Pleasants County, West Virginia, Biography of James S. Wells

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JAMES S. WELLS

James S. Wells, a prominent farmer of Tyler county, is a son of 
Benjamin and Mary (Ruffner) Wells.  The father was born in Brooke 
county, W.Va., in 1789, and was a son of William Wells.  The 
grandfather was born in Baltimore, and came to West Virginia in a 
very early day.  He settled in Brooke county where he remained until 
1802, when he came to Tyler county, and took up his abode on Middle 
Island creek, at the mouth of McElroy.  At this point he built the 
first and only stone house of Tyler county, cleared out a good farm, 
and remained there until death.  He was connected with the building 
of the first mill of the county, the Judge Hundle.  The father of our 
subject was reared on the old farm until twenty-six years og age, and 
during a part of the time had charge of a tannery on the place.  At 
the age mentioned, he went to Charleston, W.Va., where he worked 
first as a day laborer, but by good management soon owned an interest 
in the establishment (salt works) with which he was connected.  
Afterward he became for a time sole owner of the works, with which he 
remained about fifteen years, when he sold out his interest in the 
saw-mill, and removed to the farm where our subject now resides.  He 
bought 420 acres of land which was at the time of a very poor 
quality, but he soon converted it into one of the finest farms in the 
country.  He was a very hard working man and accumulated considerable 
wealth in an honorable way.  Our subject was reared on the home farm, 
and was educated in the common district schools.  In 1872 he was 
married to Vestia Buchanan, and the union resulted in the birth of 
four children, viz.: Mary E., C. Truman, and Lou W. and Laura 
(twins).  The mother of these children was a native of Ohio, and she 
and her husband are members of the Presbyterian church.  Mr, Wells 
now owns 400 acres of the old homeplace which he has greatly improved 
by erecting thereon a two-story brick dwelling besides a good barn.  
He ranks as one of the leading citizens and representative farmers of 
the county.     

From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I; Brant & Fuller, 1891.


(Linda Cunningham Fluharty)