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- Joel Wells Sr. was born August 1, 1775 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, the 1st born child of 7 to Daniel & Rachel (Nims) Wells. His father, Daniel Wells, was born on 12 MAY 1744 in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts and was a Col. in Revolutionary War of 1776. His mother was Rachel Nims born February 12, 1749 in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts and his parents had married in Deerfield between 1770- 1774. He married his wife, Mary Edwards, a descendant of Jonathan Edwards, famed colonial theologian, who was born February 9, 1778 in Coventry, Tolland, Connecticut. They married on May 8, 1797 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont.
After they were married, Joel worked as a surveyor in Athens (Windham Co.) VT. They moved to Buffalo, NY, were burned out there in 1813 and went to Cincinnati, Ohio. In
1818 they moved to Gallatin Co. (Shawneetown). The following year, Joel Wells, Sr. along with his sons, Rinnah and Ira, with their families, moved and settled at Galena, Ill. Joel Wells, Jr. married there then they all moved to the South to what is now Rock Island County in Eastern Illinois.
Joel Wells, Sr. was among a number of newcomers who arrived that year to settle in this area, settling along the banks of the Mississippi River. They were among the first white settlers in the county. This included Rinah Wells and his four sons, Rinah, Jr., Lucius, John and Samuel, who also settled on Rock River; Joel Wells, Jr., who settled near Hampton, who built the first cabin; Joel Wells, Sr., and his sons Levi and Huntington Wells, who settled at Moline.
In 1832 & 1833 the land on which most of Moline was originally built was settled by Joel Wells Sr. sometime during the years 1832-3 and occupied by him and others until 1841 for agricultural purposes. In Jan. 1834 the first religious services held in Moline by Methodists in the log cabin of Joel Wells. There were five members present, with the Rev. T. McMurty serving as minister. In 1835 the first Methodists Church was organized by Rev. Collin D. James. Members of the first congregation were: Joel Wells Sr., Joel Wells Jr., Levi Wells, Lucinda Wells {later married to Rev. Asa McMurty}, David dawes & wife, Mrs. Reed, John Hartzell and Catherine Hartzell.
Joel Wells, Jr. and the other Wells men were among a group of 57 early settlers who formed themselves into a company named the Rock River Rangers for the protection of the settlements from the SAC Fox Indians who lived close by. This local militia participated in the Black Hawk War. ROCK ISLAND MEN IN THE BLACK HAWK WAR: Captain, John W. Kenney, Rock Island county; enrolled May 20, 1832; First Lieutenant, Joseph Danforth, Rock Island county; enrolled May 20, 1832; Privates: Thomas Davis, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Manly Danforth, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Samuel Danforth, Rock Island county, enrolled July 1, 1832; Samuel Kenney, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Thomas Kenney, Adams county; enrolled June 12, 1832, on furlough; Gentry McGee, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Henry McNeal, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Neel McNeal, Rock Island county, enrolled July 1, 1832; James Maskal, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Martin Smith, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; William H. Sams, Rock Island county, enrolled July 1, 1832; Joel Thompson, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; William Thompson, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Ira Wells, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Eri Wells, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Asaph Wells, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Nelson Wells, Rock Island county, May 20, 1832; Rinnah Wells, Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Joel Wells, Sr., Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Joel Wells, Jr., Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Luke Wells, Sr., Rock Island county, enrolled May 20, 1832; Roswell H. Spencer was a member of Captain Jacob Earley's company in June, 1832, and that Captain A. W. Snyder had in his mounted company Russell H. Speucer, John Wells and Lucius Wells, all from Rock Island county.
Joel and his wife Mary had 10 children:
Zerviah Edwards Wells b: 25 AUG 1798 in Guilford, Windham County, Vermont
Joel Wells Jr. b: 08 JAN 1801 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont
Asenath Wells b: 19 MAY 1803 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont
Levi Wells b: 08 AUG 1805 in Windham County, Vermont
Huntington Wells b: 11 JUN 1808 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont
Ira Wells b: 14 DEC 1810 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont
Mary Ann Wells b: 29 MAR 1813 in Buffalo, New York
Lucinda Wells b: 26 SEP 1816 in Cincinnatti, Ohio
Ira R. Wells b: 18 FEB 1820 in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois
Mary Nims Wells b: 11 FEB 1823 in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois
Joel served his city and county in a number of capacities including being Rock Island County treasurer. In 1836, Joel Wells Sr. posted a $5,000 bond and promised to surrender all books, papers, and money when another person succeeded him as county treasurer of Rock Island County, Illinois. Davenport, Bartlett, and Joel Wells Jr. co-signed the bond. In 1840, after Joel Wells Sr. died, the People, for the use of the Rock Island County Commissioners, sued Davenport, Bartlett, and Joel Wells Jr. to collect the bond. The commissioners charged that Joel Wells Sr. failed to turn over $430 found on the dead body of Brich, $83.87 from Brich's estate, and $2,569 in notes that Brich held. Davenport and others pleaded that Wells had given all the money and notes to Conway, the probate judge and public administrator for Brich, but the jury found for the commissioners and awarded $4,209.20. Davenport and others retained Logan and Lincoln and appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court. The parties reached an agreement, and Davenport dismissed the appeal.
April 1843 Joel Wells bought the land adjacent to his own, on which most of Moline was built. This included the D.B. Sears tract west of his, the Timothy Wood farm on the east and the Edwards tract of 170 acres. June 23, 1843 D.B. Sears, Charles Atkinson, Joel Wells, and a surveyor named P.H. Ogilvie, with others, met in Mr. Sears barn and drew up a plat for the town of Moline. On Mar. 13, 1844 Moline's first post office opened. David B. Sears served as first postmaster. Other early postmasters included: Dr. Wells, George W. Bell, Joseph J. Jackson, Absalom B. Williams, appointed in July 1857, William Kearns, who
served from 1861-65 and 1869-73.
Joel Wells, Sr., credited as one of the founding fathers of the city of Moline, Illinois, died on September 3, 1838 in Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois. He was buried in the Old Riverside Cemetery in Moline. His wife Mary Wells died eight years later, on December 4, 1846 in Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois, and was laid to rest next to her husband of over 40 years in the Old Riverside Cemetery.
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1775 - 1838 (63 years)
