University of Wyoming
"©" 2006 University of Wyoming
Bulkeley Wells (1872-1931) was a mining engineer, mine manager, and entrepreneur. He graduated from Harvard in 1894 and married Grace Livermore in 1895. His father-in-law, Thomas L. Livermore, was principal owner of the Smuggler Union Mine near Telluride, Colorado, and Wells was given the job of manager of the mine after the previous manager's murder. Wells served as an officer in the Colorado National Guard from 1900-1917, at which time he retired with the rank of brigadier general. He served as adjutant general of Colorado from 1905-1907. The Guard was active in suppressing labor troubles at the Smuggler. Wells's first marriage ended in divorce in 1918, and he married Virginia Schmidt in 1923. During the 1920s he partnered with Henry Payne Whitney to reopen the Comstock mines in Nevada, but the price of silver did not support the attempt.
The collection contains biographical information; copies of notes on some of Wells's business enterprises including the Smuggler Union Mining Company, Colorado Superior Mining Company, Contention Mining Company, Humboldt Mines Company, Metals Exploration Company, New England Exploration Company, and First National Bank of Telluride (1912-1922); newspaper clippings on the United Comstock venture in the 1920s; and photographs. The photographs (copy prints taken from Wells family albums) depict the Smuggler Union and Telluride; Bulkeley Wells, Grace Livermore Wells, the wedding of Robert Livermore and Gwendolyn Young, and other members of the Livermore family; the Colorado National Guard in Telluride and Denver (circa 1904); Otto Liese (Wells's private secretary); and persons involved in the trial of Harry Orchard and other labor leaders in 1907-1908 taken on the streets of Boise, Idaho, including Charles Siringo, Bob Meldrum, Clarence Darrow, Frank Gooding, W.E. Borah, Peter Breen, Harry Orchard, and others.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no other known archival collections created by Bulkeley Wells at the date of processing.
These materials were received from
The collection was processed by D.C. Thompson in April 2003.
Item Description, Folder Number, Bulkeley Wells papers, circa 1900-1965, Collection Number 01657, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.