Wells College

Henry Wells — co-founder of Wells Fargo and American Express — established this college on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in 1868, calling the promotion of higher education for women "the dream of my life." The campus remains part of the Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wells closed in 2024 after 156 years; in January 2026, the Board of Trustees accepted a bid from the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge to purchase the campus for $12.5 million.