James NOEL, b. 1830
James Noel is one of the pioneer residents of
Mahaska county, who has intimate knowledge
of the events which have marked the advance of
its history and indicated its progress toward an
advancing civilization. He was born in Union
township, Perry county, Ohio, March 30, 1830,
a son of Joseph and Mary (Cooper) Noel, both
of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and
spent their last days in Indiana, the father's
death occurring in White county, that state. He
was a shoemaker in early life but later became
a farmer and settled in White county.
James Noel of this review is the only living
son in a family of sixteen children, three
brothers having died in the Civil war. He was
eighteen years of age when his father died. He then
went to work on a farm in the neighborhood,
having previously acquired a good
common school education in the district schools of White
county. In 1852 he came to Mahaska county
with his wife's parents and on the 12th of
December, the same year, he was married in a little
log cabin in Richland township, this county, to
Miss Mary M. Bacon, who was horn in White
county, Indiana, April 16, 1834, a daughter of
Ira and Mary Bacon, the former born in
Massachusetts and the latter in Ohio. Mr. Bacon
and his family came to this county in July,
1852, and he took up government land in
Richland township, whereon he built a log cabin, in
which the family lived for several years. As
time passed and he prospered in his
undertakings he added to his farm until he owned five
hundred acres of land and he continued his
residence in Richland township until his death,
which occurred when he had reached the age of
sixty-six years. His widow survived him to the
age of seventy-eight years. In their family were
twelve children.
Following his marriage James Noel purchased one hundred and sixty acres of
government land in Richland township, which he
improved and made his home for several years.
He then traded that property for another farm
partially improved and lived thereon fourteen
years, when he sold out and removed to New
Sharon, where he is now living a retired life.
He was an active and energetic agriculturist,
carefully directed his business affairs and his
industry and perseverance constituted the
salient elements in his success.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Noel have been born
six children, of whom four are living: Rubie,
who died at the age of one year; Alfred, who
married Miss Clara Tice, and is living at
Leighton, this county; Almeda, who died at the age
of fifteen years; Otis B., who married Miss
Julia E. Knowlton and resides upon a farm in
Union township; Olive, living in Illinois;
Lillian, the wife of Henry C. Hull, a resident of
Prairie township. In politics Mr. Noel is
independent. He and his wife are members of the
Christian church and they occupy a comfortable
home on West Main street. Mr. Noel relates
many interesting incidents of the early days
when his Indiana home was upon the frontier.
They used grease lamps and burned coon oil,
which gave a steadier light than any other
grease. After coming to Iowa they burned lard
and tallow in the same kind of lamp. Their
first bed was made by placing poles in holes
made in the logs in the side of the cabin and
then covering these with clapboards. They
shared in the hardships and privations of
pioneer times but as the years have gone by have
been enabled to secure the comforts and many
of the luxuries of life.
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from Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa by Manoah Hedge
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1906
Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy
Iowa Genealogy
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