Owen Augustine Wells (February 4, 1844 – January 29, 1935) was a

U.S. 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 c ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Born in

Catskill, New York Catskill is a town in the southeastern section of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,298 at the 2020 census, the largest town in the county. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park. The town contains a v ...

, Wells moved with his parents to a farm near

Empire, Wisconsin Empire is a town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,620 at the 2000 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.5 km), of which, 2 ...

, in 1850. He attended public and private schools. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1870 and commenced practice in

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

. He also engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising. He was appointed by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

as collector of internal revenue for the third Wisconsin district in 1885, serving until 1887, when that district was consolidated with the Milwaukee district. He served as delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

in 1888 and to the Gold Democratic National Convention in 1896 and also to numerous State conventions of his party. Wells was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Fifty-third Congress The 53rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893, ...

(March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895). He was elected as the representative of

Wisconsin's 6th congressional district Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply th ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894 to the

Fifty-fourth Congress The 54th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1895, ...

. He declined to accept any public office and resumed the practice of law in Fond du Lac. He retired in 1901 and resided in Fond du Lac until his death there on January 29, 1935. He was interred in Rienzi Cemetery.

References

---- 1844 births 1935 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin People from Catskill, New York People from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-Representative-stub