Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice Families of Wells, Wells Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania By J. Kelsey Jones Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

Introduction and Land Warrants Tri-Counties Genealogy & History Sites How To Use This Site Warning & Disclaimer Wells Township Page Columbia Township Page No Commercial Use Say Hello to Joyce by J. Kelsey Jones 2001 Edition printed by permission of J. Kelsey Jones

A B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 E F G1 G2 H I J1 J2 K1 K2 L M1 M2 N O P Q R1 R2 S1 S2 S3 T U V W XYZ

History records the first permanent settlers in what is now Wells Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania as Rev. John Smith and Alice Andrews, followed by Austin and Elizabeth Reeder and Vincent Reeder and wife in the 1790’s. There were perhaps others who briefly settled in Wells, but history has not recorded their names and there are no tax assessment records or church records for that time period, only census records which were taken every ten years.

In 1812-13 when the county was formed there were 73 taxable inhabitants in Wells Township. At that date, Wells included what is now South Creek Township and most of Ridgebury Township. At least thirty of those taxable inhabitants were residents of what is now Ridgebury Township, formed from Athens and Wells in 1818. The following is a list of those families who were known to have settled in what is now present Wells prior to the first assessment of 1812-13: Albertson, Bates, Bartlett, Boughton, Bovier prior to 1800, Calhoun prior to 1810, Cook, Criss, Edsall c. 1805, Gaylord in the 1790’s , Hatfield, Horton, Hyde, Judson c. 1805-10, Keyes c. 1808, Knapp c. 1810, Moore c. 1800-10, Osgood c. 1807, Parker, Pierce, Rowley c. 1807, and Seeley before 1805. Some of these families did not remain and removed to neighboring towns or to other states.

Warrantee Lots and Persons Assessed in 1820 (compiled fall of 1819) in present Wells Township

The earliest lands surveyed and patented in what is now present Wells Township were in the 1780's and comprised the Seeley Creek and Hammond Creek Valleys in the northwestern portion of the township. In the 1790's other lands were surveyed and patented.
The owners were wealthy Philadelphians who never lived in the township. Settlers began arriving in the 1790's and settled on the warrants. The warrants did not fall within present township lines and only warrants 1388, 1389, 1390, 1392, 1393, 1394, and and 5694 fell wholly within what is now the present township, the others extending into what became Tioga County to the west and what became South Creek Township to the east. When the 1820 assessment was compiled in 1819 there were 45 males assessed in the present township. There were less than a half dozen others residing in Wells who were not assessed and a few others were residing in that portion of Wells that became South Creek Township in 1836. There were vacant lands that were surveyed at a later date and lots with no one living on them per the 1820 assessment. The accompanying map shows the lots and the area that became Mosherville and Coryland for reference.

New York 1411 131 5688 5687 William Baker Ithamar Judson George Buchanan Joseph Moore Samuel Criss William Moore Bartlett Seely Samuel Seely Solomon L. Smith 1410 & 154 5689 Truman Calhoun Daniel Holdredge Silas Waldron 1395 1394 1388 1387 John Davey John Osgood South Tioga Alfred Pierce Levi Osgood Asa Pierce Shubal Rowley Jr. Creek County Samuel Seely Jr. A. Gates White William Seely Township 1400 1393 1389 1386 James Cooper John Cooper Joseph Holly Timothy Beers Solomon Judson Ezra Kelly William Beers Theophilus Moore Shubal Rowley Jabez Beers George Rowley Jonathan Rowley 1401 1392 1390 1379 Jesse Edsall David Griswold Barton Edsall Samuel Edsall George Hyde Jesse Edsall Saml & Wm Ingals Zephaniah Knapp Benjamin Seely Samuel Edsall Columbia  Township

Map Scanned from Bradsby, 1892 Annotated by Joyce M. Tice

Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 1998 By Joyce M. Tice Email: Joyce M. Tice You are the  visitor since the counter was installed on 24 NOV 2004 .   Copyright 1998, 2004 by Joyce M. Tice & J. Kelsey Jones