Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 167.

PERRY E. WELLS

Perry E. Wells is numbered among those whose efforts have helped to make the
Hood~iver valley what it is today, one of the finest fruit producing sections of
the co~intry, and the success which is now his is the legitimate result of his
persevering efforts and his sound judgment. Mr. Wells was bqrn in Savannah,
Carroll county, Illinois, on the 18th of June, 1879, and is a son of Jerome and
Anna Mary (Strickler) Wells, both of whom were born in Illinois, the former in
Jo Daviess county and the latter in Carroll county. The father, who followed
farming, lived near East Moline, a section of which city now occupies a part of
his former place. In 1890 he came to Oregon and took up a homestead seven miles
southeast of Hood River, the land being mostly covered with timber and brush. He
built a small board house and a log barn, cleared off several acres of the land
and lived there until 1900, when he sold it and bought one hundred and sixty
acres one mile east of the Pine Grove school. A few acres were cleared and there
was a small house and some outbuildings on the place. He cleared much of the
land and planted a good orchard, and he and his wife spent their remaining years
there. They became the parents of six children, as follows:

Perry E., of this review; Warren who lives at Bend, Oregon; Mrs. Margaret Lester
and Walter, both in the Hood river valley; Edward, who resides in Portland; and
Clifford, in the Hood River valley.

Perry E. Wells attended the Pine Grove district school and studied mechanical
engineering two years at the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis. On
leaving school, in 1908, he came back to the Hood River valley and bought ten
acres of raw land, about three-quarters of a mile from the Pine Grove school. He
cleared off the timber and brush which encumbered it and planted an apple
orchard. He was successful in the operation of this place and in 1918 bought
eleven and a half acres near by, all of which was in apple orchard, so that he
now has a splendid ranch and is reaping the fruits of his labors, being very
comfortably situated.

In 1906 Mr. Wells was united in marriage to Miss Nellie V. Clark, who was born
in Columbus, Washington, and is a daughter of L. E. and Ada (Berrian) Clark, the
former born in Peoria county, Illinois, and the latter in Wisconsin. Her father
came to Washington territory in 1880, locating at Columbus, now called Maryhill,
Kiickitat county, where he bought a small fruit ranch, which he cultivated until
1887, when he sold out and went to Biggs, Sherman county, Oregon, and
established a lumber yard, feed stables and a fuel and agricultural implement
business, also running a ferry boat. He remained there until 1898, when he sold
his interests and moved to the town of Wasco, where he operated a lumber yard
until 1902, when he again sold out and, coming to the Hood River valley, bought
one hundred and twenty-six acres of land in the Pine Grove district. A few acres
were cleared and planted to apples, and he cleared much of the remainder, which
he planted to fruit and now has thirty-five acres in orchard, mainly apples,
pears and cherries. He has made many substantial improvements, including a
modern house, and good barn and outbuildings, as well as a packing house. He
served a number of years as a director of the Hood River Apple Growers
Association and has shown an effective interest in matters of importance to the
community. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the
Chamber of COmmerce and he and his wife belong to the Grange. They are the
parents of five children, namely: Mrs. Wells; B. L.; William B.; Gladys, who is
at home, and Florence, who is the wife of Cecil Thrane, of Astoria, Oregon.
Florence graduated from the University of California, in a class of twenty-four
hundred members, in 1923, and B. L. Clark graduated in horticulture from the
Oregon Agricultural College.

Mrs. Wells secured her education at the Pine Grove district school and was at
home to the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Wells are the parents of three
children, namely: Harold, born October 17, 1906; Kenneth, born June 9, 1908;
and Dorothy, born August 1, 1910, now a junior in the high school at Hood River.
Mr. Wells is a member of Hood River Lodge, No. 1507, B. P. 0. E., at Hood River,
1~elongs to the Hood River Apple Growers Association and he and his wife are
members of the Pomona Grange. His career has not been a path of roses, for he
has worked hard and long, and sometimes has faced discouraging conditions, but
he is now in prosperous circumstances and has a comfortable home and a valuable
ranch property. His earnest life and honest efforts have gained for him the
respect of his fellowmen and he is regarded as one of the valley's loyal and
dependable citizens.

 
*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.