In 1903, Charles Noble, a thirty-year-old talented and progressive farmer, relocated from North Dakota to Claresholm. He had a small farm north of town but also opened a butcher shop, hardware/machinery sales outlet, and was a partner in a realty/land sales agency. In 1910 when the new north-south rail line east of Claresholm was partially opened, Noble sold his Claresholm land and reduced his other Claresholm interests so that he could purchase a large land tract near the present town of Nobleford. During the next few years he continued to purchase other large parcels of land until by 1916 he was farming more than 10,000 acres.

During those years, the weather, the newly-cultivated fields, strong grain markets and prices, all favoured farmers. Noble used these years to demonstrate that good field husbandry produced good results. In 1912 he was named Flax King when he sowed 2,200 acres which yielded 27 bushels per acre (nearly 60,000 bushels). In 1915 he earned the title of Oats King when 1,000 acres of registered White Banner oats yielded 126,000 bushels (126 bushels per acre). One 100-acre plot within that 1,000-acre block yielded a phenomenal 130 bushels to the acre.

Upon hearing about record wheat yields in 1915, Noble, never one to back away from a challenge, sowed 1,606 acres (2.5 sections) to Hard Spring wheat in 1916. The Nobleford farm at this time consisted of about 4 or 5 sections, including Secs. 1, 2, 11 & 12 of Twp 11, Range 23, W4. With such large holdings, seeding 1,606 acres could not be done overnight. Besides, the 1,606 acres were just a small percentage of the land Noble had under cultivation. However, everything fell into place for him--an ideal seedbed with good moisture reserves, the tilthe of the friable soil, little wind, sunshine in abundance, some good luck, timely planning, and smart management of the soil, all combined to his advantage. At this time Noble did not use fertilizer and the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District had not yet been established.

During the 1916 growing season the rains came in ideal amounts. There was little or no hail, no damaging winds prior to harvest, and grasshoppers didn't seem to exude their usual punishment. It all pointed to a bumper crop, although harvest was somewhat delayed by a reported snowfall on October 1st and rains in mid-October. The Lethbridge Herald during September and October provided a plethora of news expounding the virtues of the agricultural attributes...