Alvin Bell was a native of Indiana and moved to Ida County in 1880.

He was initially engaged in farming before he moved to Ida Grove where he was involved in a successful career in the livestock industry.

It was constructed by local builders Thomas and William Bassett, and completed in 1895.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 1983.

This article about a property in Ida County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.