▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury . ▁ ▁The ▁marriage ▁was ▁short - l ived , ▁however , ▁as ▁Elizabeth ▁died ▁following ▁a ▁year ▁spent ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Well s , ▁a ▁newly ▁ord ained ▁priest , ▁determined ▁to ▁act ▁on ▁his ▁earlier ▁desire ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁mission ary ▁and ▁Bishop ▁Benjamin ▁W ist ar ▁Morris ▁of ▁the ▁then - front ier ▁states ▁of ▁Oregon ▁and ▁Washington ▁asked ▁Well s ▁to ▁become ▁re ctor ▁of ▁a ▁struggling ▁mission ▁in ▁Wal la ▁Wal la , ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Eastern ▁Washington : ▁ 1 8 7 1 - 1 8 9 2 ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁during ▁his ▁second ▁year ▁as ▁re ctor ▁in ▁Wal la ▁Wal la , ▁Well s ▁founded ▁the ▁St . ▁Paul ' s ▁Girls ' ▁School ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁Boys ' ▁School ▁that ▁was ▁never ▁as ▁successful . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁Well s ▁married ▁the ▁principal ▁of ▁St . ▁Paul ' s ▁Girls ' ▁School , ▁Henri etta ▁Gar ret son , ▁whose ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁sen ator ▁of ▁Pennsylvania . ▁He ▁established ▁thirty - one ▁Epis cop al ▁Miss ions ▁in ▁Washington , ▁Oregon , ▁and ▁Id aho ▁- ▁in ▁many ▁places , ▁Well s ' ▁mission ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁church ▁or ▁religious ▁establishment ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁These ▁miss ions ▁included ▁the ▁first ▁Epis cop al ▁con greg ations ▁in : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁Well s ▁moved ▁to ▁Connecticut , ▁but ▁was