully recovered from his injuries and his two oldest sons, Fred and Frank Jr., had to leave school and find jobs to help support the family. Frank Sr. and Flavilla Bell had seven children: three boys, Fred, Frank Jr. and Isaac Bell, and four daughters, Katy, Louise, Ruth and Elnora.
Louise Bell married James Robinson. Louise Bell Robinson and her family stayed in the house and took care of her parents, Frank Sr. and Flavilla "Flavey" Bell, until they passed away in the early 1930s. Louise Bell Robinson and her family lived in the house through the next four generations. The Frank Bell, Sr. family donated the historic Frank Sr. and Flavilla Bell house to Texas City.
