Wells, Rutland County, Vermont Genealogy

Description
Wells, Vermont at Wikipedia

The town of Wells was chartered on Sept. 15, 1761 by Benning Wentworth and organized on Mar. 9, 1773. Wells is situated in the southwestern part of Rutland county, and bounded on the north by Poultney and Middletown; on the east by Tinmouth and Middletown; on the south by Pawlet, and on the west by Washington county, New York. When New Hampshire first chartered Wells, it covered more than 23,000 acres. But two separate actions by the Vermont Legislature reduced the area. First, 6,118 acres were taken to help create Middletown in 1784. Then, 14 years later, Poultney annexed another 4,000 acres. Wells now consists of approximated 13,000 acres.

Much of the town's history is connected with Lake St. Catherine, a five-mile long body of water split between Wells and Poultney. Though referred to as St. Catherine as early as 1767 in New York land records, early residents called it Wells Pond, Lake Austin, Lake St. Austin and Lake St. Augustine.

Many people do not realize that three of the primary leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trace their roots directly to Vermont. The first elder, Joseph Smith, was born in Royalton and his successor, Brigham Young, hailed from Whitingham. But there was another crucial player - Oliver Cowdery of Wells.

During the last 100 years, most development in Wells has concentrated along the shores of Lake St. Catherine. Wells village remains a 19th-century microcosm and because of its character has been designated a historic district on the State Register of Historic Places.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Wells Town Clerk
Wells Town Clerk 108 Vermont 30 Wells, VT 05774‎ Phone: (802) 645-0486 Website: http://www.wellsvermont.com/gov_town_clerk_newcomer_msg.htm

Vital Records

 * FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has Vermont birth, death, and marriage records online

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Biographies

 * Biographical Encyclopædia of Vermont of the Nineteenth Century. By H Clay Williams. Boston, Massachusetts: Metropolitan Publishing & Engraving Company, 1885. Salt Lake City, Utah : Family Search International, 2018. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Biographical Sketches of Vermonters. By Vermont Historical Society. Montpelier, Vermont : Vermont Historical Society, c1947. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. By Hiram Carleton. New York, New York: Lewis Pub. Co., 1903. Online at:.
 * Some Vermont Ancestors: The Bicentennial Project of the Genealogical Society of Vermont. Compiled and ed. by Joann H. Nichols. [S.l.]: Genealogical Society of Vermont, 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: a Magazine Embracing a History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military. By ed. by Abby Maria Hemenway. Burlington, Vermont: A.M. Hemenway, 1868-1923. Online at:.
 * The Vermont of Today: With its Historic Background, Attractions and People. By Arthur F. Stone. New York, New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., c1929. Online at:.
 * Vermonters. By Dorman B.E. Kent. Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox & Co., 1974. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Vermont Biography at FamilySearch Research Wiki

Cemeteries

 * Wells Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Rutland County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Wells.


 * For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Rutland County, website at this link
 * Barden Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * East Wells Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * First Church (Meeting House) Burial Ground - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Wells Town Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Vermont were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Vermont denominations, view the New Hampshire Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Wells, visit. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Wells:


 * 1700s-1800s (*) Daughters of the American Revolution at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Vermont Church Records


 * Pauls Episcapol Church 7 East Wells Road Wells, VT 05774

City Directories

 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Land Records

 * 1600s-1900s at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; ''Also at: Ancestry ($),
 * Vermont Land and Property

Local Histories

 * The History of Wells, Vermont, for the First Century After Its Settlement, Hiland Paul with biographic sketches by Robert Parks, Tuttle &amp; Co. Job Printers, Rutland, 1869; view online.
 * Historical Photos
 * History Rutland County Vermont, Edited by H. P. Smith and W. S. Rann, Syracuse, NY, 1886. 2. Wells: A Combination of the Old and the New, Don Wickman, Rutland Herald Newspaper, Dec.1, 2006.

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boundary Map of Wells at HomeTownLocator
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Vermont at Old-Maps.com
 * Town of Wells at Vermont.org
 * Wells at FamilySearch Places
 * Wells at Google Maps
 * Wells at Mapcarta
 * Vermont Maps State Page


 * 1854 Rutland County, Wells map

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Newspapers

 * Rutland Herald online at this link

Other Town Records
In Vermont, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Wells town records available online:
 * Town Clerk Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, can be found on FamilySerach (browse only images) at this link
 * The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Wells Town Hall.

Probate Records

 * Fair Haven Probate Court 3 North Park Place Fair Haven, VT 05743 (802) 265-3380
 * 1749-1999 Vermont, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999 at Ancestry - index & images, ($)
 * 1800-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Vermont Probate Records

Libraries

 * Wells Village Public Library 5 East Wells Road PO Box 587 Wells, VT 05774 (802) 645-0611 Website: http://wellslibrary.com/

Family History Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Lebanon New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Rutland Vermont Family History Center
 * South Royalton Vermont Family History Center
 * Crandall Public Library - an affiliate library
 * The Rutland Historical Society - an affiliate library

Societies

 * Well Vermont Historical Society