John Nelson Bell papers
MSS.100
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
October 09, 2012
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie, Indiana, 47306
765-285-5078
libarchives@bsu.edu
John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Table of Contents
Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3
Biographical Note.......................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4
Arrangement...................................................................................................................................................4
Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5
Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................6
Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 7
Series 1: John Nelson Bell account books, 1888-1922...........................................................................7
Series 2: John Nelson Bell daybooks and other notes, 1888-1922.........................................................7
Series 3: John Nelson Bell photographic postcards, 1911, undated....................................................... 8
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Summary Information
Repository
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Creator - Compiler
Bell, John Nelson
Title
John Nelson Bell papers
Date
1887-1922
Extent
1.4 Cubic feet 2 boxes
Language
English
Preferred Citation
John Nelson Bell papers, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Biographical Note
Dr. John Nelson Bell practiced medicine in the Delaware County community of New Burlington for forty
years. Born at Morgantown, Virginia on April 21, 1858, the son of Henry and Louise (Swisher) Bell, Dr.
Bell attended school at Fairmont, West Virginia. (After the Civil War, the section of Virginia in which Dr.
Bell was born and grew up became part of what is now West Virginia.)
Dr. Bell began teaching school at age sixteen. For ten years, he taught and supplemented his education by
taking classes at a normal school. He became interested in the practice of medicine and in 1884, entered
Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio. He left there after two years and entered the Medical
College of Ohio, graduating from that institution in the spring of 1888. The previous fall, Dr. Bell had
heard that Dr. Samuel Jump, the practicing physician in Perry Township, Delaware County, Indiana,
had received a presidential appointment as the postmaster of Selma and would be moving to Liberty
Township, leaving a medical vacancy in Perry Township. So after graduation, Dr. Bell came to Delaware
County, where he began his practice at New Burlington.
That same fall, on November 28, 1888, he married Carrie L. Will of Perry Township, the daughter of John
and Mary (Keesling) Will. Dr. Bell and his wife had three daughters, Letha B, Mary F. and Enid A. Mary
F. was born with a defective heart and she died at the age of five.
Along with practicing medicine, Dr. Bell eventually owned a 125 acre farm in Perry Township, on which
the doctor became especially interested in dairying and swine breeding. A republican, Dr. Bell was also a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in New Burlington and active in the Freemasons, serving four
times as worshipful master of Whitney Lodge No. 229. Dr. Bell died September 1, 1928.
Scope and Contents
This collection is divided into three series: account books, which contains Dr. Bell’s financial dealings,
including payment from patients and money paid out for supplies; daybooks, which gives names of
patients, reason for doctor's visit and charge for services; PSC.113 contains two picture postcards, one of
Dr. Bell and one of Dr. Bell and his daughter.
Arrangement
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: John Nelson Bell account books, 1888-1922
Series 2: John Nelson Bell daybooks and other notes, 1888-1922
Series 3: John Nelson Bell photographic postcards, 1911, undated
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State
University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to
Archives and Special Collections.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing revised 2007/07/17 by M. Read. EAD finding aid created 2012/10/05 by Julie
Hausknecht. EAD finding aid revised 2012/10/09 by Bethany Fiechter.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of the John Nelson Bell photographs are available electronically in the Ball State
University Digital Media Repository: http://libx.bsu.edu/.
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
• Documents
• Financial records
• Photographs
Geographic Name(s)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Delaware County (Ind.)
Delaware County (Ind.)--History--19th century--Sources
Delaware County (Ind.)--History--20th century--Sources
Muncie (Ind.)
Muncie (Ind.)--History--19th century--Sources
Muncie (Ind.)--History--20th century--Sources
Subject(s)
• Account books
• Medicine
• Stoeckel Archives of Local History
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Series 1: John Nelson Bell account books, 1888-1922
Collection Inventory
Series 1: John Nelson Bell account books, 1888-1922
Account books, 1888-1894
Account books, 1896-1902
Account books, 1904-1910
Account books, 1910-1922
Box
Folder
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
Box
Folder
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
5
Series 2: John Nelson Bell daybooks and other notes, 1888-1922
Daybooks, 1888-1892
Daybooks, 1892-1896
Daybooks, 1896-1899
Daybooks, 1900-1902
Daybooks, 1902-1906
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John Nelson Bell papers MSS.100
Series 3: John Nelson Bell photographic postcards, 1911, undated
Daybooks, 1909-1912
Daybooks, 1912-1913
Daybooks, 1920 July- Dec. 20, 1922
Medical school notes, 1887-1888
Treatments notes, undated
PSC.113 Series 3: John Nelson Bell photographic postcards, 1911, undated
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