J.S. Wells

1903, came to Tahoka in August that year, only three months after the county was organized and immediately went into business with Wells & Welcher Mercantile store, located southwest of the square. They bought out the Sweet & King store, the original mercantile business in the new town. At the time of Mr. Wells' death in 1933, the business continued to operate under the name of J.S. Wells & Sons, Welcher having moved to Oklahoma in 1916.

Born December 29, 1859 in Kaufman County, he married Miss Martha Lewis there on March 6, 1879. She was born near Greenville, Hunt County, June 24, 1863. Because she suggested the Pioneer Reunion for Lynn County, the date of that event has always been held on her birthday. Following their marriage they moved to Cooke County several years, then to Elk near Admore in the Chickasha Nation, Indian Territory.

Wells gained experience in the mercantile and ginning businesses there. He bought two business lots for fifty dollars each and five residential lots for fifteen dollars each, the latter recorded on December 19, 1903. Wells hauled lumber by mule team from Stanton to build the family's first house. Later, in 1916, they built a new brick house. By 1906 Wells saw the need for a cotton gin here.

He and Welcher built the first gin that year, said to be the first built on the Plains. The two stand gin, capable of ginning several bales a day, opened an era of cotton production in Lynn County. ...Contributing further to Tahoka and Lynn County.

Wells served as the county's second sheriff from 1906 - 1910, then ten or more years as county commissioner. He served the Tahoka school board and Tahoka city council. With A.D. Shook he went to Chicago to confer with Santa Fe railway president to obtain a reduction in the bonus promised by Tahoka citizens to secure the building of the branch line. They succeeded, getting the bonus cut in half.

Mr. and Mrs. Wells were members of the Primitive Baptist Church and were instrumental in attracting annual meetings of the West Texas Primitive Baptist Association to Tahoka"

Frank P. Hill. Pat Hill Jacobs. Grassroots Upside Down. A History of Lynn County, Texas. 1986. p. 388.

My gggrandfather James Sloan Wells, wife Martha Ellen Lewis Wells and family were early arrivals to Lynn County. As were my Small and Wright families.

Contributed by Pam Bradley, Tucson, AZ