Wells Kilburn was the son of Ira Kilburn and Sally Ross Kilburn. He was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Wells came to Napa, California with his wife and children about 1850 (date reported in obituary). His brother Ralph L. Kilburn had arrived in California as early as 1842, and married Maria Pope. Ralph had a Mexican land grant; the R.L. Kiburns owned a large ranch in the Napa Valley, and were successful in agriculture.

Wells' first wife was Ann Guy. They had the following children:

• Paris Kilburn (born July 21, 1834, Tioga Co, PA - died January 18, 1909, Pacific Grove, CA)
• *Guy Kilburn (born November 17, 1835, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died January 23, 1903, Stanislaus Co, CA)
• Carroll Kilburn (born July 20, 1837, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died May 29, 1906 San Francisco, CA)
• Ella Kilburn (born and died 1841, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA)
• Ada Kilburn (born around 1842, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died August 11, 1842)
• Knox Kilburn (born May 3, 1843, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died July 16, 1843)
• Ella Kilburn (born 1844, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died January 12, 1876, Napa CA)
• Ida Kilburn (born around 1848, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died before 1910)
• William Kilburn (born July 4, 1849, Lawrenceville, Tioga Co, PA - died September 4, 1913, Bass Ross, Gloucester, Essex Co, MA)

Wells married for the second time, Phebe Silvers. The marriage was announced in the Napa County Reporter on July 11, 1863 (p.2 c.5). They were married at Union Hotel, Sonoma County, by Rev. D. E. Bushnell. Phebe Silvers was identified as "Mrs. Phebe Silvers." Maybe this was a second marriage for her. The 1880 census shows a widowed Phebe Kilburn living in Walla Walla, Washington with her stepson-in-law, Robert Parks, and his daughter Ida.