WELLS, Henry [1805-1878] -- American businessman, expressman

Relationship to me: 5C7
WELLS family Outline Descent Tree(s) ODT

Contents:

Chronology
Page services

American Express Co. (1850)

American Express was started as an express mail business in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1850 as a joint stock corporation by the merger of the express companies owned by Henry Wells (Wells & Company), William G. Fargo (Livingston, Fargo & Company), and John Warren Butterfield (Wells, Butterfield & Company, the successor earlier in 1850 of Butterfield, Wasson & Company).

Wells, Fargo & Co. (1852)

The same founders also started Wells Fargo & Co. when Butterfield and other directors objected to the proposal that American Express extend its operations to California. Wells, Fargo & Company was organized on March 18, 1852 as a joint-stock association with an initial capitalization of $300,000, to provide express and banking services to California. The original board of directors comprised Wells, Fargo, Johnston Livingston, Elijah P. Williams, Edwin B. Morgan, James McKay, Alpheus Reynolds, Alexander M.C. Smith and Henry D. Rice. Of these, Wells, Fargo, Livingston and McKay were also on the board of American Express

Wells Seminary (now Wells College) (1868)

Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. The college has cross-enrollment with Cornell University and Ithaca College. It is strengthening its off-campus study programs and creating a business center. Undergraduate students are required to participate in off-campus internships during two of their winter recesses. [WIKI]

Chronology

1836	A freight agent on the Erie Canal
1841	Pomeroy & Co. formed
1844	Pomeroy & Co. succeeded by Livingston, Wells & Co.
1845/04/01	Western Express formed
1846	Wells sold out to William Livingston
1847	Crawford Livingston dies
1850	Wells formed Wells, Butterfield & Co.
1850	American Express Co. formed
1850-1868	Wells is president of American Express
1852/03/18	Wells, Fargo & Co. formed to extend service to California
1855	President of New Granada Canal & Steam Navigation Co.
1855	President of First National Bank of Aurora
1856/10	Livingston, Wells & Co. closes final office (in Paris)
1867	First president of Cayuga Lake Railroad
1867	Retired from Wells Fargo board
1868	Founds Wells College in Aurora
1868	Retired from American Express as president
1876	President of Arizona & New Mexico Express Co.
1878/12/10	Dies in Glasgow, Scotland

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