Joseph Cobham Noyes

Joseph Cobham Noyes (September 22, 1798 – July 28, 1868) was a United States representative from Maine and a prominent businessman and public official in nineteenth-century Maine. A member of the Whig Party, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his Maine constituents.

Noyes was born in Portland, then a part of Massachusetts (now in Maine), on September 22, 1798. He attended the common schools in his native town, receiving the basic education typical of New England youth of his era. In 1819 he moved to Eastport, in Washington County, Maine, a growing maritime community near the Canadian border. There he entered commercial life as a ship chandler and shipper of merchandise, supplying vessels and engaging in coastal and international trade. His early business experience in Eastport helped establish his reputation as a capable merchant and contributed to his later prominence in public affairs.

Noyes’s political career began at the state level. He was elected a member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1833, participating in state legislative deliberations during the formative years of Maine’s statehood, which had been achieved only a little more than a decade earlier. His service in the state legislature provided him with legislative experience and public visibility that aided his subsequent election to national office.

As a member of the Whig Party representing Maine, Noyes was elected to the Twenty-fifth Congress and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1837, to March 3, 1839. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history marked by economic turmoil following the Panic of 1837 and intense debates over banking, tariffs, and federal economic policy. In Congress he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents, aligning with Whig principles that generally favored a stronger role for Congress in economic development and internal improvements. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1838 to the Twenty-sixth Congress, thereby concluding his brief tenure in national office.

After leaving Congress, Noyes continued to hold important federal and local positions. He was appointed collector of customs for the district of Passamaquoddy, Maine, serving from 1841 to 1843. In this role he oversaw customs operations in a strategically important border and maritime region, administering federal trade and revenue laws at a time when shipping and cross-border commerce were central to the local economy. Following his customs service, he returned to Portland, where he resumed and expanded his business activities.

Back in Portland, Noyes engaged in the flour and commission business, reflecting the city’s growing role as a commercial hub in northern New England. He became increasingly involved in the city’s industrial and financial development. He was one of the founders of the Portland Savings Bank in 1852, an institution that contributed to the financial infrastructure of the community by encouraging savings and providing capital for local enterprise. In 1859 he became treasurer of the Portland Company, a prominent locomotive works that played a role in the expansion of railroad transportation in the region, and in the same year he assumed the office of treasurer of the Portland Savings Bank. He held the treasurership of the bank from 1859 until his death, underscoring his long-term influence in Portland’s financial affairs.

Joseph Cobham Noyes died in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, on July 28, 1868. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland. Through his combined careers in commerce, state politics, federal service, and local industry and banking, Noyes contributed to the economic and civic life of Maine during a period of significant growth and change.