John C. Nobel, born December 1815(?), began publishing the Paducah Herald in 1857. This newspaper was a Democratic publication and lasted until Union forces occupying Paducah closed it down in 1861. At that time Nobel joined the Confederate Army, finally rising to the rank of Colonel. He began publishing the paper again in 1865, and once more became active in Democratic politics, primarily in Western Kentucky. He eventually established a statewide influence and, in 1869, was elected to the Office of State Binder. Nobel is listed in Collin's History of Kentucky as one of the citizens relieved of their "political disablities" by the 1871 passage of the McCreery Disability Bill in the United States Congress. There is no firm date for Nobel's death, but there are Paducah newspaper accounts mentioning John C. Nobel's activities as late as 1900.
From the description of John C. Noble papers : letters, 1866-1870. (Kentucky Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 36931728
