1926 Frank, Jr. and Ollie Caldwell Bell House

1926 Frank, Jr. and Ollie Caldwell Bell House. . Frank Bell, Jr. (1893-1963), was the son of Flavilla "Flavey" Bell and Frank Bell, Sr. Ollie V. Caldwell Bell (1890-1974) was the daughter of Chisolm Trail and Butler Ranch Black Cowboy Thomas Caldwell. After Frank, Jr.'s discharge from the US Army, he and Ollie were married in 1918. The couple welcomed five children, Frank, III, Eunice, Evelyn, Alonzo and Vera Lee, as well as Earl, Frank's son from a previous marriage. Shortly after their marriage, the young couple opened Bell's Store. Living quarters in the back provided a home for the Bell's and their oldest children. In 1926, Frank, Jr. and Ollie designed a cottage-style house, which he built on the property next to the store. He brought electricity to Bell's Store in 1929 and helped The Settlement residents get electricity to their homes. Ten years later, he began a real estate career subdividing land into residential lots and custom building houses. Many of the structures built by Frank, Jr and his partners were designed by his wife, Ollie Bell. By the 1940's Frank, Jr. and Ollie owned a community store, a hotel, and Cafe 348. Frank, Jr. owned a service station with his sons. He was also a partner in the BA&P Realty Company and Lumber Yard and was instrumental in the creation of Carver Park, the first African American county park in Texas. Frank and Ollie Bell's children became successful members of the La Marque and west Texas City communities. Today, the Frank, Jr. and Ollie Caldwell Bell House is held in a partnership made up of the last surviving child, Vera Bell Gary, and Frank and Ollie's 14 grandchildren. A Texas Historical Marker commemorating Frank Bell, Jr. is located at La Marque City Hall. , Captions , Upper Left: Ollie Caldwell Bell , Middle Left: Frank Bell, Jr. , Lower Left: Frank Bell, Jr. , Lower Left (R): Bell Children, 1929 , Middle Lower Left: Vera Bell Gray, Eunice Bell and Frank Bell III , Middle Lower Right: Frank Bell's Store , Lower Right (L): BA&P Lumber , Lower Right: Bell and Sons Services , Middle Right: Frank and Ollie Bell Family, 1940s , Upper Right: Frank, Jr. and Ollie Caldwell Bell House . This historical marker was erected by 1867 Settlement Historic District and Texas City. It is in Texas City in Galveston County Texas