Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 441
JOHN NOYES

John NOYES, (Portrait) (or Captain Noyes, as he was familiarly called during his lifetime), was a central figure as well as one of the prominent factors among the hardy band of Harrison County pioneers.

Mr NOYES was born in the State of Maine, February 27, 1812. His parents, who were also natives of the Pine Tree State, were Joseph and Esther (EMERSON) NOYES, of English descent. In the father's family there were fifteen children -- Esther, Joseph, Almira, John, Peter, Robert, Ruth, William, Maria, Jonathan, Washington, Julian, Lydia, LaFayette and Hannah.

When three years of age our subject, John NOYES, accompanied his parents to Guernsey County, Ohio, and subsequently to Athens County, Ohio. When yet quite young he went to Morgan County, Ohio, where for sometime he was engaged in the salt works. He also followed the great rivers as a flat-boatman, assisting in the transportation of salt and flour to New Oreans. We next find him the proprietor of a large mercantile establishment at Hooksburg, Ohio, in which business he remained until 1856, during which year he sold. He emigrated to Harrison County, coming by boat to St Joseph, Mo, where teams were engaged to convey the company, which comprised of a goodly number to there new home.

Mr NOYES and family located on the southwest quarter of section 20, of what is known as Morgan Township. He at once began turning over the rich virgin soil, and assisted by his sons, succeeded in getting in a crop, as it was May when he arrived. About 1858 he placed in operation the second steam sawmill in that portion of the county. It stood about a mile and one-half to the north and west of the village of Mondamin. He operated this mill, which was highly prized by the early pioneers, until the close of the Civil War period, and then sold to his sons, who operated it a few years longer. Mr NOYES being a man of life and manly energy, he soon accumulated a large tract of land, at one time having 4,000 acres within Harrison County. Having the financial means, he was variously engaged, and in consequence employed many men. In the early 70's, Mr NOYES became interested in the Woodbine Woolen Mills (a thorn in many a man's side in Harrison County), which business proved a great loss to him. He also lost heavily by going security for friends, and thus much of his hard-earned property slipped from him.

Mr NOYES was first married in 1833, to Hettie STANLEY, by whom five children were born. They were: Jane, afterward Mrs RUFFCORN; Catherine, who became the wife of Mr CHAMBERLAIN; John H; LaFayette; and Washington, now (1891) residing in River Sioux, Iowa. Mrs NOYES, the mother of these children, passed from the scenes of this life in 1847. In 1848 Mr NOYES married Mary STARKS, daughter of Charles and Susan STARKS of Pennsylvania. By this union three sons and two daughters were born: Esther; William; Z. Taylor, now a merchant of Mondamin; Fillmore; and Maria Z.

In 1883, while driving in a thunder shower, MR NOYES was unfortunate in having his horse struck by lightning and killed. At the same time Mr NOYES received a heavy charge of the electric current, the effects of which he never fully recovered from. This accident, coupled with the mental strain, brought about by reason of financial losses, caused a derangement of his mind, and he was sent to the asylum in Mt Pleasant, in hopes he might recover. He remained there about three months, was brought home, and only survived until February 23, 1885. His had been a busy and useful life. In addition to his extensive mill and farm-life in Harrison County, he also operated a large steam sawmill in Texas, where he sawed hundreds of thousands of railroad ties. He engaged in merchandising at Mondamin in 1868. His son being associated with him, succeeded him, and is still the leading merchant of the town.

To Capt. NOYES is largely due the honor of naming Mondamin, the busy trading mart of Morgan Township. Mr NOYES was an extensive raiser of, and dealer in Indian corn. His township came to be the banner township in the county for corn, and so very appropriately, the railroad station, from which so many thousands of bushels of this product was annually shipped, was given the Indian name for corn, which is "Mondamin."

The writer is baffled to know which particular part of John NOYES' well-rounded life to emphasize the most. It is certain, however, that his early manhood; his domestic relations; his hardihood in becoming a pioneer in this section of Iowa, in 1856; his official duties as Drainage Commisioner as well as his connection with the Harrison County Agricultural Society have all proven the late Capt. NOYES to have been possessed of far more than the ordinary ability found among the rank and file of earth's busy workers. He was generous, kind-hearted and true in every position he was placed. His name will go down to prosperity as prominent among the vanguard of Harrison County.

Return to 1891 Biographical N Surnames Index

Back to 1891 Biographies Index