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1852: Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, the two founders of American Express, formed Wells Fargo & Company to provide express and banking services to California. 1860: Wells Fargo gained control of Butterfield Overland Mail Company, leading to operation of the western portion of the Pony Express .
On March 18, 1852, our founders—Henry Wells and William G. Fargo—built an innovative start-up to help customers build businesses and manage money in a rapidly changing world. Their dedication to finding creative solutions and advocating for more inclusive communities continues to inspire generations of change-makers to build the history of ...
Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, who founded American Express along with John Butterfield, formed Wells Fargo & Company in 1852 to provide "express" and banking services to California, which was growing rapidly due to the California Gold Rush.
- 238,698 (2022)
- Financial services
- US$73.8 billion (2022)
The beginning of an industry. In 1841, William Harnden, the nation’s first expressman, hired Wells to find a solution for people needing delivery service between New York City and Albany, New York. At the time, many people preferred to hire a courier instead of sending letters by the U.S. Postal Service when things needed to arrive quickly.
Key Dates: 1852: Henry Wells and William G. Fargo form Wells, Fargo & Company to provide express and banking services to California. 1860: Wells Fargo gains control of Overland Mail Company, leading to operation of the western portion of the Pony Express.
Acquisitions in 1999–2000. Continuing the Norwest tradition of making numerous smaller acquisitions each year, Wells Fargo acquired 13 companies during 1999 with total assets of $2.4 billion. The largest of these was the February purchase of Brownsville, Texas -based Mercantile Financial Enterprises, Inc., which had $779 million in assets.
Secret codes that kept transactions safe. In the 1800s, the telegraph allowed Wells Fargo to help customers transfer money securely. To minimize risk, the company used a system of encryption with secret codes. Read more.
