The Wells Fargo Wagons

For many years, Lloyd V. Tuttle contributed historic photos and information to the Defiance Crescent-News for his column: "A Backward Glance."  This article ran on March 19, 1964, with information on the Wells Fargo Express Company.

"A LOCAL CREW of the Wells-Fargo Express Co. is shown in this picture brought in by Harry Wahl, 1046 Holgate Ave.  It was taken about 1917 or 1918.

At that time the company operated three wagons in Defiance.

The picture was taken at the Maumee River camp of Ed Lambertson, the agent.  It was located at the stone dam near the present U. S. route 24 bypass bridge.

Shown are: From left, John Plummer, Harry Wahl, Irvin Killian, Ralph Tuttle, William Haver, Guy Brewer, Riley Wortman, Alonzo Krontz, H. E. Hughes and Ed Lambertson." 


The Wells Fargo Company began in 1852 with the leadership of Henry Wells and William Fargo.  The company was settled in San Francisco during the gold rush and it offered banking services and eventually delivery of valuable items for its customers.  Eventually, it became a general delivery service and it also ran stage coaches in the West, primarily, and it took over the Pony Express.  

By 1888, it began an expansion eastward, and by about 1910, it reached our area in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.  Wells Fargo wagons became a common sight in the area.  The picture below appeared in The Wells Fargo Messenger, published in 1918.  

 It was about 1918 that the federal government took over the Wells Fargo operations for the war effort.  
This nostalgic poem, written by Miss Clara Hall of Defiance, appeared in the same book as the photo above