John Wells (July 1, 1817 – May 30, 1877) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was born in Johnstown on July 1, 1817. He attended

Johnstown Academy Johnstown may refer to: Places Australia * Johnstown, Queensland, a locality split between the Southern Burnett Region and the Gympie Region, Queensland Canada * Johnstown, Nova Scotia * Johnstown, Ontario, United Counties of Leeds and Grenvil ...

, and graduated from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in 1835. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in

Palmyra Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early second ...

. He returned to Johnstown and continued the practice of law, was elected judge of

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

and served from June 1847 until his resignation in December 1851, having been elected to Congress. Wells was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-second Congress (March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853). He declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1852 to the Thirty-third Congress, resumed the practice of law and also engaged in literary pursuits. He died in Johnstown on May 30, 1877, with interment in Johnstown Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, John 1817 births 1877 deaths Union College (New York) alumni Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Palmyra, New York 19th-century American politicians