Introduction
Leslie W. Bell Sr. was born in Camden NJ on May 7, 1891. When the Census was taken in 1910 he was living with his sister Jennie and brother-in-law Thomas Matlack at 821 Grant Street. He was then working as a wood finisher at the Victor Talking Machine Company factory. He married Josephine Munda around 1912 and by January 1920 the Bells were the parents of a girl and boy, Evelyn 3, and newborn Leslie Jr., born December 6th of 1919. The family was living at 536 South 5th Street, just off Royden Street. Leslie Bell Sr. was then working as a furniture mover. He soon would be in business for himself.
By January of 1928 Leslie Bell had built a huge storage warehouse at 1639 Haddon Avenue, between Vesper Avenue and Copewood Street, more or less opposite the offices of Harleigh Cemetery. The Bell Storage Company was a fixture on Haddon Avenue for decades. The building later was occupied by the Simonik-Townsend Moving Company, which occupied the premises in the 1990s before moving to Mt. Laurel. The building was then razed to provide additional parking for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, located across and just north Haddon Avenue.
The Bell family had moved to Collingswood NJ by April of 1930. They then owned a home at 16 Merion Terrace.
On July 21, 1936 Leslie W. Bell sailed from Philadelphia aboard the Honduran-registered ship Iriona for Puerto Barrios Guatemala, apparently on business, as he traveled without family. He returned aboard the same ship on August 2, 1936.
The 1947 Camden City Directory shows the Bell Storage Company with Elizabeth Schuenemann as president and Leslie W. Bell as vice-president. These appear to be Leslie Bell Sr.’s children, and it is likely that he was by then deceased.
Bell’s New Warehouse Brings Huge Response
Camden Courier-Post —
Proprietor Describes Advantages of Big New Haddon Ave. Structure
That Greater Camden will support metropolitan enterprise has been demonstrated again in the immediate success of the Bell Storage Company’s mammoth fireproof warehouse on Haddon avenue.
The new building had its formal opening for service on January 12 and its success is best told by Leslie Bell himself.
“It seemed as though the people of all South Jersey have been waiting for a service such as our new warehouse now provides,” said Bell. [article continues in lesliebell-013128-2.jpg]
Leslie W. Bell Dies in Fla.; Rites Today
Camden Courier-Post —
Graveside services for Leslie W. Bell, 66, founder of the Bell Storage Company on Haddon ave., who died Thursday in Miami, Fla., were held today in Arlington Cemetery, Pennsauken.
Mr. Bell, who was prominent in Collingswood civic affairs for many years, living at 443 Collings ave., retired in 1946. His career in the moving and storage business started with a single wagon in 1915. In the same year he added another wagon. He introduced a motor moving van in 1916.
In the next three years, he added three more trucks and also opened, in 1919, his first household storage warehouse.
In 1920, he purchased the business of the Camden Van Company and in 1922, he built a modern office at 1006 South Sixth st. In the following year, he added three large moving trucks, and in 1926 went to the bus chassis, the first in Camden.
In 1927, Mr. Bell added larger equipment and on the following year he was instrumental in the formation of Allied Van Lines, Inc.
He was a member of the NRA Commission in New Jersey in 1932.
He was a member of Universal Lodge No. 216, FAM, of Camden; Scottish Rite, Valley of Camden; Mahi Shrine, of Miami; the Rotary Club of Camden and Miami, and the Artisans Club of Miami.
Surviving are his wife, Joan M., of Miami; a son, Leslie Jr., of Merchantville; four daughters, Jolie, Carol and Bonnie, all of Miami, and Mrs. Robert Schuenemann, of Collingswood; a sister, Mrs. Clara Guyant, of Camden, and three grandchildren.
Services were also conducted in Miami on Saturday.