This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: oastwd Surnames: Classification: biography Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.washington.counties.king/1826.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The Seattle Times Magazine Sunday, May 14, 1967 Page 7, Column 1 Monument To An Unhappy Man When Harry Bonath painted the old Austin A. Bell Building at 2326 First Avenue for today's cover, he revived memories of the tragic story of the man for whom the structure was named. Austin Americus Bell was the only son of William N. Bell, one of the city's founders, a member of the party landing at Alki on November 13, 1851, from the schooner Exact. His land claim, adjacent to those of the Dennys and Borens, became the separate community of Belltown, later surrounded and annexed by Seattle. Austin, the second male white child born here, started his life in a log cabin about opposite the site of the four story brick building in the painting. The cabin was burned in 1856 during an Indian attack on the settlement. The father, having proved up on his land, had enough of troubles with Indians and with trying to farm where he first had to chop down a forest. He moved to California, returning in 1870 after his wife's death. In the meantime, the property had become valuable and he made substantial improvements on it, erecting, among other buildings, the Bellevue Hotel at Battery Street and First Avenue (it was Front Street in those days). William N. Bell died September 8, 1887, at the age of 70, leaving an estate valued at $400,000. Austin inherited a quarter share. The property and buildings continued to increase in worth and Austin was regarded as one of Seattle's wealthy citizens. He had been married six years, had a substantial home, good business, social and family connections and should have been a happy man, were it not for being haunted with ill health. His father had been ill the last six years of his life and his mental condition had deteriorated toward the end. Austin, never robust, thought he saw signs of his father's sickness in himself. When the younger man returned to Seattle, he had been a printer. Between April 1875 and September 1878, he was half owner of The Puget Sound Daily Dispatch and did some of its editorial work. After selling his share of the paper, he spent most of 10 years traveling and seeking to restore his health. He maintained a real estate office, moving it in 1889 from the Opera House to 2222 Front (First) Avenue on some of the Bell family property. He was planning to erect a new brick building next to the Bellevue hotel to replace a large wooden structure. The night of April 23, he went for a buggy ride with his nephew and discussed his contemplated investment. Net morning, the world apparently did not look so rosy. He suffered from indigestion and other complications. Perhaps his breakfast did not agree with him. He went to his office as usual, but locked the doors behind him, entered the inner chamber of this three room suite and wrote a letter to his wife. Then he drew out a revolver and shot himself in the temple. A next door merchant heard the shot and rushed across the street to tell a druggist he thought a murder had been committed. They looked through Bell's windows and saw evidence of trouble, but were unable to enter and investigate. Someone summoned a doctor and others broke in the door. Bell was found on the floor with the weapon under his right hand. The letter he had left informed his wife that Bell did not consider life with poor health worth living and expressed sorrow that he must take this way out. Mrs. Eva Bell completed the building as a memorial to her husband and placed on it his name and the date, 1889. Elmer H. Fisher was the architect. The structure, costing $50,000, was hailed as one of the showiest in the city. The exterior was of pressed brick, dressed stone and terra cotta, with more than the usual amount of plate glass. Two store spaces were on the ground floor and 63 apartments above. It is still a conspicuous edifice, rising higher than the buildings around it and having the dour, brooding aspect of the unhappy man to whom it was a monument. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.