Wells County, Indiana

Founding: 1837 (declared in 1835)
Parent county: Unorganized territory

Namesake: William Wells, U.S. army officer
Seat: Bluffton (1839–)

Land area: 368 square miles

Population (2020): 28,180

Population (historic): 1,822 (1840); 10,844 (1860); 18,442 (1880); 23,449 (1900); 18,411 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1840–1900; 1930–2020

Subdivisions: One city; six towns; nine townships

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 3,705 (31.4%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 62.1%
Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 9.4%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 5.3%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 10.5%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,210
Average outbuilding value (1930): $1,184

Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.9 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 2,545
Average farm size (1920): 75.6 acres
Sources of settlement: Ohio and Pennsylvania

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Bluffton

Namesake: Unknown—perhaps the local terrain

Founding: 1838 (platting); 1839 (post office); 1851 (incorporation)

Population (2020): 10,308

Population (historic): 477 (1850); 1,131 (1870); 4,479 (1900); 5,074 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1838–1920; 1930–2020
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,331 (29.3%)

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