Henry Titus Welles

Henry Titus Welles (April 3, 1821 – March 4, 1898) was a lawyer, businessman and Democratic politician who served as the first mayor of St. Anthony, Minnesota.

Life and career Welles was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut on April 3, 1821 to Jonathan and Jerusha Welles. He grew up working on the family's farm and later attended Trinity College, graduating in 1843. He went on to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1845. In 1850 he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly.

In 1853 Welles moved west, arriving in St. Paul, Minnesota, that June. Shortly after arriving he visited St. Anthony Falls and became taken by the sight. He relocated to the young city of St. Anthony and went into the lumber business with Franklin Steele. In 1855 he was elected the first mayor of St. Anthony. In that same year he and Steele built the first major bridge crossing the Mississippi between what was then the two towns of St. Anthony and Minneapolis. In 1863 Welles was the Democratic nominee for governor but lost to Stephen Miller.