Chandler J. "Chan" Wells (1814–1887) was Mayor of the City of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, serving from 1866 to 1867.

Early life

He was born in Utica, New York on June 10, 1814, where his mother had gone to recuperate, while Buffalo was being rebuilt after the December 1813 burning. Not long after that they returned to Buffalo.

Career

He became a joiner's apprentice and found employment with

Benjamin Rathbun Benjamin Rathbun (December 1, 1790 – July 20, 1873) was an American entrepreneur from Buffalo, New York. He was born in the area of Westford, Connecticut. His family had settled in New York from Connecticut. Before entering real estate, his Eag ...

. He then worked as a contractor and builder and at one time owned three saw-mills around western New York. Around 1857, Wells became interested in buildings grain elevators and constructed the "Wells Elevator," later known as the "Wheeler Elevator." He later constructed other grain elevators at Buffalo. In 1854, Wells was elected to his first public office, as

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

for the second ward. He held that office continuously until 1859. He was elected mayor on November 7, 1865, as the Republican candidate. In September 1866, Mayor Wells received General

Ulysses Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

, President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

, and members of his cabinet on their visit to Buffalo. The Fenian uprising also occurred during 1866, with thousands of Fenians gathering in Buffalo. He did not seek a second term in office. After his term, in 1868, he was appointed to the Board of Water Commissioners and oversaw construction of the water inlet pier in the

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...

. In 1870, Wells began importing sand for paving and building purposes from property purchased at

Point Abino Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Points ...

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

Personal life

On April 20, 1837, he married Susan Jane Wheeler. He died on February 4, 1887, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

References

1814 births 1887 deaths Mayors of Buffalo, New York Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo) New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American politicians People from Utica, New York Mayors of places in New York (state) {{BuffaloNY-stub