Wells, New York
| Wells, New York | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location in Hamilton County and the state of New York. |
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| Coordinates: 43°25′59″N 74°17′24″W / 43.43306°N 74.29000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Hamilton |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Town Supervisor | Brian Towers (R) |
| • Town Council |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 178.36 sq mi (461.96 km2) |
| • Land | 176.80 sq mi (457.91 km2) |
| • Water | 1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,696 ft (517 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 674 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 638 |
| • Density | 3.61/sq mi (1.39/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12190 |
| Area code(s) | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-041-79059 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979615 |
Wells is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 674 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Joshua Wells, a land agent, who built the first mills in the area. It is in the Adirondack Park and on the eastern border of the county. It is northwest of Schenectady.
The area was first settled around 1798. The town was formed in 1805 while still part of Montgomery County, and was set off from parts of the towns of Mayfield and Northampton. The town was subsequently reduced by the formation of other towns in Hamilton County, to include Hope (1818) and Long Lake (1837).
The town of Gilman was reportedly named for settler John Gilman. Elias P. Gilman petitioned the state and had surveys of Gilman made in 1838. Land was taken from Wells in 1841, but much of that region was returned to Wells when Gilman was dissolved in 1860. Wells has been increased subsequent to its initial formation by parts of Mayfield (1812, 1816), Northampton (1816), and Lake Pleasant (1858).
The United States of America declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812. The settlers of Wells and Lake Pleasant, New York were afraid of potential attacks from Native Americans who allied with the British Empire to attack American settlements. The Native Americans were seen roaming in the forest hunting, trapping and fishing. Despite no attacks, the Adirondack settlers who considered themselves on the northern frontier boundary of the St. Lawrence, fled from their homes and scattered themselves to the counties of Saratoga, Rensselaer and Montgomery. All inhabitants except the Peck family left Lake Pleasant, and so did a large majority leave Wells. An application was made by a remaining few settlers to New York governor Daniel D. Tompkins for an order to raise a company of volunteers from Lake Pleasant and Wells to create a militia in order to "allay the fears of the inhabitants," to protect them from a possible massacre and to encourage them to return to their homes. The petition was granted and William B Peck of Lake Pleasant was commissioned captain of the Wells and Lake Pleasant Home Guards of Company C under Montgomery counties militia 122 regiment. Lt. John L Francisco of Wells later took command of the militia as William Peck retired from his post.
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