Dear Wells researchers,
Here are some tidbits that you may already have but I thought I would
post for those who may not have seen this.
This is part of a thesis written by Hugh L. Sulfridge, a native of Wise Co.
VA and former principal of Big Stone Gap and other schools in the county
and also principal of schools of Charlottesville, VA.
"William Wells who was probably one of the sons of Richard Wells, was one
of the first men to purchase land in the Wild Cat Valley.
This land was purchased from James Shepherd who had secured it by patent on
the 6th day of August, 1810. James Shepherd himself was one of the first
settlers in Wise County, and his name is mentioned in connection with land
transfers along the upper branches of Powell River. Zachariah Wells,
another one of the sons of Richard, purchased a tract of land at the mouth
of Looney's Creek in the year 1805. The lower part of the town of
Appalachia is now built on this land. In the year 1819, Zachariah Wells
sold to Robert Wells 100 acres of land "near the three forks of Powell
River," and one line of the boundary of this tract touched the land of
Thomas Wells. Jeremiah Wells, another member of this large family of
brothers, was the grandfather of the late Judge Tazewell J. Wells, whose
father was James Franklin Wells. Numerous descendants of the Wells family
still live in the County.
Another name seen often in connection with early transfers is that of
Shepherd. Moses Shepherd seems to have been the original settler of this
family on the headwaters of the Powell. James was the first man to own
land on Looney's Creek. The Shepherds still live in the same locality
where they have been for more than a hundred years."
This continues on with information on Blanton, Horton, Tipton, Kelly,
Sturgill, Willey, Willis, Gilley, etc.
Also in Early Settlers of Lee Co. Va by Hattie Muncy Bales:
Zachariah Wells was in Wilkes Co. North Carolina in 1778 when he entered
100 acres in the county lying on New River...between his and Micajah
Pennington's land...9th of Sept. 1788. March 31, 1788 Micajah Pennington
conveyed 100 acres of land beginning on the north side of the New River...
in Wilkes Co. NC to Zachariah Wells for 80 pounds. Seal of Micajah
Pennington.
Was this the Zachariah the Loyalist who was hanged in 1781? If this was
the Zachariah of Wise Co. he would have been around 50 years old. I think
this may have been our Wise Co. Zachariah because of his association with
Micajah who also has decendants in the area of Wise and Lee Co VA. I don't
have a good mind for dates so I can get off track easily. What do you
folks have on this?
Lucy Graves
lucy(a)3wave.com
or
jgraves.com