#17 famous people were born in Wells, more of them leaders than in most towns
Most widely known is Daniel W. Gooch, the American politician, with articles in 7 languages. The American politician John Fairfield Scamman ranks second, ahead of Nathaniel Littlefield. 5 of them were born in the early republic, more than in any other period. Only 51 of the 286 towns in Maine with anyone on record list more.
What stands out about Wells’ famous people
When Wells’s famous people were born
The 1820s alone account for 1 of the births charted here.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
What Wells is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is leaders, at 2.7 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Born in Wells
All three are leaders.
#1
#3Everyone else born in Wells
4 more, best known first.




No one matches both filters.
Who’s the most famous person from Wells?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Be the first to say who Wells’ most famous person is.
Famous people from the towns next door
Around it, Kennebunk has the most people on record, 7 of them.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Wells and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (9)
- Daniel W. Gooch: Julian Vannerson (1827-1875), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nathaniel Littlefield: Maine State Archives (Augusta, Maine), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Esther Wheelwright: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Storer: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Guy Tripp: Samuel Atkins Eliot, editor. Massachusetts Biographical Society (Boston, MA)., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William S. Wells: F. H. Burgess, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hugh McCulloch: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sarah Orne Jewett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ichabod Goodwin: Signed by E. Billings. Most likely Edwin Tryon Billings (1824–1893), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons


