He and his sisters Mary and Westanna were all placed under the guardianship of their uncle, John Wells on 26 Nov 1879 by the Guernsey Co Probate Court, OH. This is consistent with the fact that their mother had died and their father William had moved to Guernsey Co, Ohio; but not consistent with the fact that James is listed in Fayette Co, PA and the two girls are listed with their father in 1880.
He appears to be listed in the 1880 census as James Wells (21, PA), a farm hand living with the family of William Norcross. This may be possible, as he was old enough to skip the guardianship and stay when the rest of the family went to Ohio. If so, he must have come to Ohio later to marry Flora.
According to his descendants: James worked in Gaither's saw mill. He was cleaning a well when he was gassed and carried carried home unconscious. At one time he was a sheriff on a train (according to Lillie Welker, cousin of Maria Amanda Wells) and a good one. Their family story is that he came home one day and found Flora (first wife) entertaining another man. This was never resolved and they were divorced.
In 1900 he and his 2nd wife, Sarah Mary are listed in Guernsey Co, with their three children. He is a carpet weaver, owning his home at age 40 and married 7 years.
He is listed in the 1910 census for South Bloomfield in Morrow Co, OH with his (2) wife, Mary, daughter and two sons. He was a laborer with his own home, and married 16 years (2nd time). It shows that 3 of their five children are living.
"James Nelson Wells and wife Sarah Mary Black and family consisting of Maria, John and Bob left Ohio in May 1911 by covered wagon. They were accompanied by Sarah's brother, his wife and six children (the Grant Blacks) in another covered wagon. By August they were only in North Dakota, realizing it was too far to get here before cold weather they took the train to Morse, Sask. 72 miles from their homesteads. As Morse was their nearest town then and very few settlers living here it was a very lonely life. The Black family didn't like it and only stayed a few weeks and returned to Ohio by train. The Wells built a sod house which they lived in at first and a lumber one later. My mother Maria Wells married my father who homesteaded one mile east of James and Mary."
Place and date of death from Marion Kowalski of Newton, Mass. via Carolyn Dauner as well as Esther Calvin.