Wells is a

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

in York County,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 11,314 at the 2020 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination.

History

The

Abenaki The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...

Indians called the area Webhannet, meaning "at the clear stream", a reference to the

Webhannet River The Webhannet River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river whose watershed is contained entirely within the town of Wells, Maine. The river has five ...

. Edmund Littlefield, an immigrant from the wool regions of Titchfield, England, built the first gristmill and later a woolen mill on the Webhannet River, becoming known as "The Father of Wells," where a monument commemorates his contribution. In 1622, the

Plymouth Company The Plymouth Company, officially known as the Virginia Company of Plymouth, was a Division (business), division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for British colonization of the Americas, colonizing the east coast of America between 38 ...

in England awarded to Sir

Ferdinando Gorges Sir Ferdinando Gorges ( – 24 May 1647) was a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the m ...

, Lord Proprietor of Maine, territory which included the Plantation of Wells. His young cousin, Thomas Gorges, acting as deputy and agent, in 1641 granted to Rev.

John Wheelwright John Wheelwright (c. 1592–1679) was a Puritan clergyman in England and America, noted for being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Antinomian Controversy, and for subsequently establishing the town of Exeter, New Hamp ...

and other settlers from

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

the right to populate the land from northeast of the Ogunquit River to southwest of the

Kennebunk River The Kennebunk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 river in York County, Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern reg ...

. Following the death of the elder Gorges in 1647, the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

laid claim to Maine. On July 5, 1653, Wells was incorporated, the third town in Maine to do so, and named after Wells, England, a small

cathedral city Cathedral city is a city status in the United Kingdom. Cathedral city may also refer to: * Cathedral City, California, a city in Southern California, United States * Cathedral City Cheddar, a brand of Cheddar cheese * Cathedral City High Scho ...

in the county of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. After the

restoration of Charles II The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to b ...

and a meeting in Wells of the trustees of the late Ferdinando Gorges, the British authorities gave a general outline for the local civil and military administration on December 7, 1661. Wells included Kennebunk, which was set off the year Maine became a state in 1820, and

Ogunquit Ogunquit ( ) is a resort town in York County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,577. Ogunquit is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ogunquit, which means "b ...

, designated a village within Wells by the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

in 1913, then set off in 1980. Wells was the resilient northeastern

frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

colonial settlement. Except for a few forts and garrisons, early attempts to colonize Maine above Wells were abandoned because of attacks by Native Americans, who resented the encroachment on their territory. Wells endured three major attacks, most famously the Raid on Wells in 1692. The region became less dangerous, however, after the Battle of Louisburg in 1745. Many early Wells settlers joined the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

; some became Revolutionary War heroes, including Captains Samuel Gooch, Nathanial Littlefield, and Jeremiah Storer. Ocean View Cemetery on Post Road contains a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

monument and plot honoring its service members. Visitors can walk to Founder's Park just off of Post Road onto Sanford Road, which includes a light walking trail, picnic area, and the first settlement home. Monuments list the names of Wells' founding families. The town developed as a

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

community, producing

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...

and

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

. Other industries included

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

and

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

. In the 19th century, with the arrival of the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, the town's sandy beaches attracted tourists. Many inns and hotels were built along the seashore. Today, tourism remains important to the economy. WellsMainePoliceDeptColorGuard

Wells celebrated its 350th anniversary in 2003. The year-long celebration included a New Year's Eve party with fireworks, parade, a visit by the traveling Russian circus, concerts, historical reenactments, and more. The town commissioned a member of the celebration committee, Kristi Borst, to design a town flag. Her design portrays historic aspects of the Town's settlement and agriculture as well as the 2003 Town Hall and focus on tourism represented by a train. Also included is the motto she penned for the project: "Proud of our Past, Ready for our Future".

Geography

Wells is on the southern coast of Maine, surrounded by Kennebunk to the northeast, Sanford to the northwest,

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on th ...

to the west, South Berwick to the southwest, and

to the south. 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 town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. Wells is drained by the

. The highest point in town is an unnamed hill located a half mile south of the intersection of State Route 9 and Bragdon Road, which is 360 feet (110 m) above sea level. The lowest elevation is sea level, along the coastline with the Atlantic Ocean. Wells is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Transportation

There are several transportation corridors connecting Wells with other communities: *

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

(

Maine Turnpike Interstate 95 (I-95) in the US state of Maine is a highway running from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery, to the Canadian border in Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between Por ...

Exit 19) *

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

Maine State Route 9 State Route 9 (SR 9) is a numbered state highway in Maine, running from the New Hampshire border at Berwick in the west to the Canada–US border with New Brunswick at Calais in the east. SR 9 runs a total of . Route description Sta ...

* Maine State Route 9A *

Maine State Route 109 State Route 109 (abbreviated SR 109) is a long state highway located in York County, Maine. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 1 and State Route 9 in Wells. Its northern terminus is at the New Hampshire border in Acton, where it co ...

* The

Pan Am Railways Pan Am Railways, Inc. (PAR) is a subsidiary of CSX Corporation that operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine, to Rotterdam Junction, New York. Pan Am Railways is primarily made up of former Clas ...

mainline (formerly the

Boston & Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970 ...

)
The Eastern Trail
a multi-use trail, part of the

East Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991. ...

Access to the

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

national passenger rail system is available at the

Wells Regional Transportation Center Wells Regional Transportation Center is an Amtrak train station in Wells, Maine. The station sits next to the Pan Am Railways mainline, formerly the Western Route mainline of the Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a ...

, which is served by 10 '' Downeaster'' trains per day. The center has a

park and ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...

lot and is adjacent to the I-95 interchange.

Education

Wells High School Wells Maine 1937 Postcard

There are four educational institutions in Wells: Wells Elementary School (kindergarten through fourth grade), Wells Junior High School (fifth grade through eighth grade),

Wells High School Wells High School is a public school located in Wells, Maine, United States. It has an enrollment of 450 students in grades 9 through 12. The school primarily serves students from Wells, as well as a small number of students from Ogunquit, Maine ...

(ninth grade through twelfth grade, as well as adult education programs), and

York County Community College York County Community College (YCCC) is a public community college in Wells, Maine. YCCC is part of the Maine Community College System. History York County Community College was established in 1994 as York County Technical College (YCTC) by the ...

. Wells is a member of the

Wells-Ogunquit Community School District The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District (also known as Wells-Ogunquit CSD or CSD 18) provides education for students of all ages in the coastal southern Maine towns of Wells and Ogunquit. History The district was created by the Maine Legi ...

Places of worship

Baptist * Highpine Baptist Church * Wells Branch Baptist Church Christian, interdenominational * Messiah Christian Church Church of the Nazarene * Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene Pentecostal * Mount Zion Chapel Roman Catholic * Saint Mary's Church Old Catholic * St. Francis of Assisi United Church of Christ * Congregational Church of Wells

Points of interest

Southern end of the Wells Beach IMG 2247 FRD

* 7 miles of beaches: Drakes Island Beach, East Shore Beach, Wells Beach, and Moody Beach. * The "Antiques Mile": – dozens of antiques vendors lining Post Road between Wells Corner and the Wells/Kennebunk town line. * Division 9 Schoolhouse Museum * Historical Society of Wells & Ogunquit: Meetinghouse Museum & Library – located on the premises of what was originally the First Congregational Church of Wells *

Maine Diner The Maine Diner is a diner in Wells, Maine. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The diner, which has a seating capacity of 90 and a year-round staff of about 60, serves an average of 1,200 to 1,500 patrons on a peak summer day. The restaurant ...

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book ''Silent Spring'' ...

* Wells Farmers' Market * Wells Harbor Community Park * Wells Harbor Summer Concert Series * Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and Historic Laudholm Farm * Wells Public Library * Wonder Mountain Fun Park

Notable people

George Burroughs George Burroughs ( 1650August 19, 1692) was an American religious leader who was the only minister executed for witchcraft during the course of the Salem witch trials. He is best known for reciting the Lord's Prayer during his execution, some ...

, clergyman, victim of the

Salem witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...

* Kathleen Chase, Maine state representative *

Ronald F. Collins Ronald F. Collins is an American politician from Maine. A Wells resident, Collins formerly represented the second district in the Maine Senate. Prior to being elected a state senator, he was a member of the Maine House of Representatives represe ...

, Maine state senator * Jonathan Courtney, Maine state senator * Nate Dingle, NFL football player *

Daniel W. Gooch Daniel Wheelwright Gooch (January 8, 1820 – November 1, 1891) was a United States representative from Massachusetts. Early life and education Gooch, the son of John and Olive ( Winn) Gooch, was born in Wells, Maine, Wells in Massachus ...

, US congressman *

Ivory Kimball Ivory George Kimball (May 5, 1843 – May 15, 1916) was an American lawyer who served as a police court judge in Washington, D.C., for 19 years. He was also the primary advocate for the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemete ...

, judge * Steve Lavigne, comic book illustrator *

Nathaniel Littlefield Nathaniel Littlefield (September 20, 1804 – August 15, 1882) was a United States representative from Maine. Biography Nathaniel Swett Littlefield was born in Wells, Massachusetts (now in Maine) on September 20, 1804. He attended the common ...

, U.S. congressman; captain, Revolutionary War, Coast Guard at Wells and Kittery * Ryan Peters (stage name ''Spose''), rapper * John Fairfield Scamman, US congressman *

John Storer John Storer (January 18, 1796 – October 23, 1867) was a merchant and philanthropist from Sanford, Maine, who was the namesake of Storer College in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Life and career Storer was born in 1796 in Wells, Maine, and was ...

, founder of

Storer College Storer College was a historically black college in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, that operated from 1867 to 1955. A national icon for Black Americans, in the town where the 'end of American slavery began', as Frederick Douglass famously put i ...

Guy Tripp Guy Eastman Tripp (April 22, 1865 – June 14, 1927) was an American business executive and an officer in the United States Army. A longtime manager and executive for several companies, he served as Chairman of the Westinghouse Electric Corporat ...

, Business executive and U.S. Army brigadier general *

Esther Wheelwright Esther Wheelwright (31 March 1696 – 28 November 1780), also known as Mère Marie-Joseph de l'Enfant-Jésus, was born in Wells, Massachusetts (present day Maine). Wheelwright was captured during an attack of her village during Queen Anne's War ...

, Mother Superior of the Ursuline order in Quebec City *

, clergyman, original settler of Wells

Demographics

2010 Census

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 ...

of 2010, there were 9,589 people, 4,120 households, and 2,734 families living in the town. The

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 . There were 8,557 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 4,120 households, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 48.5 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 34.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 Census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

, there were 9,400 people, 4,004 households, and 2,690 families living in the town. The

was 163.1 people per square mile (63.0/km). There were 7,794 housing units at an average density of 135.2 per square mile (52.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.18%

, 0.23%

, 0.20% Native American, 0.48%

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.14% from

, and 0.76% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.64% of the population. There were 4,004 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.85. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,314, and the median income for a family was $53,644. Males had a median income of $39,682 versus $28,463 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 town was $23,130. About 3.1% of families and 5.4% 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 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Images

File:Wells_High_School_(2016).jpg, Wells High School File:Wells maine div 9 schoolhouse 2006.jpg, One of Wells' many

one-room school One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...

s, preserved as a museum. File:Wells maine municipal offices sign 2006.jpg, Sign at town hall File:EMD GP40 B&M 339 Wells Maine.jpg, Freight train at Wells Industrial Park File:Wells maine transportation center memorial clock 2006.jpg, Memorial clock near train station File:Wells Regional Transportation Center (front) 2011.jpg, Wells train station File:Laudholm mainbuilding ii.JPG, Laudholm Farm File:Laudholm mainbuilding.JPG, Laudholm main building File:First Parish Church, Kennebunk.jpg, First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church, Kennebunk, built in 1749 when Kennebunk was still part of Wells. File:Boat Landing, Wells Beach, ME.jpg, Boat landing in 1916 File:Ogunquit River 1.jpg, Ogunquit River in Moody, 2016

References

External links

Town of Wells, Maine

Wells Public Library

Wells Chamber of Commerce

Wells-Ogunquit Community School District

York County Community College

Maine Genealogy: Wells, York County, Maine
{{authority control Populated places established in 1641 Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in York County, Maine 1641 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Towns in Maine Populated coastal places in Maine Resort towns