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Wells is located in York County, and was the third town established in Maine, incorporated on July 5, 1653 from a portion of the town of Webbannet. Named by Sir Fernando Gorges for the English city of the same name, Wells was first settled in 1641. It has the distinction of being the only Maine town not conquored during the various French and Indian wars between 1650 and 1730. Its spectacular beaches have made it an attraction for centuries. Ogunquit, the resort community, was part of Wells until 1980. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge consists of 3,600 acres of marsh and upland wildlife habitat. A mile-long trail (handicapped-accessible) offers vistas of the marshes and the ocean, plus many kinds of shorebirds, ducks, and geese. The trail begins at the refuge headquarters on Route 9 at the Wells/Kennebunk line. The Wells National Research Reserve is an educational and research facility with 1,600 acres, 7 miles of trails that take you through old fields, woods, marshes and to the beach. During the summer there are guided tours, junior research programs and research projects on birds, the sea level and water. From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)

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Jane of Wells, ME
May 19, 2006 1:13 PMWells has seven miles of beaches-both a blessing and a curse. It's a beautiful place to be with a lot of recreational options but in the summer it's tough to get to the grocery store with all the tourist traffic. As a local you learn to deal with it-using alternate routes etc but it's definitely something you need to think about in July and August if you need to get somewhere on rte. 1. Outside of that time period Wells is a tight knit community that offers a lot of events for families. There is an active Adult Community Center and a very active Rec department for children.

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