Aaron Wells Family
Association
Newsletter #34?????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????/span>??/span>??/span>????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?/span>June?2004
Aaron Wells and Ruth
Wiggins were married 31 July (bond), 3 August (ministers return), 1790.
Children: Nathan, Elizabeth A., Rachel E., Drucilla & Ruama, Sarah Sally?
W., Nancy, William W., Robert, John W., Ruth, Aaron, Mary Polly? Daniel &
Uriah.?
REMINDER!
Wells Family Reunion
Sunday, July 18, 2004
11:00 a.m.?:00 p.m.
North Central 4-H Center
Carlisle, Kentucky
Genealogist/Founder
Lucy Thompson
1917-1991
President
Jon Hagee
3021 Stanford Drive
Lexington, KY?40517
(859) 271-2918
jhagee@frontierfolk.net
http://frontierfolk.org/wells.htm
Secretary/Treasurer
Betty Jo Wells
R. R. 2, Box 215
Mount Olivet, KY 41064
(606) 724-5696
Newsletter Editor
Patricia Roane Straube
131 Robinhood Drive?????
San Francisco, CA?94127
(415) 334-6300
straube@earthlink.net
Message from the President
Our Kentucky Heritage
Dear Wells cousins,
I'm looking forward to seeing you all soon. I have been increasingly meeting cousins
at various historical and genealogical events throughout the year and have
enjoyed that. Some of our ancestors and cousins were at Ruddles Station and
Boonesborough as well as Kenton's Station. Each year I work with events
concerning these locations and am looking forward to sharing some of my
experiences with you all. If you have Internet access, try:
Ruddle's and Martin's
Stations Historic Association
http://ramsha1780.org/
Simon Kenton Frontier
Festival
On September 18 and 19, 2004,
the village of Old Washington, Kentucky, established in 1786, will be hosting
the 28th annual Simon Kenton Frontier Festival.
http://frontierfolk.org/festival.htm
Boonesborough Militia
http://frontierfolk.net/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewforum.php?f=15
See you all at the reunion!
Your cousin,
Jon Hagee
[Graphic]
Map of
Kentucky 1795
From: The
United States gazetteer / Joseph Scott. Philadelphia : Printed by F. and R.
Bailey,?1795.
The Filson
Historical Society.
Treasurers Report
Dear Cousins,
Once again the time for our
reunion is approaching. We hope that many of you will be able to attend. It is
always interesting to see everyone. Dont forget to bring your crafts?for the silent auction. Many of us look
forward to taking home a treasure.
The balance in our bank
account is $734.54. We would welcome any donations that those of you who are
unable to attend the reunion might choose to give.
?
????????????????????????Respectfully
submitted,
????????????????????????Betty Jo Wells
????????????????????????Secretary/Treasurer
Thanks to all of you who have
contributed items and information for this newsletter: Marilyn Armstrong,
Brenda Derr, Connie Hazletine, Jessica Lewis, Jane Roane, Charles T. Wells,
Nicky Wells and Terry Wells.
Please remember to send your
news, updates, pictures, change of address and other items of family or
historical interest to me at:
Newsletter Editor
131 Robinhood Drive
San Francisco, CA?94127-1626
Email: straube@earthlink.net.
You can visit our updated
FIVE-generation database at RootsWeb:
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=wellswiggins
The map on the first page
comes from The Library of Congress which has a new addition to its American
Memory series, The First American West: The Ohio River Valley,
1750-1820, consisting of 15,000 pages of original historical material
documenting the land, peoples, exploration, and transformation of the
trans-Appalachian West from the mid-eighteenth to the early nineteenth century.
The collection is drawn from the holdings of the University of Chicago Library
and the Filson Historical Society of Louisville, Kentucky.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml/fawhome.html
????????????????????????Sincerely,
?/span>??????????????????????? Patricia
Roane Straube
????????????????????????Newsletter Editor
[Graphic]
Piqua Christian Church ?
Early 1900s
Piqua Christian Church
By Betty Jo Wells
Monday, June 21st, I attended
a meeting of the Robertson County Historical Society held at the Piqua
Christian Church. A history of the church was given by Keith and Jeanie (Mann)
Ellis. She is a descendant of William W. Wells and Matilda Collins.
The congregation of the Piqua
Christian Church was organized in the 1880s and for some years met in private
homes and in the old Wiggins Schoolhouse on the hill back of the Piqua School.
By 1890 sufficient interest and funds had been built up to look for a permanent
home. Salathiel Curtis and his wife, Elizabeth [daughter of Uriah Wells and
Esther Pollock], gave the land for the new church. The deed, dated August 16,
1890, was recorded in Book 8, page 60 of the Robertson County Records. It was
signed by Frank Curtis, Birch Wells [son of Daniel Wells and Lucinda Collins],
and William P. Barnett, as Trustees of the church. The church has been
remodeled through the years but is still home to a faithful congregation.
From the Akron (Ohio)
Beacon Journal:
????????What's in a name? When it comes to translating
American Indian dialects, the experts don't always agree. But many of their
names are variants of Indian words or phrases, and the true intent of the namer
isn't always clear. Here are some commonly held definitions:
Piqua (towns in Ohio and Kentucky): From a Shawnee legend
about a man who rose from a dying fire. ``Otaht-he-wagh-Pe-Qua'' means ``He has
come out of the ashes.''
Pickaway (county in Ohio): A variant spelling of Piqua.
The following column comes
from an old newspaper clipping kindly submitted by Connie Hazeltine. Can you
guess what year it was? The answer is in the last paragraph.
?? Sunday, Oct. 7th, dawned with a beautiful sunshiny
day, one to be remembered by the many relatives of the Wells family,
represented mostly of the late W. H. Wells and Birch Wells children. All
journeyed to the Blue Licks Hotel grounds where they obtained permission from
Mr. Will Hall, the generous hearted and courteous proprietor, for the use of
the grounds. At twelve oclock noon the table was spread and overloaded with
bountiful lot of good things to eat.
?? Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Paynter, of Fairview;
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paynter, Mayslick; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Gore and son, Walter Wood:
Mr. and Mrs. W.T. McConnell, Jr.; Mrs. W. T. Linville and two sons, William Ed.
and Tommy Keith; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Reinheimer and two daughters, Sue Elizabeth
and Freddie Milton; Mr. and Mrs. Neville Henson, Chicago, Ill.; Mr and Mrs.
Ivan Mason, Washington; Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Wells and daughter, Anna Elizabeth;
Dotson Wells and friend, Miss Virginia Johnson of Paris; Mr. and Mrs. L. T.
Wood, Piqua; Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Fryman and daughter, Rena Fryman; Mr. and Mr.
Oda Fryman, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Paynter, Mayslick; Mrs. J. W. Wells and
children, Gordon Wells and Millard Burns; Mrs. Wesley Wells, Howard Wells,
Piqua; Mr. and Mr. Walker McCann, Millersburg; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond McConnell
and two children, Billie and Barbara, Paris; Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Paynter and two
daughters, Winnefred Lee and Gwendalyn, near Mayslick; Mrs. E. N. Gifford and
daughter, Mr. Claude Ballard, Paris; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wells and son, Billie,
Paris; Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Wells and two children, Helen Lucy and M. C. Jr.,
near Paris; Mr. and Mrs. Theodore McConnell and daughter Bettie Lou; Mrs. Helen
Gore, Miss Helen Gore.
?? Those present in the afternoon were: Mr. and Mrs. George
Thompson and children, Piqua; Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Mann and family of Nicholas
county; Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell C. Wells and children, Elizabeth, Junior and
David; David R. Wells, Mrs. Elfie Gough; Miss Elfie Lou Gough, Henry Black,
Elizaville; Arthur B. Keal, Ewing; Osmer Wells and daughter, Reatha; Mrs. Merle
L. Wells and daughter, Lenore J.; Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Wells and son, William
Alton; J. W. Bentley, Tilton Armbruster, Piqua. About ninety people were in attendance.
?? In the afternoon, several groups of pictures were made of the
family, and a friendship of love seemed to abide with all. After spending these
few happy hours together, and just before the time of departure, it was agreed
by everyone to meet on the first Sunday in October at the same place in the
year 1935. An invitation is extended to all those that were absent at this
reunion of the same relationship. In behalf of the family we express our many
thanks to Mr. Hall.?????????A
Member
Lineage Links
Whats in a name?
In the 21st century, we have
grown used to everyone having a middle name, but its a fairly recent custom,
growing in popularity in America throughout the 19th century. Even then, middle
names were not simply space-fillers like they often are now. Those of German
descent often had multiple baptismal names while those from the British Isles
tended to use surnames as middle names, either to honor family members or
famous men of the day.
Of Aaron and Ruths fifteen
children, only five had middle initials. Three of these were W., for
Wiggins, to honor Ruths father, William, and most likely her brother John and
his wife Sarah Sally?Wiggins. Elizabeth A. Wells?middle name was spelled out
in her marriage record, Ashcraft. As the eldest daughter, her name was a
clue to the possible identity of Ruths mother, since the first girl was often
named for the wifes mother. From deed records in Washington County, Maryland
we have discovered that William Wiggins?wifes name was, indeed, Elizabeth and
that his land adjoined that of Daniel Ashcraft who was known to have had a
daughter by that name whose husband had never been identified by Ashcraft
family researchers.
That leaves us with the
remaining child with a middle initial, the second daughter, Rachel E. Wells.
What does it stand for? Unfortunately no records pertaining to her have been
found which spell it out. This is extremely tantalizing since it was often the
custom to name the second daughter after the husbands mother.
Then I got an email from
Terry Wells. He is a triple?Wells. His surname comes, not from Aaron, but
from his proven kinsman, Robert Wells, of Clermont County, Ohio. Roberts son,
John D. Wells married Aarons daughter Rachel E. Wells. [Johns middle
initial almost certainly stands for Downing, his mothers maiden name. His son,
Levi, named a son, John Downing Wells.] John and Rachels son, Dudley
Harvey Wells first married Lucinda McCollum in Clermont County and, after her
death, his cousin, Ruth Ann Wells, daughter of Nathan Wells and Jane Guffin.
Dudley and Ruths son, Nathan Wells, is Terrys ancestor. Terry sent me a
photocopy of a worn piece of paper that had been in his family for generations.
It details the family from Dudleys first marriage, including his daughter, Rachel
Evans Wells, granddaughter of Rachel E. Wells!
[Graphic]
Transcription:
Dudley Harvey Wells was
born December 25th day on Thursday in the year of Our Lord 1817 in Tate
Township Clermont County State of Ohio.
Lucinda McCollum was born December the tenth day in the Year of Our Lord
18[blank]
Dudley & Lucinda were married to each other September 13th day on Sunday
1839
Leavitt Thaxton Wells born
sunday July 11 day 184[paper torn, July 11 fell on a Sunday in 1841]
Rachel Evans Wells born Wednesday February 7th day 184[paper partially torn,
looks like 2 but February 7 fell on Wednesday in 1844]
Phebe Ann Wells born May 26th on tuesday 184[paper partially torn, looks like 6
and May 26 fell on Tuesday in 1846]
Was Aarons daughter, Rachel
E. Wells, named for his mother? Second son, William W. Wells, seems to follow
the custom of the second son being named for the wifes father. [If so, then
Aarons fathers name was Nathan, the firstborns name.] However, it could
be that the surname Evans also came from Ruths family. Daughter,?Sarah Sally?W. Wells, married William
Evans, son of Caleb Evans and Elizabeth Wiggins [Elizabeths relationship to
Ruth is unknown but it is possible she was a sister.] Evans is an extremely
common name, but it obviously had some significance to Aaron and Ruth.
Little Rachel Evans Wells was
the only surviving child from Dudleys marriage to Lucinda. She is enumerated
with him and her stepmother in the 1850 and 1860 censuses of Nicholas County,
Kentucky. Whether she married or died before 1870 is unknown at this time.
The January 2004 issue
profiled a newly discovered biography of Dr. Jasper Moss Wells, a son of
William W. Wells and Matilda Collins. His oldest brother, Dr. Riley
Wells,?had ?/span>a biography from Kentucky: A History
of the State: Robertson County by Battle, Perrin & Kniffin, 1887, which
appeared in the December 1997 issue of the newsletter. Jaspers next older
brother, Dr. Nathaniel (Nathan) Wells, also took up the profession of
medicine. Information about him has been discovered from The Directory of
Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929.
Wells, Nathaniel
Died: March 14, 1919 in: St.
Cloud, FL
Born: 1844
Type of practice: Eclectic
State/year of licenses: KY, 1893, FL, 1910
Places/dates of practice: Cynthiana, KY, 1867, St. Cloud, FL,
Oct 30, 1911
Medical school: Eclectic Medical College: Eclectic Medical
Institute, Cincinnati, 1867, (G)
Rileys son, Dr. Joseph
Ezra Wells, followed in his fathers footsteps and his biography from History
of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, ed..by William
Henry Perrin, O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago, 1882 appeared in the June 1998
issue of the newsletter An obituary appeared in the June 2000 issue.
From one of the oldest to the
youngest of Aaron and Ruths children, both of the twins, Daniel and Uriah had
sons go into the profession of medicine.
Dr. John Milton Wells, son of Daniel Wells and Lucinda Collins, had a
biography from History of Nicholas County. Carlisle, Kentucky: Nicholas
County Historical Society, Inc., 1976 which appeared in the January 1999 issue
of the newsletter The three biographies cited above are also available on the
Family Association ?/span>website.
As of yet, a published
biography of Dr. Christopher Columbus C.C.?Wells, son of Uriah Wells
and Esther Pollock, has not come to my attention. Unlike several of his
cousins, he took his medical training in Kentucky, graduating from the University
of Louisville in 1875.
Uriah also had two grandsons
who became physicians. Dr. William C. Burden was the son of Edmond
Collins Burden and Nancy?D. Wells and
his biography from History of the State of Kansas by William G. Cutler.
Chicago, Illinois: A. T. Andreas, 1893, appeared in the June 2001 newsletter. A
graduate of The College of Physicians and Surgeons, Keokuk; University of Iowa
in 1877, he died in 1904.
Uriahs other grandson was Dr.
Alton Uriah Wells, son of Aaron Wells and Elizabeth Charlotte Deming. He
was a graduate of the Kentucky University Medical Department and the Hospital
College of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky, finishing his training in 1907.
From an old newspaper
clipping:
DR. ALTON WELLS
IS SUDDENLY SUMMONED.
? A
pall of gloom and sadness enshrouded our entire community last Thursday
morning, Sept. 22nd [1932], when it became known that the spirit of Dr. Alton
Wells, beloved physician of Mt. Olivet had at 4:30 oclock quietly passed into
the great beyond. No man in Robertson county was more highly respected and
ardently loved than was the subject of this sketch, who for more than a quarter
of a century had modestly gone in and out among the hundreds whom he loved, and
unto whom he so cheerfully ministered.
??Dr. Wells was born Nov. 8, 1875, at Mt. Olivet. He was united
in marriage to Miss Merle Wheeler Feb. 19, 1896. To this union were born a son
and two daughtersJennings, Lenore and Mae Elizabeth, who with Mrs. Wells
survive. Also surviving are two grandchildrenClarice and William [Wells], and
two brothers?Irvine D. and Osmer D. Wells.
? Dr. Wells was ever zealous in the betterment of the community.
He was president of the Robertson County Improvement Committee, an organization
responsible for the financing and erection of the Deming High School. He was
also a Director and Vice-President of the Farmers and Traders Bank.
? Dr. Wells was a faithful member of the M. E. Church, South, and
for over 20 years was Superintendent of the Sunday School. He was also a member
of the Masonic order.
? Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the local
church, Re. W. H. Cardwell, Pastor, officiating, assisted by Rev. Allison of
Sardis, Rev. Godbey of Hillsboro, Rev. Moore of Milton and Rev. Musick of Mt.
Olivet. Interment in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The pall-bearers were: Chambers
Perry, Howard Orme, L. T. Jett, John Owens, J. W. Bentley, S. H. Sims. Honorary
pall-bearers were: Dr. A. O. Taylor, Dr. E. E. Linville, Dr. Robert Linville,
Dr. J. E. Wells, J. W. Claypool, J. W. Neal, J. W. Holmes and Eben Woodward,
Sr.