A closer look at the life of Dr. Wells

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
After painting an overview of the life of Dr. Nathan E. Wells in last week’s installment of “History on Main,” local historian Leonard Cash traces his steps back to the beginning and dives into details on Wells and his former home located on Summit Street. 
According to the Jan. 6, 1905, issue of the News Letter Journal, Wells arrived in the Newcastle/Cambria area from San Antonio, Texas, to take over for Dr. Johnson, who had “legislative duties” for the last session of state legislature.
The March 17, 1905, paper reported a bittersweet time for the community of Newcastle. Dr. F.W. McHibbon was moving to Vermont and would be missed by their friends, but Dr. Wells, whom they welcomed to town, was taking over his practice. 
According to the March 24, 1905, issue, Wells brought a lot of experience to the table, including running a hospital, working for Kilpatrick Bros., and being awarded a contract with Southern Pacific. At the time, Wells was renting the Faehudrick property for his office, which had been the previous home of G.A. Mollring. 
A week later, his wife Beth returned home after visiting relatives for several months in their hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, according to an article from March 31, 1905. 
The May 12, 1905, paper reported that Dr. Johnson was absent again, so Wells filled in for him at Cambria. Johnson was traveling to Denver to accompany D.J. Jone, who was having surgery for kidney stones. 
Wells announced his decision to stay permanently in Newcastle, in the June 9, 1905, edition of the News Letter Journal. His practice was flourishing, and he saw a “bright future ahead” for both he and the town (Cash said he had an office in both Cambria and Newcastle). 
“He has on the road an electrical apparatus which will be installed in his office for the treatment of disease of women and all nervous disease also an apparatus for treating diseases of the nose and throat which he says is one of the greatest and most successful inventions of modern times,” the article says. 
According to a report from June 23, 1905, Wells again traveled to Cambria to look after the practice there. Additionally, he went with Mrs. John Owens to a hospital in Denver because she was having surgery, and “it is sincerely hoped that something can be done to better the condition of her health,” the article says. 
Articles from Oct. 13, 1905 and Feb. 16, 1906, reported that Wells relocated his practice into an upstairs room in the Stockgrowers and Merchant Bank building (Cash said while it’s no longer standing, it used to be two doors down from the Perkins Tavern until it burned down).
Around Nov. 3, 1905, Wells had to go to Soldier Creek because Mrs. W.A. Zook suffered from a “serious injury” when she was “knocked down by a mean cow and injured internally.” 
A few months later, the Feb. 23, 1906, paper continued reporting the success of Wells’ practice, and he didn’t’ plan on leaving Newcastle anytime soon, despite the rumors. 
Johnson’s (later becoming the home of Wells) received a new coat of paint, according to an article from Aug. 9, 1907. This building is the one located on Summit Street up the hill from Isabella’s and the former telephone office. 
In addition to Johnson’s home, Wells’ office in Cambria was updated, reported the Nov. 1, 1907, issue. 
“Dr. Wells has had his private office fitted up with shelves and has placed in a supply of drugs for use in filling prescriptions under the new arrangements adopted by the Union,” the article says. 
The Union was responsible for furnishing the drugs in the mining town, and although Cambria wasn’t part of the Union, Cash said, it held a lot of influence in the town. 
Wells’ wife returned from another visit to Pennsylvania, according to an article from Feb. 5, 1909. She had been with them over the holidays. 
Over a year later, Wells was back in Cambria, but not as a doctor this time. An article from Sept. 30, 1910, said he was “attending to business connected with the Weston County Bank of which institution he is one of the directors.” 
The Cambria mines were sold around 1909 to 1910, so a new company took over, according to Cash. In his memoir “Only a Country Doctor,” Wells describes his encounter with the company’s bookkeeper named Law, and it did not go over very well. Tempers flared, and on May 5, 1911, the News Letter Journal reported that Wells quit his job. Following his resignation, the couple went for a two month visit in Pennsylvania. 
However, they soon returned to the west and arrived back in Newcastle around July 14, 1911, where he decided to open up a new practice after his run in with Dr. Johnson described in last week’s paper. His office would be located in the flat over Fawkers Drug store, and he’d furnish it as soon as the supplies arrived. 
“We are pleased to see these good people again taking up their residence in this city,” the article says. 
According to the July 21, 1911, paper, Wells and his wife drove up to Cambria in their new, Reo car to attend the ball game because he loved baseball, according to Cash. 
The couple received a forty-inch French plate mirror from a friend in Cambria, who gave it “as a token of friendship and regard for this estimable couple,” announced the July 28, 1911. Cash said it was probably made from the “top glass.” 
The Oct. 6, 1911, announced that Wells received a visit from his mom and sister, who lived in Meshoppen, Pennsylvania. 
On Jan. 3, 1913, Elmore Horton Wells was born “of regulation weight” to the happy couple, who welcomed him into the world, announced the Jan. 9, 1913, paper.
A few months later, the May 1, 1913, issue reported that the doctor was offered a new job as the company physician in Cambria. However, because his practice in Newcastle is getting along quite successfully, he decided not to accept it. 
Around Oct. 14, 1915, Wells treated himself to a new Maxwell car from the Sedgwick garage, and a few months later, he made another new purchase—this time for his office. He bought an X-ray apparatus and “other electrical equipment” that was otherwise not available between Alliance and Sheridan, according to the March 9, 1916, issue of News Letter. 
“This addition makes his office one the of best equipped in the state,” the article says. 
With new equipment soon followed a new office. On June 8, 1916, the paper reported that Wells purchased Dr. Johnson’s old house on Summit Street (first door down from telephone office at that time—now it’s two doors), who came down from Sheridan to sell it. This house was to be his office and home.
“The rooms he will occupy for his office will make roomy, convenient quarters,” the article says. 
Around Oct. 12, 1916, Wells bought another car from Sedgwick—this time a “new Reo, six roadster,” so he took a trip to Lead with family to pick it up.
About a month later, the Nov. 9, 1916, edition of the News Letter said Wells “treated his residence to a new coat of paint.” 
On Jan. 4, 1917, the paper announced that the Wells had a party to celebrate Elmore’s 4th birthday. Just a few months later, however, Elmore’s health took a turn for the worse. He was taken to Alliance for an operation on his ear, which had an abscess on it, but they couldn’t perform the operation. 
While he was on his way to recovery, things looked doubtful. It was reported on May 1, 1919, that he was still doing poorly. Cash doesn’t have records reporting his recovery, but he “must’ve” gotten better because he didn’t die from it, he said. 
The Aug. 7, 1917, paper said that both Wells and J.L. Baird bought houses on Woodstock Ave. The former purchased Simon Greenbaum’s house and the latter, John Wighters’ home. A week later, the paper reported that Wells had a telephone line running to his ranch on Blacktail. 
According to an article from Sept. 4, 1919, the Ratcliff family moved into the cottage behind the Well’s house on Summit, and they were to live there for the winter. Mr. Ratcliff worked at the Kirkwood garage, which is now the Alligator Shack, according to Cash.