Fred Wells founded the company town of Wells, British Columbia, at the head of the Willow River upon his development of the Gold Quartz Mine, one of the first hard rock gold discoveries in B.C.

When the rest of the world suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the community of Wells was a boomtown of jobs, opportunities, and money to be made. Men and women of different cultural backgrounds were drawn to the Cariboo district at the beginning of another world-famous gold rush, in the hopes avoiding the devastating effects of unemployment.

In 1937, the Wells Town site Company (which was composed of the same Board of Directors as the Cariboo Gold Quartz Mining Company) undertook the construction of a large Community Hall within the community of Wells.

When the hall was finished in 1938 it was huge -- 15,969 square feet. The building’s internal support system consists of large 12x12 posts running the entire height of the building. The perimeter construction is balloon framing.

The main gymnasium area is lit by rows of many-light window above the bleachers, and there is a mezzanine across the front of the building that was originally a reading and billiards room. The original basement was so large it contained a shooting gallery.

On June of 1938 the grand opening of the Wells Community Hall took place, featuring the local Wells Orchestra as well as imported entertainment. This was the first of many large social gatherings to be held in the building over the years.

There were banquets held in the Community Hall, often followed by dances; Wedding receptions, showers, birthday parties as well as basketball and badminton tournaments with competitors from the towns of Barkerville, Quesnel, Prince George and Williams Lake.

The Wells Community Hall suffered alongside the rest of Wells, and years of neglected resulted in massive structural damage to the building.

Through the tireless work of a large group of dedicated volunteers the hall has almost been fully restored to its former glory, and with a little more work it will be ready to reclaim its place as one of British Columbia's great community halls.