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If This House Could Talk...
The house described is located east of Cobden on Bell Hill. A house has been located on this spectacular site for over 140 years. But why is it called "Bell" Hill or "Bell" House?
James Bell purchased the estate on the hill from Thomas and Finus Evans in the early 1860s. James and Eliza Bell "tastefully improved it" making it into "one of the most beautiful homesteads in Southern Illinois," according to William Henry Perrin's History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski counties.
Bell had accumulated wealth from his sawmills in Pulaski county. Now living in Union county, Bell started a mill and box-factory in Meisenheimer district with a partner, Messler. The two then erected a box factory 3.5 miles west of Cobden, and later ran one in the southern part of the county.
A showplace of Southern Illinois, the Bell House in the 1880s sported a high tower, from which some people reported seeing the hills of Missouri and western Kentucky as well as the trailing smoke of steamboats on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Other outstanding features of the house were porches on three sides, a third-floor ballroom with ornate windows touching the ceiling, a library with built-in seats, and numerous fireplaces.
In 1891, George Bell, the only son of James and Eliza Bell, married Alice Lee Bailey of Ogden, Utah. The young couple came back to live in Bell House. Maud Rittenhouse Mayne, who later became an accomplished Southern Illinois author, described in her diary a visit paid to the Bells by fourteen people from Cairo on August 13, 1891. george Belll drove the guests about on a hayrack, and sister Maggie kept the "music box" wound up. the talented MMaud frequently visited the Bell estate and entertained guests as "socialbles" with her songs and recitations.
As renowned as the house became, the orchards and greenhouse may have surpassed any of its kind in this part of the country. George Parks in his History of Union County reports that John Sweitzer from Baden-Baden, Germany, came to work for Bell in 1866 and remained his head farmer for sixteen years. By the 1880s, the Bell farm was producting thousands of bushels of apples, keeping extensive pear orchards, and growing some cherries. Bell is mentioned as one of six men who kept between ten and thirty acres in strawberries. In the productive greenhouse grew large amounts of roses and ferns, which found a ready market in Chicago.
During the fall of 1897, the old house burned. The next year a new house was built quite similar to the old, but minus the huge tower and two side porches.
keeping up with the new technology of the times, the new house featured an ingenious piping system that supplied the faucets with hard and soft water. In addition, call bells and speaking tubes were installed as well as gas jets.
Beverly M. of Anna, who correctly guessed the location and current owners of the house sent along some interesting personal memories from the 1950s. At that time, Bell Hill Farm was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Andreas. On many occasions they would invite a few high school students to their home for a dual piano recital. They would play two beautiful grand pianos on the main floor. Afterward, the group would go to the third floor ballroom for snacks, dancing, and very stimulating conversations.
Beverly poses an interesting question: She was told when growing up in cobden that a huge tree in the front yard of Bell House was used by Union soldiers as a "look out" point. Is this true, or just a local folk tale? P.A.S.T. would like to hear any responses you might have to the question or any additional information you would like to share about this treasured structure of Union County.
Researcher: B. Heidinger