William Henry Lafayette Wells was born in Bedford County Virginia, on September 4^th, 1840. William was the oldest of eleven children born to David J. and Florentine Morgan Wells.

 Wells received his education at a county school near his father’s farm and at Piedmont Institute in Bedford. During the war for Southern Independence he fought in twenty major battles serving under General Stonewall Jackson at Manassas and General Picket at Gettysburg.

 In 1866 he left this ravaged home state to live in Missouri for five years as a foreman on a large farm near Boonville. In 1871, he returned to Virginia to advise his family that he was going to Texas. In the fall of 1871, W. H. L. Wells and his brother James M. Wells, a cousin, Albert Latham, and a neighbor boy, Jim Pulein, set out for Texas.

 By 1874 W. H. L. Wells had saved enough to purchase 120 acres of land in Plano for $8 dollars an acre. This became the W. H. L. Wells home. William Wells married Sarah J. McClary in November 1876 and the couple had three children: W.D., Mattie, and Sallie.  Mrs. Wells dies on July 4, 1931.

“Uncle Bill” had served longer and fought more battles than any other Plano veteran, and in the end he outlived them all. He remained alert and straight as an arrow. In his last years he returned to Virginia to give the rebel yell and to reminisce with family and friends. He attended the 75^th reunion of the Blue and Grey in 1938 and was photographed sitting between two Yankee soldiers. He died unexpectedly in 1939 at age 98. He and his wife are buried in Frankford Cemetery. 

All eligible applicants are encouraged to pursue membership in our camp.  You can contact one of camp officers for more information.

The above image gratefully provided by: Genealogy, Local History, Texana & Archives (GLHTA) Division of the Plano Public Library System, Plano Texas – Plano Founding Families Texana Collection – Wells Family