"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



David A. Noble, for years a well-known retired farmer, of Windom, of Cottonwood county, is a native of Canada, born on December 17, 1843, son and only child of Robert and Mary (Collins) Noble, the former of whom died in Canada in 1851. His widow and her son came over into the United States about 1855 and settled in La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where she died in 1870, near Portage. David A. Noble was about eleven years old when he went to Wisconsin with his widowed mother, and he grew to manhood in La Crosse county, completing his schooling in the public schools of that county. On December 17, 1861, his seventeenth birthday, he enlisted in Company B, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, for service during the Civil War, and served for two days less than four years, being mustered out at Austin, Texas, November 15, 1865, receiving his final discharge at Madison, Wisconsin, December 15, 1865. His mother died at her sister's home near Portage, Wisconsin, in 1870, and in 1874 he came over into Minnesota and settled in Cottonwood county, where he has made his home ever since. Upon arriving in this state Mr. Noble homesteaded a quarter section in Amo township, at the same time taking a timber claim on a quarter section adjoining, and set about developing the same. That farm of three hundred and twenty acres he still owns, as well as a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres in Lakeside township, about three miles from Windom. In 1879 Mr. Noble married and established his home on his homestead place in Amo township. For about a year after their marriage, Mr. Noble and his wife lived in a sod house, but they presently built a more substantial home, and it was not long until their affairs began to prosper. When they started housekeeping they had neither chairs nor a table, boxes serving in lieu thereof, but that condition did not last long and after awhile they had a very comfortable home and were looked upon as among the substantial residents of that neighborhood. Mr. Noble took a proper part in the civic affairs of his home township and for years was active in Republican politics, serving for some time as assessor of Amo township. During his residence in Windom he also has served as a member of the council. In addition to the farm lands at present owned by Mr. Noble, he formerly owned two hundred and forty acres one half mile out of Windom and twenty seven acres within the corporation and at one time owned land in North Dakota. About 1895 he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved into Windom, where he ever since has made his home, long having been one of the best-known men of that city. For nearly fifteen years Mr. Noble has been superintendent of a part of the stock exhibit at the county fair. He has taken an active part in general agricultural affairs and for some time was in charge of the Cottonwood county exhibit at the Minnesota state fair.

On March 12, 1879, David A. Noble was united in marriage to Mary Cuthbert, who was born in Carseburn, Scotland, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth (Ogg) Cuthbert, who came to this country with their family in 1871 and located in La Crosse county, Wisconsin, later moving to Buena Vista county, Iowa, where they spent their last days, Alexander Cuthbert dying on May 17, 1900, at the age of seventy-nine years, and his wife, October 13, 1906, at the age of eighty-nine. Alexander Cuthbert and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Noble was the fifth in order of birth, the others being Isabel, William, David (deceased), Alexander (deceased) and Eliza. To Mr. and Mrs. Noble six children have been born, all of whom are living, as follow: Myrtle Eliza, Iva Mary, Jessie Isabel, a graduate of the Winona Normal School; Geneva Ida, Bertha Vera, also a graduate of the Winona Normal, and David Alexander, who was graduated from Ames College with the class of 1916. The Nobles are members of the Presbyterian church and take a warm interest in all movements having to do with the advancement of the best interests of the community at large.

Mr. Noble and a man named G. E. Rice, during the early settlement, in order to get trees for their groves, went to Mankato, Kasota and St. Peters and pulled the small trees to plant in their tree-claim, as they did not have money enough to buy trees. They were gone two weeks on this trip, and they secured enough trees for their claim.