JESSE B. WELLS

William G. Cutler’s History of the State of Kansas

JESSE B. WELLS, farmer, Section 23, Township 18, Range 22, P. O. Lane, Franklin County, is one of the early pioneers of this township. He was born in Monroe County, Ind., December 6, 1828; was brought up in that State, and emigrated to Iowa in 1848. resided in Lucas County til May, 1856; he then came to Kansas and located a claim on Section 24, Township 18, Range 21. The following year he moved to his present place of residence, on Section 23, still retaining the old place. He now has 160 acres, a large portion of which is rich bottom timber lands. Mr. Wells was a Free-state man and was associated with John Brown in the time of the early strife, between Freedom and Slavery. At the time of the attack on Osawatomie, in August, 1856, he rode to Garnett and notified a company of Free-state men at that point and accompanied them to the scene of the fight, but too late to participate in it. During the late war he enlisted in Company C, Twelfth Kansas Infantry and served three years, or til the close of the war. He was married in Indiana, February 24, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth A., daughter of Wesley Whitson. Mrs. Wells was born in Monroe County, Ind., They had ten children of whom seven are living-Solon T., David T., died aged twenty-three years; Mary L., died in childhood; Mamie E., Numa W., John P., Jessie B., Minnie, Elmer, Freddie, who died in childhood.