Who Founded Wells Fargo?

Henry Wells was an American express-business pioneer. After helping form American Express in 1850, he and William Fargo organized Wells, Fargo & Co. in 1852 to provide banking and express services to Gold Rush California. He also founded Wells College in Aurora, New York.

Henry Wells was born in 1805 in Thetford.

Wells was born on December 12, 1805 and died on December 10, 1878. He worked as a freight agent before entering the express business. His companies competed with the United States Post Office by carrying mail below the government rate. He also founded Wells College in Aurora, New York.

William Fargo (1818-1881) co-founded both American Express (1850) and Wells Fargo & Company (1852) alongside Henry Wells. Recognizing the massive financial opportunity of the California Gold Rush, he established Wells Fargo to provide secure express delivery and banking services to pioneers out West. He served as President of American Express and heavily influenced the early infrastructure of the American financial system.

William George Fargo was born on May 20, 1818 and died on August 3, 1881. He was also a politician and a co-founder of American Express. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).