Owen Augustine Wells

Owen Augustine Wells (February 4, 1844 – January 29, 1935) was an Irish American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer who served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district during the 53rd Congress (1893–1895). He was born in Catskill, New York, on February 4, 1844, the fourth of fourteen children born to Irish American immigrants James Wells and Bridget (née Wade) Wells. In 1850, when he was six years old, Wells moved with his parents to a farm near Empire, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, then a developing area of the state. Growing up in this rural setting, he attended both public and private schools while assisting with the work of the family farm, experiences that later informed his interest in agricultural pursuits and the concerns of rural constituents.

Wells pursued legal studies after his early schooling, reading law in the traditional manner of the period. He was admitted to the bar in 1870 and commenced the practice of law in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. Alongside his legal practice, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising, maintaining close ties to the farming community from which he had emerged. On October 7, 1872, he married Juliette Bryan of Jefferson County, New York. The couple had no children and were married for fifty years, until her death in 1922.

As his legal and business reputation grew, Wells became increasingly active in Democratic Party politics in Wisconsin. In 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed him Collector of Internal Revenue for Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district, a federal post that placed him in charge of administering and collecting internal revenue taxes in that portion of the state. He served in this capacity until 1887, when the 3rd district was consolidated with the Milwaukee district and his office was effectively abolished. Wells continued to be a prominent figure in party affairs, serving as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1888 and later to the Gold Democratic National Convention in 1896, reflecting his alignment with the pro–gold standard wing of the party during the monetary controversies of the 1890s. He also participated in numerous state conventions of the Democratic Party, helping to shape its platform and candidate slates in Wisconsin.

Wells’s prominence in state and national Democratic circles led to his election to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district. He served a single term in the 53rd United States Congress, with his tenure beginning on March 4, 1893, and concluding on March 3, 1895. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the economic turmoil of the Panic of 1893 and intense debates over tariff policy, currency, and federal economic intervention. As a member of the Democratic Party representing Wisconsin, Owen Augustine Wells contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents from Fond du Lac and the surrounding region. Although specific committee assignments and sponsored measures are less well documented, his background in law, agriculture, and revenue administration informed his approach to national issues.

In 1894, Wells was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the 54th United States Congress. After his defeat, he declined to accept any further public office, choosing instead to return to private life. He resumed the practice of law in Fond du Lac, where he continued to be regarded as a respected attorney and community figure. Maintaining his longstanding interests, he remained connected to both legal affairs and agricultural matters in the region, even as he gradually reduced his professional activities.

Wells retired from active professional work in 1901 but continued to reside in Fond du Lac during his later years. Following the death of his wife Juliette in 1922, he lived quietly in the community where he had built his career and reputation. He died in Fond du Lac on January 29, 1935, at the age of 90. A figure who bridged the pioneer era of Wisconsin’s settlement and the modern industrial age, he was interred in Rienzi Cemetery in Fond du Lac.