Wellsville is a rural town located in Allegany County, New York. Wellsville, NY is also the name of a village that lies within the town, but the two have separate governments. Alfred State College has a campus in Wellsville, NY, although the main campus is about 7 miles east. According to the 2010 census, the village of Wellsville has a population of about 3,000. When combined with the population of the town, the total population of Wellsville, NY is approximately 7,000. 

 

Wellsville, NY was the location of encampments for many centuries. The Seneca tribes referred to the area of Wellsville as “the Pigeon Woods,” and threw festivals every year to harvest pigeons. European settlers arrived during the late 1700s. Despite popular belief, Wellsville is not named for its oil wells, but rather after a man named Gardiner Wells, who was the one person who didn’t show up to a meeting when the residents decided to name the town.