Frank Bell Jr. (1893–1963), the son of early La Marque settlers Flavery and Frank Bell, Sr., rose from little formal education to business success and respected civic leadership in La Marque’s African American community. He served in the U. S. Army during World War I and was later stationed in this area, then retired from the army and worked in the oil industry in Texas City. In 1938 he began a real estate career by purchasing land in La Marque that he and partner Will Mentor subdivided into residential lots. As a partner in the B A & P Realty Company, he helped develop a number of residential subdivisions in La Marque’s African American communities in the 1940s. He became known for fairness in his real estate dealings and as owner of a neighborhood store and gas station. A behind-the-scenes force in local affairs, he served on Galveston County’s Negro Chamber of Commerce, was often called La Marque's unofficial African American mayor, and played a vital role in creating Carver Park and obtaining funds to improve religious, educational, and recreational opportunities for the city’s African American community.