Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page
932-933

ANDREW WEIR was born in Harthill, Lanarkshire,
Scotland, April 1821; he came to Ft. Winnebago, Wis.,
May 1851; remained there until November of the same
year, then went with his brother, John WEIR, to
California, where they spent fifteen months in mining,
etc.; then went to Australia, where he spent fifteen
months; he then sailed for Scotland, where he arrived
October 1854.  Mr. W. was married at Causewayhead,
Sterlingshire, Scotland, May 9, 1855, to Margaret
KINCAID, a native of Bowhouse, Sterlingshire,
Scotland; they sailed for America, landing in New York
in June 1855; came directly to Fort Winnebago; engaged
in real-estate and grain business; he now lives where
he first settled.  Mr. W. was one of the founders of
the City bank of Portage; was Chairman of the Board of
Supervisors several terms, and is now in that
position.

Page 933

ELISHA A. WELLS, farmer; born in Hartford, Conn., on
the 9th of September, 1801; his parents removed to
Berkshire Co., Mass., when Elisha was quite young, and
there the "old folks" resided until their death; the
father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. Mr.
WELLS remained with his parents during their entire
life.  He was married on the 25th of June 1828, to
Miss Anna MARTIN of Massachusetts; they have had nine
children; the living are Ann C. , Martha E., Horace
E., Lydia V., Lemuel M., and Mary A.  He came to
Portage on the 5th of May, 1855; present house was
first brick made in Portage; lost a large residence
May 1879; has a small place in Portage, also land in
Lewiston; has documents dated 1704, signed by Ichabod
WELLS, a Sheriff of Connecticut at the date; he was a
town official many years in his New England home.
Their "golden wedding" was celebrated on the 25th of
June 1878; kind friends and valuable gifts made it a
memorable occasion.

HORACE D. WELLS, retired farmer, was born on the 2d of
January 1798, in the city of Hartford, Conn.; he is
the son of Elisha and Clara Deming WELLS, of
Connecticut; the family trace their ancestry for 800
years, and show connection, by intermarriage, with
nobility and royalty.  The "Magna Charta," signed by
King John, in 1215, was delivered at Gunnymede to
"Bishop Hugode WELLS, of the Cathedral of Lincoln."
The ancestral tree is traced generations beyond the
"Bishop," and its branches are in a connected line
with the WELLS family in Portage.  The original "coat
of arms" of the WELLS family bore the motto,"Christ's
Cross is my Light."  Gov. Thomas WELLS, of
Connecticut, was among their earliest ancestors in
America; real estate near Hartford, Conn., has been in
continuous ownership of the WELLS family for 200
years; the subject of this sketch was married at Rye,
N.Y., on the 30th of April 1834, to Miss Mary S.
BARKER, daughter of James BARKER, a retired merchant
of New York City; Mr. WELLS was in the mahogany
business at Yonkers, N.Y., from 1828 to 1843; thence
he went to Owego, and engaged in mercantile business,
together with lumbering; in 1848 he went to Hartford,
and remained until coming West; his residence in
Hartford was once the home of Gov. Morgan of
Connecticut, and when Mr. WELLS left the State, he
sold it to Gov. Richard D. Hubbard.  Mrs. WELLS died
Oct. 6, 1852, leaving two sons - James B., born March
7, 1836, and Lemuel H., born Dec. 3, 18__.; the latter
is an Episcopal clergyman in Walla Walla, Washington
Ter.  Mr. WELLS first made a tour of the West in 1854;
in the spring of 1855 he bought a large tract in Sauk
Co., of which he still owns 1,000 acres; he came to
Portage in 1862, and his present beautiful home of 20
acres was purchased soon afterward; this is also the
home of his son James B., who was married on the 20th
of April 1859, to Miss Anna P. King, daughter of Hon.
O. B. KING, of Watertown, Conn.; they have two
children - Mary A., born May 24, 1860, and James H.,
born November 1862.  The WELLS families are all
Episcopalians; the old gentleman, past fourscore and
two years, is in delicate health, but still retains
the genial air and quiet dignity of the "old-school
gentleman."  He has always been a worthy citizen, and
is blest with competency and hosts of friends.

JOSEPH E. WELLS was born in Birmingham, England, March
22, 1842; came to Wisconsin in 1851, with his father;
his mother and other children came to Wisconsin in
April 1852; his father located at Twigg's Ferry, in
Columbia Co., on the Fox River.  Rev. William WELLS,
father of J. E. WELLS, now living at Fort Winnebago,
located a farm in that town at about that time, and
still owns it; has been engaged in preaching at
different points until fifteen years ago, regularly;
now preaches every other Sunday,as he is called upon.
Joseph E. worked upon the farm until the age of 21,
when he came to Portage and attended school for about
a year; then commenced clerking for I. W. BACON, a
hardware dealer, and remained with him between eleven
and twelve years, then purchasing the business of the
BACON estate; he has been in partnership with H. W.
WILLIAMS for the last six year; they also run a branch
store at Waupaca.  Mr. W. married in Portage, June 7,
1871, Addie E. FORREST; she was born in New Hampshire;
they have four children - May E., Cora A., Maud S.,
and Josie A.  He is serving his fourth year as
Alderman of the Third Ward; is a member of the Temple
of Honor and A.F. & A.M.

Page 933-934

DANIEL WELLS, son of Walter WELLS, who died in Yates
Co, N.Y., was born in Hamilton, Madison Co., N.Y.,
Sept. 24, 1829.  In 1858 he removed to Yates Co, N.Y.,
and resided in Penn Yan and vicinity, until 1859; in
December of the same year, he settled in Wisconsin,
purchasing a farm on Sec. 26, town of Randolph, and
engaged in farming until he sold out in September,
1868, and in November 1868, removed to Portage; in
February 1870, engaged in flour and feed business, and
also that of an auctioneer.  Mr. WELLS was Chairman of
the Board of Supervisors while at Randolph; has been
City Marshal of Portage, and also held the office of
Under Sheriff for two years.  Mr. WELLS was married in
the town of Jerusalem, Yates Co., N.Y., Feb. 15, 1859,
to Martha GALLETT, a native of that place.  They have
three children - Susan Elizabeth, John W., Daniel G.
Mr. WELLS is a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.

Submitted by Carol