Wells was born in Trenton, New York, a member of the sixth generation of his family in America.

He lived in Commerce, Illinois—later renamed Nauvoo—and was a major landowner and justice of the peace there for several years prior to the arrival of large numbers of Latter Day Saints in 1839.

When Wells was no longer in the position, the operation of the church's public works program was placed under the supervision of the Presiding Bishopric.

[3] In 1866, Wells was elected mayor of Salt Lake City as a member of the newly formed People's Party; he was re-elected in both 1872 and 1874.

[4] The decision was the result of a meeting with Isaac Higbee, bishop of Fort Utah, together with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

However, after hearing reports of poor attitude of the settlers in working with Grants's troops, Brigham Young asked Wells to lead a detachment.

He divided them into smaller parties and searched the southern valley for native peoples to kill.

On February 14, at Table Rock near the southeastern shore of Utah lake, one of the smaller hunting parties captured a band of Utes.

[7]: 76 Wells worked with Brigham Young to form the Lot Smith Cavalry Company.

In 1852, Wells married his seventh wife, future Relief Society General President Emmeline B.