William Nathaniel Bell

Who was William Nathaniel Bell?

William Nathaniel Bell, originally from Edwardsville, Illinois and later a resident of Portland, Oregon, was a member of the Denny Party, the first group of white settlers in what is now Seattle, Washington. He lived in Seattle from 1851 to 1856 and then again from 1870 till his death.

His first wife, Sarah Ann Peter, died of tuberculosis in June 1856. With her, he had five children:

Laura Keziah 1842–1887

Olive Julia 1846 – ???? and Stewart

Mary Virginia 1847–1931

Alvina Lavina 1851–1857,

Austin Americus 1854– 1889.

His second wife, Lucy Gamble, was the younger sister of Sarah Ann.

His family is remembered in the name Belltown—a neighborhood immediately north of Downtown—and in several Seattle streets: Bell Street, Virginia and Olive Streets and Olive Way, and Stewart Street, named for Olive's husband Joseph H. Stewart.