Lemuel H. Wells - Eastern Washington: 1871-1892

Eastern Washington: 1871-1892

In 1872, during his second year as rector in Walla Walla, Wells founded the St. Paul’s Girl’s School as well as a Boy’s School that was never as successful. In 1880, Wells married the principal of St. Paul’s Girl’s School, Henrietta Garretson, whose father was a senator of Pennsylvania. He established thirty-one Episcopal Missions in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho - in many places, Wells' mission was the first church or religious establishment in the region. These missions included the first Episcopal congregations in:

• Waitsburg, Washington
• Dayton, Washington
• Colfax, Washington
• Pomeroy, Washington
• Weston, Oregon
• Pendleton, Oregon
• Ritzville, Washington
• La Grande, Oregon
• Cove, Oregon
• Baker City, Oregon
• Pullman, Washington
• North Yakima, Washington
• Camas Prairie, Washington
• Moscow, Idaho
• Palouse, Washington
• Northport, Washington
• Kennewick, Washington
• Zillah, Washington
• Lewiston, Idaho
• Ellensburg, Washington
• Sunnyside, Washington
• Roslyn, Washington

In 1882, Wells moved to Connecticut, but was called back to Western Washington in 1885, as rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Tacoma. Charles Wright, a Tacoma railroad tycoon, was responsible for the splendid new St. Luke's, and had plans to found a Girls' School. He showed his plans to Henrietta Wells, who made several suggestions and was recruited as the first principal of Annie Wright Seminary, a venerable and successful Tacoma school. During Wells' tenure at St. Luke's, the congregation grew to such an extent that many mission churches were founded; many of Tacoma's present-day Episcopal congregations can trace their roots to Wells' influence at St. Luke's.