Wells, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wells, New York
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Hamilton
government_footnotes =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 462.0
area_land_km2 = 459.0
area_water_km2 = 3.0
area_total_sq_mi = 178.4
area_land_sq_mi = 177.2
area_water_sq_mi = 1.2

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 737
population_density_km2 = 1.6
population_density_sq_mi = 4.2

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 517
elevation_ft = 1696
latd = 43 |latm = 25 |lats = 59 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 17 |longs = 24 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 12190
area_code = 518
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-79059GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0979615GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Wells is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joshua Wells, a land agent, who built the first mills in the area.

The Town of Wells is in the Adirondack Park and on the eastern border of the county. It is northwest of Schenectady.

History

The town was first settled around 1798.

The town was formed in 1805 while still part of Fulton County and was set off from parts of the Towns of Mayfield and Northampton of that county. 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" (named after settler John Gilman) was taken from Wells in 1841, but the 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).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 178.4 square miles (462.0 km²), of which, 177.2 square miles (459.0 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.

The eastern town line is the border with Warren County.

New York State Route 30 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 8, an east-west highway, runs conjointly with NY-30 in the central part of Wells.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 737 people, 322 households, and 205 families residing in the town. The population density was 4.2 people per square mile (1.6/km²). There were 778 housing units at an average density of 4.4/sq mi (1.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.61% White, 0.54% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.

There were 322 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,107, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $34,821 versus $24,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,174. About 8.5% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Wells

*Blackbridge -- A location on West River Road southwest of Wells village, on the north bank of the West Branch Sacandaga River.
*Gilmantown-- A hamlet that was formerly part of the defunct Town of Gilman, located on Gilmantown Road between Speculator and the hamlet of Wells. A small lake called Charley Lake is located here and another small lake, Gilman Lake, is north of the community.
*Griffin -- A hamlet on NY-8 near the eastern town border and the East Branch Sacandaga River.
*Pickleville -- A former community, located north of Wells village.
*Pumpkin Hollow -- A hamlet on Route 30 near the border with the Town of Hope, east of the Sacandaga River.
*Sacandaga River -- A river that begins in the south part of the town by the confluence of the East Branch and West Branch south of Wells village. The river empties into Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton County.
*Wells -- The hamlet of Wells, located on NY-30 and Algonquin Lake, which is a widening of the East Branch Sacandaga River.
*Whitehouse -- A location in the northwest corner of the town on West River Road and the north bank of the West Branch Sacandaga River. It is at the west end of West River Road and is regarded as an Adirondack ghost town.
*Windfall -- A location northeast of Wells on Windfall

Adjacent towns and areas

The south border of Wells is formed by the Towns of Benson and Hope. The Town of Arietta is at the west border, and the Town of Lake Pleasant is the northwest border. The Town of Indian Lake is the north border. The Towns of Stony Creek, Thurman, and Johnsburg in Warren County are to the east.

References

External links

* [http://www.hopefarm.com/hamiltny.htm Early historical information about Hamilton County]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyhamilt/history/wells.html Wells history]
* [http://prfamerica.org/Hike2WhitehousePartI.html The Road to Whitehouse in Wells]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyhamilt/history/gilman.html Gilman historical notes]