On November 15, 1805, Wells laid out the land that would later become Canton. By 1809, Wells was the largest landowner and real estate manager in Ohio. Wells donated to Canton his personal holdings; these holdings would become the Christ United Presbyterian Church, Timken Vocational High School and McKinley Park (originally a cemetery). He advocated for Canton to be the county seat of Stark County and Canton became the county seat on January 1, 1809.

Political career