Henry Wells

Henry Wells was a busy man. He worked on a farm as a boy. Later, he helped move goods on a canal.

He started big companies to carry mail. His companies were cheaper than the post office. This helped many people send letters.

He also helped start a school for women. This school is called Wells College. It is in New York.

Henry lived in a large house. He moved to a new town to live there. He loved his home in Aurora.

Henry was a very important businessman. He helped change how we move things.

Henry Wells was a famous American businessman. He was born in 1805 in Vermont. As a boy, he worked on a farm. Later, he worked as a freight agent. This means he helped move goods.

Wells helped start two very big companies. These were American Express and Wells Fargo. His companies carried mail for people. They did this for a lower price than the post office. This helped many people send letters.

In 1850, he became the president of American Express. He led that company for eighteen years. Later, he started Wells Fargo to work in the West. He wanted to take his business to California.

Wells also cared about learning. In 1868, he started Wells College in New York. This was one of the first colleges for women. He gave money to help the school grow. He lived in a large home called Glen Park. He died in Scotland in 1878. He was brought home to be buried in Aurora.

Henry Wells was a very important businessman in America. He helped build ways to move mail and goods across the land. He is best known for starting two famous companies. These were the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company. His work changed how people sent messages and items to each other. He lived during a time when the country was growing very fast.

Wells found a way to make moving mail easier and cheaper. In the 1840s, his companies carried mail at a lower rate than the government. This was a big deal for many people. His business grew by moving west from Buffalo, New York. It reached cities like Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. This helped people stay connected even when they lived far apart.

Henry Wells was born in 1805 in Thetford, Vermont. His father, Shipley Wells, was a Presbyterian minister. As a young boy, Henry worked on a farm. He later learned how to make shoes in Palmyra, New York. In 1836, he began working as a freight agent on the Erie Canal. This job helped him learn how to move goods for a living.

Many important dates marked his long career. He became the president of American Express in 1850. He held that job until 1868. On March 18, 1852, he organized Wells Fargo & Company. He did this because he wanted to send service to California. Even after his big companies grew, he stayed in Aurora, New York.

Wells did more than just run businesses. He also wanted to help people get a good education. In 1868, he founded Wells College in Aurora. It was one of the first colleges in the United States for women. He even built a large home there called Glen Park. This home later became part of the college grounds. He died in Scotland in 1878 and was brought home to Aurora.

Henry Wells was a highly influential American businessman during the 19th century. He played a central role in shaping the history of two massive corporations. These companies were the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company. His work fundamentally changed how goods and information moved across the United States. By creating efficient ways to transport mail and freight, he helped connect growing parts of the country. His business ventures were vital during a period of rapid westward expansion.

Wells began his career in the transportation industry through several different roles. In 1836, he worked as a freight agent on the Erie Canal. This position allowed him to learn the mechanics of moving goods. He later worked for Harnden's Express in Albany, New York. His career in the express business, which involves the rapid transport of goods, led to a series of important developments. He eventually suggested expanding services west of Buffalo, New York. This idea helped launch the companies that would eventually become major American institutions.

His business history involved several specific companies and partnerships. In 1841, he formed Pomeroy & Company with George E. Pomeroy and Crawford Livingston. This firm was later succeeded in 1844 by Livingston, Wells & Company. This new group included Henry Wells, William Fargo, Crawford Livingston, and Thaddeus Pomeroy. On April 1, 1845, Wells, Fargo, and Daniel Dunning established Wells & Company's Western Express. This was the first such company located west of Buffalo. It quickly expanded its service to reach Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.

One of the most significant aspects of Wells's work was his competition with the government. His express companies carried mail at a rate lower than the United States Post Office. This competition was inspired by the penny post system used in England. Because his services were more affordable, the public supported the expressmen. This pressure forced the government to reduce its own postal rates in 1845 and again in 1851. In 1850, the American Express Company was formed. It was a consolidation of Wells & Company, Livingston, Fargo & Company, and Wells, Butterfield & Company. Wells served as the president of American Express from 1850 until 1868.

Wells also founded Wells Fargo & Company on March 18, 1852. He organized this new venture because other directors at American Express objected to expanding services to California. While Wells led American Express, Edwin B. Morgan of Aurora served as the first president of Wells Fargo. Several men, including Wells and William Fargo, sat on the boards of both companies. In September 1853, Wells Fargo acquired Livingston, Wells & Company. This acquisition included their express and banking correspondents in England, France, and Germany. Although some directors later questioned certain business representations, Wells and his associates made good on any losses.

Beyond transportation, Wells was deeply involved in education and local leadership. In 1868, he founded Wells College in Aurora, New York. He provided an endowment to ensure it became one of the first women's colleges in the United States. His large residence, Glen Park, eventually became part of the college grounds. This home was designed by the architect A.J. Davis. Wells also held several other leadership roles in his community. He served as the president of the First National Bank of Aurora. He was also the first president of the Cayuga Lake Railroad in 1867.

Henry Wells was born in 1805 in Thetford, Vermont. He was the son of Shipley Wells, a Presbyterian minister. His family moved to central New York as part of a westward migration. Wells was a seventh-generation American, descending from an English immigrant named Thomas Welles. Wells lived a long and productive life, though he died in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1878. He was 72 years old, just two days shy of his 73rd birthday. His body was returned to the United States on the steamship Ethiopia. He was finally buried at Oak Glen Cemetery in Aurora, New York.