Bell, California

Bell, California
City
Images, from top and left to right: James George Bell House, Bell Public Library, City of Bell Police sign
Location of Bell in California
Bell, California Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°59′N 118°11′W / 33.983°N 118.183°W / 33.983; -118.183Coordinates: 33°59′N 118°11′W / 33.983°N 118.183°W / 33.983; -118.183
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Incorporated	November 7, 1927
Government
• Mayor	Alicia Romero
Area
• Total	2.620 sq mi (6.783 km2)
• Land	2.501 sq mi (6.476 km2)
• Water	0.119 sq mi (0.307 km2)  4.53%
Elevation	141 ft (43 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)
• Total	35,477
• Estimate (2013)	35,948
• Density	14,000/sq mi (5,200/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP Code	90201–90202, 90270
Area code(s)	323
FIPS code	06-04870
GNIS feature IDs	1660322, 2409816
Website	www.cityofbell.org

Bell is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County, California, near the center of the former San Antonio Township (abolished after 1960). Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles. At 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), Bell is the thirteenth smallest city in the United States with a population of at least 25,000.

In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Bell's land area at 1245 out of 1257 cities (defined as incorporated areas) and two unincorporated areas that had a population of at least 25,000 in year 2000. Ten cities in the list of 1267 cities had no land area data (e.g., Goleta, California).

City residents voted to become a charter city in a special municipal election on November 29, 2005. Fewer than 400 voters turned out for that special election. More than half of those votes were dubiously obtained absentee votes. Being a charter city meant that city officials were exempt from state salary caps. A scandal ensued, in which several city officials were indicted for giving themselves extraordinarily high salaries.

The area comprising the city of Bell has a Native American history dating back thousands of years. The Gabrieliño Indians migrated to the place now called Bell in 500 BC. Spaniards have been living in this area of California since the mid-16th century. Among the early Spanish settlers was one of California’s first families, the Lugos. While stationed at Mission San Antonio de Padua near Salinas, California, Francisco Lugo’s first California son, Antonio Maria Lugo was born in 1775. That son became Don Antonio Maria Lugo, Spanish aristocrat and soldier, who settled on 30,000 acres of land that encompasses what is now the city of Bell. In 1810, the King of Spain formally granted the land to Lugo as a reward for his military service. Lugo also became the mayor of a little town called Los Angeles, from 1816–1819, and the acreage became known as Rancho San Antonio. The grant was confirmed by the Mexican governor in 1838. By 1865, the Lugo family's fortune had dwindled and most of the Rancho was sold for less than a dollar per acre. The Lugo family did manage to retain its home, built about 1810, which is the now oldest house in Los Angeles County. The original adobe house was on Gage Avenue.