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History · Wellston

Wellston’s post office opened in 1892, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1933 on.

1892first post office
0on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Wellston began

When was Wellston founded?

1892

The Wellston post office opened in 1892, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 254134 years
Founding year: the first Wellston post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Wellston’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Wellston are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Wellston’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wellston’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wellston’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Wellston came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wellston.

Read it all →

Wellston was named for its first postmaster, Adelmer J. Wells. The post office officially opened June 30, 1892. The town was founded by the Swigart Land Company along the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad. Wellston is home to the critically ill children's ministry Little Mary's Hospitality House, which was founded in 1982.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Wellston, decade by decade

Today1 recent
MIMap-doton-Wellston2005MIMap-doton-Wellston
On the map

Wellston on the map, 1933 to 1987

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wellston. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Wellston on the 1933 USGS mapWellston on the 1957 USGS mapWellston on the 1987 USGS map1933Peacock NW sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wellston.

Famous people

Famous people close to Wellston

Nobody well known was born in Wellston itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

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Dora Hall StockmanAmerican writer and lecturer · b. 1872
J
Jeff DongvilloAmerican politician · b. 1953

Questions about Wellston’s history

What year was Wellston founded?

The Wellston post office opened in 1892, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.