David Noggle (October 9, 1809July 18, 1878) was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist. He was chief justice of the from 1869 to 1874, appointed by President
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
. Earlier, he served as a member of the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
and a
Wisconsin circuit court
The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal case ...
judge.
Early life and career
Born in
Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Franklin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 155,932 Its county seat is Chambersburg.
Franklin County comprises the Chambersburg–Waynesboro, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
, he moved with his family to
Greenfield, Ohio
Greenfield is a large village in Highland and Ross counties, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,639. Since the population declined to under 5,000, the Census Bureau may still call it a city, but by Ohio's laws it is ...
, at age 16, where he worked on a farm with his father.
Despite having little education in Ohio, attending school only a few weeks a year, he expressed interest in becoming a lawyer. At age 19, he left Ohio to seek employment and worked four years at a factory in
Madison, New York
Madison is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 3,008 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Madison contains a village also named Madison. The town is near the eastern border of the county.
History
Settlement be ...
.
He returned to Ohio in 1833 and, finding his father deeply in debt, purchased his farm in partnership with his brother. Together they restored the farm to prosperity and improved the land with a water-powered mill.
He married Anne M. Lewis, of Milan, Ohio, in 1834, and together they traveled to
Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 285,350 making it the seventh most populous county in Illinois behind Cook County and its five surrounding collar counties. ...
, in 1836, where they purchased
government land and started a farmstead. Noggle was still intent on entering the legal profession and spent much of his free time studying legal texts; an anecdote references that he carried a book of the works of
William Blackstone
Sir William Blackstone (10 July 1723 – 14 February 1780) was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the ''Commentaries on the Laws of England''. Born into a middle-class family i ...
to read while tending his fields.
In 1838, he was examined by the
Supreme Court of Illinois
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ap ...
and admitted to the
Illinois State Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) is among largest voluntary state bar associations in the United States. Approximately 28,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA memb ...
, having never spent a day in a law office or law school.
In 1839, Noggle sold his farm in Illinois and moved across the border into the
Wisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...
. He settled at
Beloit and started a law practice. His practice flourished, doing business in Rock, Walworth, Jefferson, and Green counties in the Wisconsin Territory, as well as Winnebago and Boone counties in Illinois.
Political career
His legal work brought him local prominence. He was elected
postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
of Beloit from 1840 through 1845. In 1846, he was a delegate for Rock County to Wisconsin's first constitutional convention. Although the constitution produced by that convention was never adopted, Noggle distinguished himself among the delegates. He fought for the inclusion of progressive items such as the
homestead exemption
The homestead exemption is a legal regime to protect the value of the homes of residents from property taxes, creditors, and circumstances that arise from the death of the homeowner's spouse.
Such laws are found in the statutes or the constitution ...
, an elected judiciary, and the rights of married women, and was opposed to a
state bank
A state bank is generally a financial institution that is chartered by a federated state, as opposed to one regulated at the federal or national level. State banks differ from a reserve bank in that it does not necessarily control monetary policy ...
.
He became an ardent
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
and represented Wisconsin as a delegate to the
1848
1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...
and
1852
Events
January–March
* January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic.
* January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...
Democratic National Conventions.
Noggle moved to
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city in the county. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Madison–Jane ...
, in 1850, and, in 1853, he was elected to the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
, representing the Janesville-based 2nd
Rock County assembly district. Several Democratic partisan newspapers suggested Noggle as a candidate for
Speaker of the Assembly for the
1854 session but ultimately he was not chosen.
Like many progressive Democrats, Noggle split with the party over the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
and ran for
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
in 1854 as an independent, citing that his platform was that of the 1849
Democratic state convention
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the ...
and the 1854
Republican state convention—meaning total opposition to the expansion of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
into
new states or territories. With the
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...
set to elect a
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
in the next session, Noggle pledged he would not vote for a candidate who did not adhere to his position on slavery. He was ultimately unsuccessful as an independent candidate, but subsequently became a member of the new
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
.
In 1856, Noggle was elected to the Assembly again, this time on the Republican ticket. At the start of the
1857 session, he was their choice for Speaker of the Assembly. However, due to an injury, he declined the honor, stating that his incapacitation would impair him in carrying out the duties of the speaker.
Nevertheless, he remained a leader of the Republican caucus in the Assembly and in the legislative wrangling that secured the election of U.S. senator
James Rood Doolittle
James Rood Doolittle (January 3, 1815July 27, 1897) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1869. He was a strong supporter of President Abraham Lincoln's administration during the ...
.
He also successfully pushed the Legislature to pass an act
1857 Wisc. Act 44, setting a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
to amend the
Wisconsin Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...
to extend
voting rights
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
to
women
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...
and
African Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
. He was outspoken about the issue in the press, but the referendum ultimately failed.
Judicial career
In August 1858, Noggle was appointed
Wisconsin circuit court
The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal case ...
judge for the 1st circuit—southeast Wisconsin—by Governor
Alexander Randall following the resignation of Judge John M. Keep. In the April 1859 election, Judge Noggle ran for election to a full six-year term as judge. Initially, it appeared his opponent would be respected Racine attorney and Speaker of the Assembly
William P. Lyon, but Lyon—a fellow Republican—deferred. Nevertheless, Noggle did have an opponent in the election—John M. Keep—the man who had resigned the judgeship in 1858, creating the vacancy now up for election. Judge Noggle won a substantial victory in the election, taking nearly 70% of the vote.
Judge Noggle sought reelection in 1865, but this time William P. Lyon did choose to enter the race. Lyon prevailed in the April election and Judge Noggle's term expired at the end of the year. After leaving office, he lived for a short time in
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...
, and was attorney for the
Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad.
On April 7, 1869, President
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
nominated Noggle to be Chief Jof the
Idaho Territorial Supreme Court, and he was confirmed by the senate two days later. As Noggle's four-year term was expiring, Grant renominated him to the same post on March 13, 1873, and he was confirmed by the senate five days later.
He resigned due to poor health in late 1874. Noggle returned to Janesville in 1875, and died there in 1878.
Personal life and family
Noggle's father, John Noggle, was
Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...
and his mother was of
Irish American
, image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png
, image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state
, caption = Notable Irish Americans
, population =
36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...
descent.
He married Anne M. Lewis, of
Milan, Ohio
Milan ( ) is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Erie County, Ohio, Erie and Huron County, Ohio, Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,367 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is best known as the birt ...
, on October 13, 1834.
They had at least eight children together, though one died in infancy.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Senate (1854)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1854
Wisconsin Circuit Court (1859)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 5, 1859
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noffle, David
1808 births
1878 deaths
People from Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Politicians from Dubuque, Iowa
People from Greenfield, Ohio
Politicians from Beloit, Wisconsin
Politicians from Janesville, Wisconsin
Illinois lawyers
Iowa lawyers
Wisconsin lawyers
Wisconsin Democrats
Chief justices of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court
Wisconsin state court judges
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly