Edward Livingston Noyes Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1248-1251 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				EDWARD LIVINGSTON NOYES,

	Edward Livingston Noyes is now living retired at Mellette, South 
Dakota, in the enjoyment of the comforts of life made possible by 
former years of unremitting labor. He was born in Franklin county, 
Massachusetts, on the 21st of September, 1836, and is a son of Dr. 
Bradley and Martha (Bordwell) Noyes. The father was a pioneer of Beaver 
Dam, Wisconsin, where he practiced medicine and surgery. He died there 
in 1860 and is buried in a cemetery in that city. His wife survived 
until 1866, when she too passed away and she was laid to rest in 
Colerain, Massachusetts. The family is of English origin on both sides 
and ancestors of our subject came to this country in the seventeenth 
century. Members of both families fought in the war of the Revolution 
and Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, was a representative of one 
of these. 

	Edward L. Noyes was educated in Massachusetts but at the age of 
seventeen years laid aside his textbooks and for four years thereafter 
was employed as a farm laborer in Massachusetts. At the end of that 
time he came west to Illinois as a book agent for the firm of Henry 
Hill of Norwich, Connecticut, and represented them in that capacity for 
a short time. From Illinois he made his way to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, 
where he was an engineer for some time, but eventually engaged in 
farming in that state, remaining there for about twenty years. At the 
end of that time, or in 1880, he came to Spink county, South Dakota, as 
he had heard much of the excellent opportunities of acquiring a good 
farm from the government. He took up a homestead six miles southeast of 
Mellette, which he cultivated for twenty-five years, making it one of 
the best improved farms of the neighborhood. As his resources increased 
he purchased additional land and eventually became the owner of eight 
hundred acres which returned to him a handsome income. Before leaving 
Wisconsin he bad taken up carpentering and after his removal to this 
state continued to follow that trade to some extent, building a number 
of the houses and barns throughout Spink county. In his farming 
operations he confined himself almost entirely to the raising of grain, 
his enterprise and progressive methods of agriculture insuring a large 
yield annually. In 1903 he removed to Mellette and has since lived 
retired. 

	Mr. Noyes was married in Madison, Wisconsin, on the 15th of 
February, 1858, when a young man of twenty-two years, to Mrs. Mehitable 
L. (Boston) Towne. Her father, Isaac Boston, was a soldier in the War 
of 1812 and was a son of Thomas Boston, who participated in the 
Revolutionary war. The Boston family is of English origin. Mrs. Noyes, 
mother was in her maidenhood Miss Bessie Cleves. Mrs. Noyes had four 
children by her first marriage, namely: R. W. Towne, a resident of Los 
Angeles, California; Sara J. Towne, the wife of Dr. Kingsley, of 
Madison, Wisconsin; Oliver P. Towne, who is living retired in Downey, 
California; and George I. Towne, a ranchman of Moenville, South Dakota. 
By her marriage to Mr. Noyes she had three children: Sophia L., the 
widow of J. W. Akers, living in the vicinity of Mellette; Edward L., 
manager of the Bellingham Electric Light & Power Company, of 
Bellingham, Washington; and Henry W., who died in infancy and was 
buried in the Kingsley cemetery in Dane county, Wisconsin. Mrs. Noyes 
passed away March 19, 1915, and was laid to rest in Madison, Wisconsin. 

	Mr. Noyes is a member of the democratic party and has held the 
office of county come missioner as well as various other local offices. 
He has taken a great interest in school affairs and has served as 
director on the board of education, doing all in his power to increase 
the efficiency of the public schools. His farm has a fine set of 
buildings and is improved in every way, being one of the valuable 
farming properties of Spink county. Having won success that assures him 
a comfortable income, he has retired from the active work of the farm 
and has moved to Mellette, where he is passing his declining days in 
well earned ease.