In 1875, Bell and his extended family purchased about 360 acres (1.5 km2) of the California property, near modern Los Angeles.
Bell engaged in cattle raising and dry farming, developed water wells, and rented land to vegetable farmers.
The Bell family initially lived at the Hollenbeck's "Town House" at Fourth and Breed streets in what is now Boyle Heights until moving to a "ranch" in 1876.
Late in life, Bell would subdivide his land into tracts of 5-acre (20,000 m2) farms and move to Santa Fe Springs to live with his son Alphonzo Sr.
Six-months pregnant, Susan Bell and her four-year-old daughter Maude got on a box car to catch up with James in California.