MAIN  PAGE

Belgians in the Civil War

Emigrants arrival

links

Sources

BELGIANS IN AMERICA:    Biographies of Belgian settlers  

En 1838, Jean Baptiste Noël, de Sampon, après avoir passé 4 ans en Ohio s'installa en Iowa, le long du Mississippi, au sud de Dubuque, face à la ville de Galena, IL. Avec ses frères et soeurs, il aménagea un débarcadère et un dépôt de bois pour les bateaux à vapeur. Ils furent rejoint en 1846 par des Luxembourgeois de Olm et par d'autres du canton de Capellen qui créèrent les colonies de St Donatus, Belle-Vue et Lamotte.

Source : Jean Ducat : Des Lorrains belges chez les Sioux, in Dentelle Belge 1991/1  

In 1838, Jean Baptiste Noël, from Sampon, after having spent 4 years in Ohio settled in Iowa, along the Mississippi river, south of Dubuque, accross the town of Galena, IL. With his brothers and sisters, he built a dock and a deposit of wood for the steamers. They were joined in 1846 by Luxembourgers from Olm and other people from the canton of Capellen who created the colonies of St Donatus, Belle-Vue and Lamotte.

John B. Noel  senior partner of the Noel & Wagner retail grocery establishment, Dubuque, with offices at 1850 Couler avenue, is a native of Dubuque county, Iowa, a son of John N. and Susanna Noel and grandson of the old pioneer, John B. Noel. The latter was a native of Belgium and came to America in 1825. He located in Dubuque at a very early date and was one of the county's pioneers, experiencing all the trials and hardships of those times. In 1889 he passed away, aged seventy-eight years, and was buried in St. Catherine's cemetery. John N. Noel was born in Dubuque county and lias known practically no other home. For many years he served on the local police force, was employed in the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul shops, and conducted the old Centennial House, one of Dubuque's early hostelries. He and wife are at present residing in Dubuque, having lived happily together for over forty years. John B. Noel was born August 3, 1872, at Gordon's Ferry, and received his early education in the First Ward (Franklin) school, graduating also from the Dubuque high school in 1889. For a year thereafter he clerked in the John Wilson retail grocery, then went with the Farley & Loetscher Sash, Door & Blind Manufacturing Company as machine hand, remaining thus employed for thirteen years. Succeeding this, he again clerked in a grocery store, then returned to the Farley-Loetscher company two years, and afterwards was employed by the Knapp-Stone Company, with whom he remained two years. A third time he returned to the Farley-Loetscher company, and in 1899 began clerking for Mettel Bros., wholesale and retail grocers, and remained with them until he and A. E. Wagner, an uncle, embarked in that line of business on Couler avenue in 1901. From a comparatively small beginning they have grown and prospered and today the Noel & Wagner concern is regarded as one of the best, of its kind in the city. Mr. Noel is independent in politics, a Roman Catholic in religion, and a member of the Knights of Columbus, Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Holy Name Society. On April 16, 1907, he was united in marriage w-ith Miss Clara Bell Connolly, of Dubuque, and to them two sons have been born, named John Robert, born February 11, 1908, and Joseph Willis, born March 29, 1910.
Mrs. Noel is a daughter of John and Alice Connolly, pioneer farmers of Dubuque county, who died May 5, 1902, and March 28, 1896, respectively. Both are buried in Holy Cross cemetery, Dubuque. Mr. Noel is one of Dubuque's representative business men and bears the good will of all who know him.

source: History of Dubuque County, Iowa; being a general survey of Dubuque County history, including a history of the city of Dubuque and special account of districts throughout the county, from the earliest settlement to the present time