Bell was in a business partnership with Seth M. Tinsley that ended on June 2, 1834. In 1835, Bell became a storekeeper. He was a member of the committee to procure the Springfield-Alton Railroad. In 1836, Bell was a member of the committee to incorporate the Wabash and Mississippi Railroad, and in July 1836 the company sold stock in Springfield under his direction. Bell married Jane Butler on May 10, 1837, in Springfield, Illinois. In 1837, he was a member of the firm of A. Y. Ellis and Company. Bell's partnership with Joshua Speed, James Bell and Company, ended on January 1, 1841. On the same day, Bell formed a partnership with Charles Hurst to sell dry goods and groceries under the firm name of Bell and Hurst.