324 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



FRANKLIN WELLS. 



The pioneers of Michigan, tliose who founded and bnilded the State 

 and its institutions, merit the admiration of its citizens of a later day. 

 No praise can be too lavish for the men and women who came to this 

 State, and cleared its farms, builded its towns, founded its churches and 

 schools, its larger institutions of learning, and established its system 

 ■of laws. The^^ were people largely from New York and New England, 

 descendants of the fathers and mothers of the Revolution, and brought 

 with them to Michigan the patriotism, the recognition of the moral force 

 exerted by the church, an appreciation of the value of an education, 

 and a knowledge of the importance of a just system of laws, that be- 

 longed to the fathers of the republic. 



Mr. Wells coming to the State as a youth, soon after its admission to 

 the Union, was able to take part in this work of State building, and 

 gave more than sixty years of an active life to that end. 



Franklin Wells was born in Salem,' New York, April 19, 1823. His 

 father was Joseph Wells who came to New York from Connecticut. 

 His mother was Lucy Hollister. Joseph Wells was a very religious 

 man and brought up his family in accordance with these views. Frank- 

 lin's early education was obtained in the primary schools, with a few 

 terms in the Washington Academy at Salem. In 1837 his father came to 

 Michigan, making the journey by wagon, and arriving at the farm se- 

 lected at Mottville, St. Joseph county, June 12th of that year. 



In 1838 Franklin, then 15 years of age, went to Constantine as clerk 

 in the store of Albert Andrus & Co. Two years later he was employed 

 by John S. Barry, afterward Governor of the State. He was also em- 

 ployed in the store of Joseph R. Williams, who was afterward the first 

 president of the Agricultural College. In 1842 and before he was of 

 age he entered into partnership with his former employer Albert Andrus, 

 which continued for four years, when he bought out Mr. Andrus and 

 continued a general mercantile business, wool buying, etc., until 1871. 



In 18G1 he purchased a farm of 300 acres near Constantine and a little 

 later another of the same size in Florence township. These farms he 

 improved and cultivated to the time of his death. He was a lover of 

 good farm stock and established a herd of short horn cattle. 



Mr. Wells was always prominent in local public affairs. He was, in 

 his early days, township clerk, later president of the village of Con- 

 stantine, for more than a quarter of a century a member of the village 

 school board, and for ten years its president. He was postmaster at 

 Constantine from 1869 to 1873 and again from 1882 to 1886. From 1878 

 to 1890 he was county agent of the State Board of Corrections and 

 Charities. He served one term as statistical agent for Michigan of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 



He was an ardent republican and took active part in political affairs, 

 having been at different times chairman of the county committee. He 

 enjoyed the personal acquaintance of Gov. Bagley, Senator Chandler, 

 Senators Stockbridge and Burrows, and could have held prominent of- 



