Bell is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 36,664.
Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is situated north of South Gate. Bell Gardens lies to its east.
In March of 2000, Bell gained worldwide publicity, as the media announced that a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes were stolen from a trucking company loading dock in the City of Bell. In addition to the Los Angeles and Bell police departments, FBI art-theft experts were investigating. It was the second Oscar mislap as earlier that month 4,000 ballots were misrouted. Coincidentally, the missing Oscar ballots were found by the Post Office in a Bell processing center. Academy AMPAS Executive Director Bruce Davis was quoted: "We've told Billy Crystal (host of that year's Oscar Ceremony) not to go anywhere near Bell, California, in the next couple of weeks, It seems to be a Bermuda Triangle for Oscar things."
Every winter, The City of Bell hosts it's annual "Bell Family Holiday Parade & Festival" which starts at Debs Park and ends at the Bell Community Center.
On November 29, 2005, in a Special Municipal Election, City of Bell residents voted to become a Charter city.
Bell is located at 33°58'42" North, 118°10'58" West (33.978414, -118.182908).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 km2 (2.6 mi2). 6.4 km2 (2.5 mi2) of it is land and 0.4 km2 (0.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 6.44% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 36,664 people, 8,918 households, and 7,615 families residing in the city. The population density is 5,708.1/km2 (14,802.5/mi2). There are 9,215 housing units at an average density of 1,434.6/km2 (3,720.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 48.45% White, 1.28% Black or African American, 1.28% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 43.09% from other races, and 4.78% from two or more races. 90.90% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,918 households out of which 57.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% are married couples living together, 18.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% are non-families. 11.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 4.05 and the average family size is 4.27.
In the city the population is spread out with 35.3% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,946, and the median income for a family is $30,504. Males have a median income of $22,596 versus $17,025 for females. The per capita income for the city is $9,905. 24.1% of the population and 21.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.7% of those under the age of 18 and 16.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
I. Lugo Family
In the Nineteenth Century, until 1860, the area which now is the City Of Bell is Los Angeles County, was part of the 30,000 - acre Rancho San Antonio. This Rancho had been settled by Don Antonio Maria Lugo, a Spanish aristocrat and former soldier, whose father, Francisco Lugo, came to California in 1771. Some between 1810 and 1813, Don Antonio had obtained permission from the Spanish King to settle on the Rancho; and, later, in about 1838, the King formally granted the land to Don Antonio. As the years passed, Rancho San Antonio became widely known for its fine horses and large herds of cattle which grazed on the rolling prairie. In the later half of the century, however, between 1855 and 1865 most of the Rancho was sold for less than one dollar per acre. The Lugo family did manage to retain its home, and descendants of the family still living in the original adobe house which is located on what is now the southwest corner of Gage and Garfield Avenues.
II. Bell Family
Between 1870 and 1890, when a land boom occurred in the area (then known as Obed), large portions of the former Rancho were divided into smaller land holdings which were acquired by newly arriving settlers. Other portions were sold to settlers by former owners. James George Bell and his family, the pioneer residents for whom the city is named, arrived, acquired about 360 acres of land and helped in its development as a small farming and cattle raising community. The Bell Family lived at he Hollenbeck's Town House on 4th and Breed Street until they moved in the ranch Bell House in 1876. The Bell House was an early Victorian Style farm house. In 1898, the town's name was changed to Bell in honor its pioneer founder.
At the turn of the Twentieth Century, the Bell area was a sparsely settled countryside with a scattering of houses, including the Bell family's home. Between 1900 and 1915, as more people settle in the area, more homes and churches were built, and several small businesses were established in July, 1913. The citizens agreed to provide all facilities and services for the library, except for the books.
In the fifteen years following World War I, form 1920 to 1935, an explosive growth in population occurred in the Bell area. Old and new residents built new businesses, established schools, and founded community organizations such as the Bell Chamber of Commerce and the Woman's Club. An area-wide sanitation district was formed in 1923 to provide sewer facilities. In 1924, George O. Wheeler founded the Industrial Post, the local newspaper which now serves the communities of Bell, Cudahy, and Maywood. In 1925, Bell High School was opened. In that same year, the Alcazar Theater to show "talking pictures", was completed.
Bell was incorporated as a city in 1927 and has continued to grow and develop. Since its incorporation, the City Of Bell has acquired land for public parks and the recreational program. The city also has constructed an adequate sewer system, widened all major streets, built a City Hall, and provided Fire Department buildings, with the cooperation of Los Angeles County, the City of Maywood and the County Of Los Angeles, the City Of Bell constructed an indoor public swimming pool at Bell High School. Numerous businesses and small industries are now located within the city; and several schools, churches, and community organizations now serve Bell residents. A local government now supervises this growth and provides the services needed by the ever-increasing populace.
Thus, in the span of about one-hundred fifty years the area of Bell has changed from the sprawling Rancho San Antonio, with its grazing herds of cattle, to a small city with an efficient city government.
Source:
BellCalifornia.com
HOTELS • REAL ESTATE • JOBS