Colonel Wolford Wells

Submitted by Tiffany Bowman

Colonel Wolford Wells was born in February 1886 in Jackson County, Kentucky, to Jacob Henry Wells and Margaret Wood. He was one of eleven children in the Wells family. In the 1900 United States Federal Census, he was enumerated in his parents’ household and listed with the occupation of farm laborer.

He was admitted to the Eastern State Hospital on 16 October 1906 at age 20 for acute mania. The records listed him as a white male from Jackson County. He was assigned patient number 9793. His father, J.H. Wells of Alcorn, Kentucky, was listed as the contact. The reason for his insanity was listed as hereditary. There were no further updates to his record.

By the 1910 census, he is listed as a patient of the hospital. He remained there until his death on 14 August 1918, after an eleven year and ten months stay. His death record lists the cause of death as tertiary syphilis.

He is buried on the grounds of the hospital.

Research Notes

• His brother, Owen Wells, also died in a state hospital in Ohio.
• His sister Bertha “Bertie” Wells also spent time at Eastern State Hospital.

Sources:

• 1900 United States Federal Census
• 1910 United States Federal Census
• Kentucky death record (1918)