Wells Township is a
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
in
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 ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States. The population was 495 at the 2020 census.
Wells Township was initially settled in 1760. It was originally known as Aughwick Township when it was incorporated in 1849. The name was changed to Wells Township on April 2, 1850.
History
The
Woodvale Historic District
Woodvale Historic District is a national historic district located at Broad Top Township, Bedford County; Wells Township, Fulton County; and Wood Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 79 contributing buildings, 1 ...
was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1992.
George Croghan
George Croghan (c. 1718 – August 31, 1782) was an Irish-born fur trader in the Ohio Country of North America (current United States) who became a key early figure in the region. In 1746 he was appointed to the Onondaga Council, the governin ...
moved to the area in 1753 and built a home, partly to escape creditors after suffering severe losses to his business as a trader in Ohio and Kentucky.
[Charles Augustus Hanna, ''The Wilderness Trail: Or, The Ventures and Adventures of the Pennsylvania Traders on the Allegheny Path,'' Volumes 1 and 2, Putnam's sons, 1911](_blank)
/ref>
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the township has a total area of 37.4 square miles (96.8 km2), all of it land.
Wells Township is located in the northwest corner of Fulton County, extending to the Broad Top
Broad Top is a plateau located in south-central Pennsylvania. It extends into Huntingdon County to the north, Fulton County to the southeast, and Bedford County to the southwest. It is bounded to the west by Saxton Mountain and Terrace Mountai ...
plateau in the extreme northwest corner.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 14.2 people per square mile (5.5/km2). There were 275 housing units at an average density of 7.4/sq mi (2.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 98.49% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.19% Native American, and 1.32% from two or more races.
There were 221 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 3.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $31,806. Males had a median income of $30,313 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the township was $13,746. About 9.2% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 31.1% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
References
{{Coord, 40, 05, 17, N, 78, 09, 44, W, type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title
Populated places established in 1760
Townships in Fulton County, Pennsylvania